Many industries use steam or hot water extensively in their processing or manufacturing cycle, or for heating or heat recovery. This can include food processing, beverage manufacture and brewing, in the production of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, oil and gas exploration and processing, pulp and paper manufacturing , manufacture of metals and autoclaving in hospitals, but to name a few.

The steam or hot water is conveyed in pipework supported by an array of plant including boilers, vacuum pumps, compressors, pressure valves, heat exchangers, flow meters, control systems, steam and drain traps, tanks, vats and storage and feed vessels.

Label Source has supplied many tape, label, and tag products to aid in the efficient operation of such systems, assisting in reductions in emissions, improvements in energy performance, reduction in water consumption, and a safe operating environment complying with the latest health and safety guidelines.

From pipeline identification tapes for identifying the content of pipes, to showing the direction of flow, health and safety signs for safe plant operation, tags for the rapid identification of component parts of the system (in stainless steel, other metals, or plastics) and labels for asset location, Label Source has provided a multitude of products to assist in maintenance and a safe working environment, many produced to customer specification.

Any moving machinery or equipment in the workplace has the potential to cause injury to users. Even fully trained operatives following procedures, with fully maintained machines, with prescribed safety features and using appropriate protective clothing and equipment, have to be mindful that things can go wrong.

A whole range of differing injuries can be sustained including:

Entanglement between moving or rotating machinery, whether this be contact with hair, hands, jewellery or clothing. This can include equipment utilising rollers, belts or pulley drives.

Crush injuries from pinch points, or from being struck by moving parts.

Entrapment can result from being ensnared between different parts of the equipment, or between equipment and walls or other objects.

Cut and abrasion injuries can be caused by blades, shears or other sharp pointed component parts.

Electric shock injuries from direct exposure to machinery powered by mains voltages.

Burns and scalds from contact with hot surfaces, or ejected fluids or hot gases.

In the UK between the period, 2010/11 and 2014/15, 20% of all fatalities from accidents through contact with machinery in the manufacturing sector (Riddor). Annually around 70,000 self-reported injuries are recorded annually, and almost 29% of these result in absences of over 7 days duration (Labour Force Survey). The higher incident of above average workplace injuries can be found in firstly, skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades, and secondly, process, plant and machine operatives.

One key area to reinforce the message of vigilance when using such machines, equipment or tooling is to clearly mark the dangers during operation or maintenance and servicing is to use recognised safety signs and machine labels. Label Source has a comprehensive range of such products for use on machinery or their areas of operation. These include; electrical hazard safety signs; lockout products; general hazard warning signs; personal protective safety signs; chemical hazard safety warning signs; and safety labelling.

For more information on these products, together with customised labelling please contact Label Source by e-mail (sales@labelsource.co.uk) or by telephone 0800 3761693 (in UK) or +44 (1443) 842769 (outside UK).

It states in the Health and Safety (Safety Sign and Signals) Regulations 1996 the following "The regulations to ensure that safety signs are provided (or are in place) and maintained in circumstances where there is significant risk to health and safety that has not been removed or controlled by other methods" so in order to comply with the regulations you must ensure that there is safety and warning signs in place or you could face some serious penalties. But what if there is space restrictions stopping your from putting these signs in place? These Small Safety Signs are perfect for that exact reason!

These Small Safety Signs are made from semi-rigid plastic and have an adhesive backing allowing them to stick to any surface with ease! These labels cover the full range of safety sign classifications from Fire Equipment (e.g. Fire Extinguisher, Fire Alarms and Fire Assembly Points) to Mandatory Signs, such as "Wear Eye Protection" signs and "Wear Mask" signs. Each sign is colour coded and complies with ISO1070 and the Safety Sign and Signals Regulations 1996. These signs are perfect if space restrictions are stopping you from placing safety and warning signs in the area. 

Click here to view our full range of Small Safety Signs.

It's the final day of Health and Safety Week today, and with the focus being  "Inspiring excellence in the profession" we thought we'd provide you with a last minute suggestion on how you can boost health and safety engagement in your workplace.

There are a number of ways to improve health and safety engagement, from rewarding workers for their initiative, organising a health and safety presentation to be delivered by your employees or including your staff when you're carrying out health and safety measures, but one of our favourite methods is a good, old, classic quiz. There are bound to be plenty of safety signs and hazard notices placed all over your workplace, but do the workers using these premises actually take note of them and understand what they mean? To find out, you can organise a quiz which includes all the signs and notices in the building - for each correct symbol, the employee gains a point. To encourage your employees to scrub up on their health and safety knowledge even more, you could provide the top-scoring employee with a prize!

To give you a rough idea of what your quizzes should look like, we've taken it upon ourselves to get the ball rolling and provide you with an example below. Set your employees weekly tests to do and in no time they'll be health and safety experts!

What do these symbols mean?

1) We'll start you off easy! Click here to find out if you're correct. 

2) This symbol is everywhere! Answer here. 

3) Come on, you've got to get this one! Answer here. 

4) We're stepping it up a notch! Click here to see if you're right.

5) Not sure on this one? Click here for the answer!

6) We'll give you a clue, it has nothing to do with snowmen! Answer here.

7) What do these wavy lines mean? Find out here. 

8) What does this skull tell you? Click here to find out! 

9) Everyone should recognise this! Click here to find out the answer.

10) This one certainly stands out! To find out the answer click here.

Laboratories are dangerous places to work. Many of the materials or chemicals that you come into contact with on a daily basis are potentially harmful to your health, and to the health of your co-workers if handled in a careless or incorrect manner. For this reason, it is vital to ensure that all the risks and potential hazards that could occur in this environment are clearly labelled.

Within our comprehensive range of safety signs and labels you will find a variety of labels, tapes and signs that are designed specifically for the identification of hazards within laboratories. Now, we know that time is precious, and it is very likely that you don’t have the time to search through our extensive range of labels and signs to find the signs that are relevant to your business...so we've done the searching for you! Below you will find a list of the most popular product categories for laboratories:

Laboratory Safety Labels & Tapes

Working in a laboratory means that you are often surrounded by biological hazards and infectious diseases. We have dedicated a whole section of our website to signs that have been specifically designed to raise awareness of such hazards and help to minimise the risk of infection.

In this department you will not only find various warning signs and labels, but we also offer a range of tapes that can be used to alert co-workers, visitors, couriers and even emergency services to the dangers present in your lab.

To view our full range of Laboratory Safety Labels & Tapes, please click here. 

General Health & Safety Signs

When you are handling dangerous chemicals and materials, it is incredibly important to wear the correct PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) and wash your hands after handling certain objects. In our General Health and Safety Sign department, you will discover a range of signs that will help remind people of the equipment that they should be using and the correct procedure for carrying out certain activities. We even have a number of signs that alert people to your various first aid locations.

To view our extensive range of health and safety signs, click here.

Quality Assurance Labels

Quality assurance testing is an essential activity that is carried out by laboratories worldwide to ensure that their products are produced to the highest standard possible. We have a huge range of quality assurance labels and tags on offer, and they are suitable for a range of applications throughout the production process.

We manufacture our quality assurance labels to an incredibly high standard, so you can be confident that whatever the situation or conditions that you require our labels to endure, they are more than up to the task.

If you would like to browse our comprehensive range of quality assurance labels, click here.  

Quality Assurance Tapes

Not only do we supply an extensive range of quality assurance labels here at Label Source, we also stock a large number of quality assurance tapes. These tapes are manufactured with a strong adhesive bind that is ideal for packaging and product segregation.

We have a whole range of printed QA tapes including caution tapes, checked tapes, QC inspected, QC rejected, dispatch and handling tapes, and much more.

If you would like more information on our tapes, or are interested in viewing our complete range, please click here.

Here at Label Source, we aim to provide our customers with a truly comprehensive range of labels, tapes and signs. However, if you can't find the exact product you are looking for, please get in touch with our customer service team, who will be more than happy to help.