Floor tape is an extremely important tool for safety communication in any manufacturing or industrial facility. It serves as a visual aid to enhance worker safety, organize workflow, and boost efficiency. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has several standards for walkways and paths for machines, as well as recommendations for other uses.

According to OSHA standard 1910.176(a), any area “where mechanical handling equipment is used, sufficient safe clearances shall be allowed for aisles.” It later says that “permanent aisles and passageways shall be appropriately marked.”

When using a forklift or any other moving equipment, plant managers or safety directors should consider using floor tape to indicate where drivers are allowed to go. You may also use arrows or other markings to indicate the direction that drivers should travel.

Floor marking tape can also be used to create paths for pedestrians. It is recommended that paths be at least four feet wide, and the tape should be between two and six inches wide. The tape can be a continuous strip, dots, or squares, and they may be any color as long as they clearly define the walking area.

In cases where floor markings aren’t a viable option to mark safe paths, OSHA allows pillars, powder stripping, flags, traffic cones, barrels and other devices to be used instead.

In facilities where there are particularly dangerous machines, plant managers can use floor marking tape to indicate where people should be cautious. This is an easy way to make sure workers know the appropriate distance to keep when walking near those machines. You can also choose different colors of tape to represent different hazards.

If you are looking to upgrade your safety communication, Martin Supply has a wide variety of options to choose from.

To learn more, contact your Martin Sales Rep or call 800.828.8116.