Floor Marking Tape For Forklift Traffic

Forklift safety is an essential part of a warehouse operation. Without proper procedures, a forklift can be a dangerous machine. Forklift accidents can lead to injuries and even deaths. Proper procedures including traffic management can be used to minimize risks and thus minimize and even prevent injuries and deaths.

Risks associated with forklift operation include:

*  Tip Overs
*  Hitting A Pedestrian
*  Bumping Objects
*  Ledges

One way to avoid accidents due to the above risks is floor markings. Floor markings can be used to:

*  Identify Aisles
*  Manage The Flow Of Traffic
*  Keep Pedestrians Away
*  Alert Operators To Hazards
*  Improve Visibility
*  Ensure Forklift Efficiency
*  Establish Efficient Routes
*  Segment A Facility
*  Identify Parking Spaces
*  Identify Where Inventory Goes

Identifying Aisles

Forklift operators use a facility’s aisles when involved in a daily routine. They travel up and down aisles putting things on shelves, taking things down from shelves. In short, bringing products where they need to go.

Floor marking tape can indicate where aisles end, so the forklift operator won’t accidently drive beyond the aisle and crash into shelving.

Floor markings for identifying aisles are also helpful in reminding others not to store products so that they stick out over too far over the markings. If an item is sticking out beyond a marking, it can spell danger for a forklift operator.

Managing The Flow Of Traffic

When you have a multitude of forklifts whizzing through a warehouse, it is essential to come up with a way to manage their traffic flow. Floor markings can be used to indicate to the various forklift drivers which way they should be traveling, where they need to stop, provide a right of way, and more.

Signs including stop signs, yield signs, and speed limit signs can serve as floor markers to assist forklift drivers to maneuver their machines safely.

Keeping Pedestrians Away

Floor markings can be used to signify to pedestrians that forklifts are being used in particular areas of a warehouse alerting pedestrians to keep away. Additional floor markings can be used to signify safe walking zones within a forklift use area. Such a set up will assist both forklift drivers and pedestrians to stay out of each other’s way.

Alerting Forklift Drivers To Hazards

Floor markings can also be used to alert forklift drivers to specific hazards long before they get there. Floor markings several feet or more around a hazard ensures the drivers have plenty of time to react properly.

Hazards that could be marked include ledges, containers with hazardous materials, gas tanks, loadbearing supports, and unstable ground. Highly visible or even reflective tape to mark hazards is ideal for preventing serious accidents, injuries and deaths.

Improved Visibility

Reflective floor marking tape is ideal for areas with low lighting. Forklift drivers can see reflective tape in areas where there is low lighting and can ensure that they maneuver the dark areas safely.

Reflective or even glow-in-the-dark floor marking tape can also be helpful during emergency situations in which the power goes out. The tape can easily be seen by both forklift operators and pedestrians and provide a pathway toward the nearest exit or safety zone.

Floor Markings For Forklift Efficiency

Floor marking can also assist forklift drivers to perform more efficiently. Creating efficient routes using floor-marking tape will allow a forklift driver to travel quicker, yet safer.

Establishing Efficient Routes

Warehouse and/or fleet managers can create the most efficient routes forklifts can travel depending on the tasks assigned. These routes can then be denoted with floor marking tape to ensure efficient forklift operation.

Segmenting A Facility

Because many warehouses are very large, it can be difficult to find the exact location where a warehouse worker needs to go. Colored floor marking tape can divide a warehouse into sections making it easier for forklift drivers and other warehouse personnel to find where they need to go.

Red floor marking tape can be used to mark one section, blue floor marking tape can be used to signify another section and green floor marking tape can be used to identify a third section, etc.

So, when you dispatch a forklift to a section of the warehouse you just tell the driver to go to aisle four in the green area, etc.

You can create as many sections of the warehouse you need so that employees can easily find where they need to go.

Identifying Parking Spaces

If you have a large fleet of forklifts and other vehicles, then organizing parking areas for them when not in use can help to eliminate clutter on the warehouse floor. Use floor marking tape to create parking spaces for the vehicles to assure n neat looking warehouse.

Identifying Where Inventory Goes

When new products arrive, forklift drivers need to know exactly where they need to go. Floor marking tape can be used to mark off squares for pallets. An organized way to store pallets will ensure that there is space for the entire inventory.

You can even use floor-marking tape to show the forklift driver how best to align with a shelf to assure efficiency in picking products.

A planned, well-implemented floor marking strategy could result in dramatic improvement in overall safety as well as improve on efficiency. Moreover, such a strategy is cost efficient because floor-marking tape is very affordable.

(Source: Creative Safety Supply.com)