When it comes to promoting safety and clearly communicating important information during a building project, construction site tape has many strategic applications, from guiding your team to signposting hazards.
In this guide, we briefly introduce construction tape as a handy tool and outline six types of construction tape essential for every project.
What is Construction Tape?
Construction tape is a type of specialist tape designed specifically for building sites. It helps mark dangers and gives clear directions to both workers and the general public.
Depending on its designated purpose, construction tape can come in different colours, materials, and designs – all selected to ensure it’s best serving its purpose.
Ensuring you’re using the correct construction tape for every scenario is essential for a hazard-free, well-organised building site. By understanding what construction site tapes are available and their uses, project managers can ensure seamless operations and boost workplace safety by avoiding accidents.
Types of Construction Site Tape
Ranking high on the list of essentials, electrical warning tape is – as the name suggests – used to signpost any cables and power lines buried under the surface. It helps you avoid accidental damage during construction works.
Placing electrical warning tape underground (ideally near the surface) means when a construction team starts digging, they have a clear warning of where electrical utilities, and in some cases telecoms, are located.
If you want to take prevention a step further when it comes to excavation work, detectable warning tape is designed to be easily picked up by cable-locating equipment, thanks to the integrated steel wire integrated into its build.
The uses of detectable warning tape vary from highlighting electrical wires to other underground utilities, such as water pipes and mains, which might need to be clearly identified and mapped out before works begin.
Read more: Detectable Warning Tape: How Does It Differ From Other Tapes?
Another building project essential, anti-slip tape helps secure uneven or slippery surfaces around a construction site by adding extra grip through a textured surface. It’s a great measure to improve workplace health and safety by preventing slips, trips, and falls.
Anti-slip tape is great for hazardous high-traffic areas such as ramps, stairs, and walkways, as well as any zones likely to get wet or be covered in grease/oil. This tape is weather-resistant and hard wearing, so it can be applied both indoors and outdoors.
Sometimes known as ‘scaffold sleeving’, scaffolding tape is traditionally wrapped around scaffold poles as an extra visual warning for pedestrians on ground level. The high-visibility red and white chevrons draw attention to unexpected obstacles, helping avoid collisions and injuries.
Like scaffolding tape, flagging tape is used as a high-visibility marker indicating hazards or boundaries. Also referred to as ‘surveyor’s tape’, this is a non-adhesive tape which highlights dangers, utility lines, or specific areas and features through bright colours and patterns.
Flagging tape is designed to be sturdy and UV-resistant, so it can weather varied environments. Aside from building and surveying projects, it also has applications in forestry, emergency services work, and even racecourses.
Read more: What is Flagging Tape and How is it Used?
Specifically designed to be used on roads, this tape is extremely durable: it has an aluminium base covered in reflective glass beads, all of which is backed by strong adhesive.
It’s clearly visible in any light, making roads safer for pedestrians and vehicles alike, even in low-light conditions.
Road tape has many roadside construction and maintenance applications – it can be applied to both concrete and asphalt, and used across roads or pavements to signal ongoing works or other hazards.
Find The Best Construction Tape For You
With its many uses, construction tape is an indispensable resource for keeping building sites safe and organised, and picking the right type for your project is key.
Whether you want to identify and reduce hazards, mark the boundaries of specific areas, or signpost underground utilities, we have a selection of products to meet your needs.
Browse our construction site tape range, or get in touch with our team for advice.
