Barricade tape

Barricade tape is an intensely colored tape that is used to warn or prevent people from entering a nearby possible risk or hazard. Barricade tape is also known as caution tape, barrier tape, hazard tape or police tape.

Although we are more familiar with the bright yellow and black police tape with “Do not cross police line” text; barricade tapes are actually commonly used for industrial applications. These are used to workplace safety and accident prevention.

Description

Barricade tape is made with durable, tear-proof plastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene or nylon that is at least 2millimeter thick and 3 inches wide. However, different manufacturers offer different sizes and thickness of barricade tapes. Other common sizes of barricade tapes are 2, 4 or 6 inches wide and 4 or 10 millimeter thick.

Barricade tapes often have bright color background and pre-printed bold warning texts. If you prefer to create your own warning messages, you may do so. You can buy plain barricade tapes and write your own message onto it. However you must make be certain you are following the proper specification for barricade tapes. This is because just like any other safety and early warning devices, barricade tapes must comply with the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute) regulations.

OSHA and ANSI Requirements for Barricade Tape

OSHA and ANSI provided precise specification for barricade tape colors which are found in OSHA regulations 1910.22 and 1920.144 and ANSI Z535.5-2007, Safety Tags and Barricade Tapes (for Temporary Hazards). However, the dimension, thickness and materials of the barricade tape are up to the manufacturers’ discretion.

Barricade tape colors, as directed by OSHA, are as follows

1. Red / white for Fire Prevention and Protection Equipment
2. Black / white for Housekeeping and Aisle Marking
3. Magenta / yellow for Radiation Hazards
4. Green / white for Safety and First Aid
5. Blue / white for Defective Machinery
6. Orange / white for Traffic and Caution Warning
7. Black / yellow for Physical Hazards

Barricade tape colors, as directed by ANSI, are as follows

1. Yellow/Black Barricade Tape serves as CAUTION and POTENTIAL HAZARD from:

• Excavation less than 1.2 meters (4 feet) in depth
• Identification of trip hazards, and low hanging objects
• Material storage on the site

2. Red Barricade Tape indicates DANGER and SERIOUS HAZARD from:

• Overhead work
• Live electrical components
• Scaffold under construction
• Around swing radius of equipment with a rotating superstructure.

3. Magenta (Purple)/Yellow Tape DANGER and POSIBLE RADIATION EXPOSURE

Different Types of Barricade Tapes

Barricade tapes are used accordingly to the color specification set by OSHA and ANSI. Barricade tape may be use primarily for safety precaution; for different industries and for different procedures.

Construction Tape – are used in construction zones to notify people about an ongoing construction and that there are possible hazards within the confined area. Construction tapes usually have the common yellow-black color combination and have printed text such as Under Construction, Caution, Work Zone and Keep Out among others. This type of barrier tape is commonly found whenever there are undergoing renovations, planned for demolition and minor repairs.

Hazard Tape – are used in places where there’s possibility of great danger. Such as when repair for electrical facility is on going or when there’s a possibility of chemical exposure. Hazard tape comes in different color combination, which depends on the type of existing threat. Yellow-black are use to signal physical hazard, red-white is use for fire or equipment hazard and magenta-yellow for radiation hazard. This type of barrier tape is commonly used in laboratories, production area and industrial zones.

Traffic Control Device Tape – this type of barrier tape, as its name implies is used to control traffic, whether foot traffic or vehicle traffic. Traffic control device tapes are used as temporary traffic signal to redirect traffic during parade or whenever a road is closed. This are usually brightly colored, either in solid orange or orange-white combination. Police Tape or Law Enforcement Tape – this type of barrier tape is used to isolated, protect and preserve a crime scene. Police tape is used to notify the public that an investigation is on going and that a particular area is restricted. This is usually seen with yellow-white color combination or in blue and white.

Firefighter Tape – serve the same purpose as the Police tape and hazard tape. Firefighter tape is used to isolate a particular zone on fire and to keep the public out of any possible danger that the fire may cause. This is usually in yellow-white color or in red-white.

References

http://www.worksafely.com/safety-equipment/barricade-tape.aspx

http://www.usbr.gov/ssle/safety/RSHS/sec9.pdf

http://www.hanford.gov/pmm/files.cfm/MSC-PRAC-30479.pdf

http://www.nema.org/Standards/ComplimentaryDocuments/Contents-Scope-ANSI-Z535-5-2007.pdf

http://www.southernsafetyandsupply.com/PDFS/26_TapeProducts_SoSafety09.pdf

http://www.creativesafetysupply.com/caution-tape-article/

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-barrier-tape.htm