Effective Floor Marking in Warehouses

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When it comes to workplace safety and organization, warehouses often get lumped in with manufacturing facilities. From an outside perspective, they can seem quite similar, but there are a lot of important differences that need to be taken into account. This is true in almost all areas, but especially with floor markings.

If you are planning a floor marking strategy for your warehouse, make sure that you follow the standards that are in place for warehouses specifically. These can come from a variety of sources including OSHA, industry best practices, and more. This article will give a general overview of the different things that need to be considered when making a plan for floor markings in a warehouse.

Where to Use Floor Markings

It is easy to come up with a huge list of different places where your facility could benefit from floor markings. If you attempt to use this type of marking in every possible situation, however, it will become counterproductive. Having to many floor markings causes confusion and actually makes it more difficult to understand the meanings of each type of marking. This is even true if you use different colors and designs to try to set things apart.

Because of this it is better to focus on coming up with an efficient use of floor markings in the facility. Some specific areas that often benefit most from this type of marking can include:

  • Traffic Areas – Using floor markings to guide the drivers of indoor vehicles like forklifts is a great way to improve safety. These markings will benefit both the drivers of these vehicles and pedestrians in the same area.
  • Evacuation Paths – Using floor markings to guide people out of the facility during an emergency is one of the best ways that they can be used.
  • Organization Markings – Floor markings are a great option for keeping things organized. Marking off specific areas for specific uses will help reduce clutter and other problems.
  • Aisles – Marking off aisleways is very important for identifying where people can walk, where vehicles can travel, and even where items being stored can stick out.

Of course, there are many other places where floor markings can be used. Finding the right opportunities for your facility will help you to come up with an efficient and effective use of floor markings. Knowing your options will help you to follow the floor marking best practices and standards in the warehousing industry.

Types of Floor Markings

There are many different types of floor markings that can be used within a warehouse. Each type will have a different use associated with it so that it can accomplish the desired task. Some of the most common types of floor markings include the following:

  • Colored Floor Marking Tape – Floor marking tape is likely the most common type of floor marking in a facility. It can be easily installed and is a very affordable way to mark the floors. Having a plan on what colors will be used where makes this an excellent form of visual communication.
  • Floor Marking Signs – Floor markings signs can either be painted onto the floor or applied like tape. Either way, they can convey specific information in either words or symbols.
  • Traction Tape – This option not only stands out visibly, but also adds traction to the floor. This is a good option for areas that may get wet or otherwise slippery.
  • Glow in the Dark Floor Tape – Glow in the dark floor marking tape is visible during the day like normal tape, but if the power goes out it will glow so people can see it. This is great for emergency evacuations.

Floor Marking Colors

Another thing to consider when planning out your warehouse floor marking strategy is what colors to use in what locations. Floor marking tape and floor marking paint can come in any color you choose. The important thing is to make sure you plan out the right colors for the right situations, and stick with them throughout the facility.

For example, if you follow the industry standard of using yellow floor tape for guiding normal foot traffic or vehicle traffic through different areas, then this is the only use that this color should have. Using the same color to convey multiple meanings can cause confusion and actually increase the danger in an area rather than making it safer.

Crafting an Effective Floor Marking Plan

In the end, there are many different options available to you when it comes to floor markings in your facility. Planning out the best way to accomplish your goals will help to make it easier to implement and stick to ta good strategy. Of course, you will also need to train employees and other people who work in the warehouse to ensure they know what the various types and colors of floor markings mean. This will help ensure they get the most benefit from this effort.

Additional Resources

Related posts:

  1. Floor Marking Tips
  2. Floor Marking Tapes and Shapes
  3. Floor Marking Options
  4. OSHA Floor Marking Standards