Controlling swathes of the public is a difficult job, but it would be impossible without the right warning systems and deterrents.

Economy hazard tape is something we have all seen around big events, accidents, construction sites and police scenes, but we never appreciate the psychological effect it has as a deterrent.

Here, we break down hazard tape regulations and when and how to use economy hazard tape.

Hazard Tape Regulation

The use of hazard tape is covered in the HSE’s ‘Protecting the Public’ guidelines. Therein, the guidelines indicate that hazard tape should be used once a perimeter is set out.

So, before any tape is put in place, you must ensure you set up a perimeter. Within this perimeter, you must perform a risk assessment and ensure there is no possibility of the public entering the cordoned-off area.

The only other guidance the HSE has is to prevent the hazard tape from becoming a tripping hazard and to work on establishing the perimeter during hours where public presence is lessened.

Detailed instructions can be found on the HSE website.

What Do Hazard Tape Colours Mean?

Yellow Hazard Tape

Yellow is used for incidents where only caution is necessary. This is a hazard area that has a low level of safety but isn’t necessarily a danger to life. Congested work areas are an example where yellow tape could be used.

Red Hazard Tape

Red is used for medium to high levels of danger. It essentially means there is a danger to life, and people should not enter without a supervisor's permission. Confined spaces, overhead dangers, and other threats are commonly behind tape like this.

Existing alongside these hazard tapes are outliers such as yellow police scene tape.

How to Use Hazard Tape Effectively

Hazard tape needs to be used with both employees and the public in mind. In order to do that, the following process should be followed:

• Determine what type of hazard tape is needed. As mentioned, yellow is used for caution, and red is used for danger. Other options have specific uses like police tape for crime scenes.
• Ensure the entrance to the hazardous area is properly labelled. Ensure the tape is secure, as you don’t want it sagging or creating bumps to trip over.
• Remove the tape only when the hazard has been eliminated.

Buy Reliable Hazard Tapes

Label Source has a pedigree in producing high-quality, reliable labels, signs and tapes. Discover our range of economy hazard tape to find out more.

What separates efficient businesses from those who aren’t? Usually, it comes down to communication. By complementing verbal communication and processes with written signs and labels, a business can improve its internal efficiency.

However, you can go a step further than simple signs and labels.

Document pockets, for example, are an excellent method of conveying information and preserving it in a protective but readable state.

Whether they’re propped on notice boards, workbenches or cabinets, information held within document pockets is safe, secure and available to its intended audience.

Discover how to use document pockets and a variety of their uses here.

How to Use Plastic Document Pockets

Heavy-duty document holders are suitable for documents that employees need to handle and sign, or to be used as short-term signs or information posters.

The use of document pockets is dependent on the information that is being put in them and where employees are likely to need it.

So, if employees are responsible for a job on their shift that needs to be noted on paper, placing this form in a document pocket near where the activity is occurring is recommended.

Uses for these relies on the type of document pocket you’re using, too.

Uses for Document Pockets

Broadly, two types of document pockets are used in industry:

• Self-adhesive spine label pockets – these offer permanent attachment to non-metal surfaces. These can be used as adhesive plastic card holders and general holders in sizes A4-A7. Suitable for non-metal racking, shelving, cabinets, workbenches and notice boards.

• Magnetic display pockets and plastic sleeves – these allow document pockets to be affixed onto metal surfaces. Thanks to their magnetism, these pockets can be moved around easily. These are suitable for metal racking, shelving, cabinets and storage containers.

Using the right document pocket in the right place can provide several efficiencies for a business. They can consolidate information, provide a chain of responsibility, remind staff of safety protocols and facilitate the development of a conscious, responsible workforce.

Discover Plastic Document Pockets

Whether it’s for work rotas or safety information, our range of heavy-duty document pockets is versatile, robust and crystal clear.

High-temperature labels, also called heat-resistant or heatproof labels, withstand the hottest of environments and meet industry expectations of a label maintaining its detail when exposed to high levels of heat.

Heat-resistant labels for candles are popular, but there are also higher-level, more technical labels for UV resistance and extreme conditions.

Below, we’ll discuss where and when to use high-temperature labels, as well as their properties.

Types of High-Temperature Labels

Different labels can have completely different interactions with heat – they’re not all made the same. Some may specialise in handling extremely high temperatures for a short amount of time, while others can operate at a moderately high temperature for a long time.

Overall, the following materials are some of the most popular temperature-resistant labels:

• PET and Polyester Labels – Hand-applied and printed with a standard thermal transfer They can withstand modest temperatures from -40 to 150°C.
• Metal – Metal labels and tags can be used as high-temperature labels. By moving from aluminium to stainless steel, metal tags can be used for some high-temperature applications.
• Polyimide – A mid-point, catch-all label type. These will withstand temperatures up to 200°C for 60 minutes. Alternatively, they can adapt to 300°C for 5 minutes.
• HP-T40 – These labels are nailed or clipped onto appropriate subjects. They can resist temperatures up to 450°C.
• CBR-CX2T – Can maintain temperatures between 20°C and 1250°C. They require a special applicator to apply and are typically reserved for niche cases.
• Ceramic – These labels are toughies, resisting temperatures up to 1250°C. Made of complex ceramic material and thermal ink, they are usually applied to metals and glass.

At Label Source, we only stock polyimide-based labels as they offer a strong middle ground. Other, higher-level labels are reserved for specialist outlets.

Where and When to Use Them

Heat-resistant labels sound like they’re reserved for the factories and engineers out there, but there’s probably one sitting in your home right now.

Candles are the most popular household item to have heat-proof labels. For household candles to sell, they need to maintain their intricately-designed labels under the heat of a flame. Nobody wants their candle label to slowly melt away, plus safety would be compromised.

For industrial uses, heat-resistant labels are typically used for electrical component identification, PCB identification, PCB applications, marking switches or sensors, high-temperature manufacturing lines, infrared ovens, soldering baths, etc.

Whenever there is a need to preserve information during or following heat, then heat-resistant labels are needed.

Handle the Heat with High-Temperature Labels

Our range of custom heat-resistant labels are printed on self-adhesive white polyimide with durable, high-quality resin-grade black thermal print.

This means you’ll be getting a versatile label that can not only handle the heat but can resist UV light, chemicals and solvents too. Check them out!

Printing custom signs is usually a simple, frustration-free process. Order them, print them, and the client is, usually, happy with them.

There are stringent proofing procedures in place, plus the increasing inclusion of technology reduces the margin of human error.

However, that margin, however small, still causes errors, some of which leads to misspelt public signs.

Below we list some of the most egregious examples of misspelt signs, billboard and labels while detailing the best practice of custom sign printing.

Some of The Funniest Spelling Mistakes on Signs

A few things can go wrong when printing signs, especially bespoke road signs. However, some errors are hard to forget. Much like an ill-conceived tattoo, it takes a while for people to forget the most embarrassing of textual errors.

(Source: Englisbabus)

The above has a catalogue of errors, but the lack of space between “with” and “in” and, more noticeably, the misspelt “enforced” shows that this sign hasn’t been proofed by the council contractor.

Of course, human error can be forgiven, but the negligence from a lack of proofing cannot.

(Source: BBC)

Orientation is essential when printing custom signs. You need to ensure machinery is printing graphics and words in a logical order, but sometimes, things can go wrong.

Even the most switched-on of onlookers would find this sign confusing. Where is the way out? Below? Straight ahead? Nowhere at all?

It’s an example that even if a sign looks okay, it needs to work within its specific context.

The above sign may be a purposeful nihilistic commentary on the futility of modern life, though, but it probably isn’t.

(Source: BBC)

Not sure where to start with this one. There are spelling errors, then there is this. Either the company printing this decided to collectively take a shot of vodka as soon as they hit “September” or this sign was rushed out under pressure.

This sign caused such an uproar that Oxfordshire County Council needed to publicly apologise.

(Source: BlazePress)

Either this is a pointed criticism of said company’s executive board or someone, somewhere has messed up with the world’s biggest Freudian slip.

The fact that the sign wasn’t proofed internally is a shock, but in addition to that, somebody saw the sign, thought “okay!” and mounted it on a door. Wild.

How to Prevent Spelling Mistakes on Signs, Labels and Billboards

By and large, most signs do their job well. The fact that misspelt signs make headlines and go viral so quickly is because the vast majority are fine.

This is thanks to the custom sign printing process. For example, custom road sign printing leaves space to fix errors:

• A sign is cut using whatever material is most suitable. Road signs, for example, use aluminium. Required holes are then drilled, followed by a rounding of the corners.
• Blanks are checked for any defects or contamination. This makes sure the background adheres properly. Grease is then removed, so the surface looks clean.
• Background sheets are cut my hand. Following that, letters and symbols are checked, then punched on the sheeting. This is where the majority of mistakes are made, so a process of checking and proofing the letters is essential.
• Air bubbles are then removed, then the sign is heated to finish it off.

All in all, there is enough steps pre, during and post-printing to locate mistakes and fix them.

Buy Custom Signs From Label Source

For reliable, mistake-free signs, browse our range of custom signs. Our range custom tags are available in a wide variety of different size and colours, with customisable options such as serial numbers, text and barcodes.

The latest figures from the HSE estimates the cost of work injuries and ill health from working conditions is £15 billion. Even with the advent of personal protective equipment (PPE), workplace injuries are still costing businesses and public services money.

Eye injuries make up a small amount of this cost, but these injuries can impact an employee’s life.

Below, we discuss how to protect your eyes in the workplace and the importance of eye protection signs.

Types of Eye Protection in the Workplace

Eye injuries occur in the workplace for two reasons: eye protection wasn’t worn, or eye protection wasn’t used properly.

Despite the wide range of eye injuries that can occur, the above reasons underpin all them. For that reason, employees need to be both reminded and trained to ensure they keep up with eye protection safety.

There are five categories of eye protection:

1) Spectacles with side protection – a broad category used for all types of eye protection. These must contain side shields to prevent debris from coming in at the side. 

2) Goggles – a higher-end version of spectacles. These protect the eyes from fluids, particulates, chemicals, etc.

3) Welding helmets – protects from heat, sparks, infrared light, fire and UV light.

4) Hoods – non-rigid protection with impact-resistant windows. Ideal for eye protection in confined or awkward spaces.

5) Face shields – protects a user’s face from impacts, heat and glare.

6) Respirator facepieces – colloquially known as a gas mask, this protects a user’s eyes and lungs from inhaling particulates, microorganisms, gases, vapour, etc.

Having the correct equipment for the correct environment is only half of the battle, though. Employees need to stay trained and reminded via eye protection signs to stay safe.

The Role of Eye Protection Signs

Eye protection signs communicate and remind members of staff to use their PPE. They are an implicit line of defence and can be the difference between a tired worker putting on their goggles and hurting themselves.

Signs must comply with harmonised standard EN 7010, as well as the Signs and Safety Regulations 1996.

If you work in medical, laboratories, research facilities, hospitals, forestry, construction, agriculture and everything in between, eye protection is essential.

Even in non-physical jobs, eye protection is important, albeit without the need for equipment. Eye protection in the office, for example, is essential to protect eyes from screen glare.

Protect Your Eyes With Label Source

Our full range of eye protection signs will keep you, your employees and your business safe.