According to a report, approximately 3 million people lose their lives each year in work accidents. Study also shows more than 400 million workers suffer injuries that are not fatal. Further, recent research of OSHA says forklifts lead to around 35000 to 62000 injuries every year in factories.
All these stats encourage us to create safe workplaces and mark factory areas to warn workers about dangers. To completely understand floor markings in factory, you can read this article.
What is Floor Marking?
Floor marking is a simple way to guide workers inside the workplace. It indicates different zones and areas inside a warehouse or factory. You can use colored lines, tapes, boxes or painted signs on your factory surface. In this way, floor marking in a warehouse or factory is helpful for you to find walkways, storage areas, safe paths and emergency exits.
Furthermore, you can identify the locations where machines or vehicles like forklifts operate. In short, factory floor markings are useful for you to easily move in your facility to complete your tasks and find specific zones.
Factory Floor Marking Standards
Below are OSHA floor marking guidelines that you have to follow for your workers and workplace safety.
Basic Environment Controls
1910.144(a)(1): This rule of OSHA says that you have to use red markings in your factory to show fire safety tools, stop buttons, emergency electrical switches and flammable liquid containers.
1910.144(a)(3): This section regulates that yellow must be the main color for caution and for marking places where you have risk of physical damage or get caught between objects.
Emergency Escape Routes (Means of Egress)
According to OSHA 1910.35 standard, an employer is in compliance with 1910.34, 1910.36 and 1910.37 if they follow certain exit route standards. These regulations include the Life Safety Code, NFPA 101 or the 2009 International Fire Code (IFC).
Equipment Operation
OSHA 1910.176(a) rule states that when you use mechanical handling equipment, you must make sure you leave enough space at loading docks, doorways, in aisles and where you need to turn/pass.
You should keep aisles and passageways in good condition, free of hazards and clear. Also mark permanent aisles and passageways clearly, so that everyone can see lines/signs.
OSHA International Fire Safety Rules
OSHA 1024.1: You have to provide approved luminous markings to show exit paths in your factory. Well, this is required on floors more than 75 feet above the level where fire trucks can reach.
1024.2.1 Standards: You should paint a solid line on the very front edge of each step. Further, you need to make sure the line covers all the way across the step from one side to the other.
OSHA 1024.2.4 Section: You should paint markings along the edges of the floor and always keep them within 4 inches of the walls. Then, stop the lines 2 inches before the edge of any landing steps. Also, you have to confirm that the lines are 1 to 2 inches wide and any gaps in the lines should be no longer than 4 inches.
Official Clarification
The rules of OSHA 1910.22(b) regulate that you can use any color for aisle lines but as long as they clearly show the aisle area. However, the markings can be dots, continuous, squares or stripes. Keep in mind, the aisle lines must be at least 2 inches wide. Plus, the 6 inches width for floor markings is recommended.
Types of Floor Marking in Factory
Different areas of the workplace require unique floor markings. For example: you need specific lines for storage areas and forklift traffic might require special tape or signs. Below we listed some popular marking options you can use to make your factory safe.
Floor Marking Paint
يمكنك استخدام floor markings paint to create long lasting lines and signs on your warehouse or factory floor. The top benefit of this method is that you can paint custom patterns or messages as well. Furthermore, paint markings are ideal for outdoor areas which are exposed to rain. Although there are special tapes designed for these conditions as well.
Factory Floor Marking Tape
This is one of the most popular ways to mark industrial facilities or workplaces floors. The reason is, it is an affordable and easy to use technique. Marking tapes are available in various colors and sizes.
Plus, you can print patterns or text on these tapes to show clear messages. Many factories choose floor marking tape because it can last for years and never easily peel.
Floor Marking Signs
Floor marking signs are used to show you important information on the factory floor. For instance: you can use them to warn about hazards or mark special areas.
These signs use symbols or text to make safety rules clear. You can use adhesive signs which you can directly place on the floor or you can also paint signs on the surface.
Floor Marking Shapes
Well, floor markings are basically similar to floor marking tape but they are available in fun & visual forms. These shapes can be footprints to show walking areas or use arrows to indicate directions.
With these shapes, you can guide your workers along specific pathways and aisles. This improves both traffic flow and safety.
LED Projectors
With the help of LED projectors, you can show floor markings without the use of tape or paint. Because they project lines, arrows plus shapes directly onto the factory floor. These projections are easy for you to move and change whenever you want.
Laser Markings
Laser markings actually use light beams to indicate lines, shapes, symbols or signs on the industry floor. Hence, you should use them to mark pathways, work zones, storage spots or hazard areas. Plus, laser markings are bright, so you can easily see them in busy or dim areas.
Factory Floor Marking Examples
Pathways and Aisles
Pathways and aisles are routes in warehouses which show where you can walk safely. When you mark these areas, you can keep pedestrians and machines separate like forklifts and pallet trucks.
Further, it reduces the risk of injuries, improves workflow, promotes safety of workers and makes your workplace well ordered.
Hazardous Areas
The dangerous zones of factories always require floor lines. So that you can guide visitors and warn employees about possible risks. For example: when you see lines or signs on surface, you easily know operational areas, presence of harmful tools, chemicals and safe zones.
Apart from these benefits, factory risky areas floor marking is also required by health and safety standards.
Emergency Exits or Escape Routes
Emergency exit paths are basically designed to let you escape from the factory during an emergency. You have to use shapes such as footprints or arrows on the floor of your factory to direct workers and visitors to the nearest exit.
However, if there are several exits, you need to make sure signs show the closest one. So that everyone can leave quickly and safely.
Storage Areas
If you want a safe and organized workplace, you should clearly mark the work area where equipment are stored. Storage zone surface markings show you where you can store finished goods, hazardous items and raw materials.
So you can prevent accidents and follow storage area safety rules. A well marked storage system also improves workflow and makes your factory risk free.
Workstations & Equipment Placement
Painted lines in these locations tell you those spots where you can set up machines and work tables. This way, workers can easily find the machines and tools that they need. Tools placement area markings are also useful for staff to find and return items quickly, which improves overall productivity.
Spill Response and Cleanup Stations
These zones in factories are used to keep equipment to handle spills or leaks. Hence, you must use bright floor lines or signs to make these spots easy to notice. When you clearly mark these stations, staff have quick access to them and can clean spills right away.
Heavy Traffic Areas & Stair Edges
In factories, many machines, forklifts and people move all the time. Hence, you need floor markings to guide drivers and keep workers safe. Further, stair edges are another important area to mark. You should use visible lines or contrasting colors on the steps so you can see each edge clearly. This prevents trips and falls.
Factory Floor Marking Color Code
The below table will show you standard factory floor marking colors and locations where you should use them.
| Floor Color Type | OSHA Color Code For Floor Marking |
| أصفر | Equipment traffic & pedestrian lanes, pathways, aisle ways and work cells |
| أبيض | Workstations, floor stand displays, carts, racks, general production to border machines, workstations, equipment etc |
| Blue, green & black | Mark components & materials such as raw materials, finished goods and work-in-progress |
| البرتقالي | Goods under inspection areas |
| أحمر | Rework, boundary for red tag areas, defects, scrap and defective inventory |
| Photoluminescent | Steps and edges to show exit routes during a power outage or emergency |
| Red and White Stripe | Areas that must stay clear for safety such as near electrical panels and السلامة من الحرائق معدات |
| Black and White Stripe | Show you spaces that needed for daily operations |
| Yellow and Black Stripe | Locations where workers can get hurt, face health risks or exposed to accidents |
5S Floor Marking Standard
The 5S Floor Marking Standard is designed based on the 5S system. This method is used to keep factories organized and safe. You must train your factory workers about what each color and pattern means so you can fulfill 5S and OSHA safety standards.
- Sort: You have to mark areas for needed and unneeded items.
- Set in Order: Always use markings to organize tools, machines plus materials.
- Shine: You should keep marked areas clean.
- Standardize: It’s important to make markings clear and consistent for everyone.
- Sustain: Plus, keep following the rules every day.
آلة وضع علامات على الأرضيات
يمكنك استخدام floor marking equipment to paint lines and symbols on your workplace floor. With a floor marking robot, you can make sure the markings are straight and long lasting.
You can use it for walkways, work areas, storage zones or hazard markings. You only need to pour the floor marking paint into the machine’s paint tank or reservoir. Then, you can push the machine along your planned path to mark it evenly.
ملخص
Hence, marking your factory floor is a useful approach to work safely and stay organized every day. When you follow clear markings, you can reduce accidents and improve workers productivity.
We are professional manufacturers and suppliers of floor marking paints, machines, tapes and signs. If you want to buy these products to mark your workspace, أرسل لنا رسالة اليوم and get quick quote.
Helpful references:
Top 10 Most Common Forklift Accidents [With Statistics]
