Warehouses that are well-organized with interior line painting and safety markings promote greater productivity, increased safety, and better workflow. This simple added element brings structure to open spaces and designated areas. It divides spaces, highlights hazards, ensures space is used efficiently, and outlines workstations and bulk storage.
While all the organizational aspects of interior line markings are beneficial, one of the most valuable things markings do is convey safety information.
Safety line markings decrease the possibility of accidents in the workplace. Let’s take a look at the value of line markings in your warehouse.
When Caution Is Essential, Line Markings Communicate
Workplaces are filled with machinery, equipment, and other components that can create confusion and safety concerns for staff, customers, and vendors moving about your building.
Around the clock, safety line markings in a warehouse can communicate the need for caution and prevent accidents as a result. According to the National Safety Council, a worker injury costs companies an average of $38,000 in direct costs, including medical bills and rehabilitation. Accidents are not only costly financially but also in terms of employee health and morale.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that the number of forklift-related accidents alone totals nearly 100,000 per year. They are one of the biggest hazards in a warehouse. In fact, 11% of forklifts in the U.S. are involved in accidents each year.
You can avoid risks on a daily basis by including well-planned line markings on the floors and walls of your warehouse. Here are some reasons it’s important to mark your warehouse.
Avoid injuries
When you define paths that are safe for your staff and customers to travel within your warehouse, you take the guesswork out of navigating where to go for specific purposes. As a result, staff and customers don’t end up roaming into a hazardous area unknowingly. And accidents and injuries are avoided.
Designate places for hazardous waste
Chemicals in improperly disposed-of hazardous waste can be released into the environment and contaminate our air, water, and possibly even our food. Disposing of hazardous waste in your warehouse needs to be done according to proper protocol and in a specific location that can be well-defined with line markings, ensuring the safety of your staff and customers.
Improve workflow efficiency and safely
Line markings can help your team decrease the time spent navigating your warehouse, and improve workflow as a result. The bottom line? You’ll get more done in less time—safely. Most accidents in warehouses occur on loading docks, on conveyors, or in materials storage areas. They can also be the result of forklifts or something as simple as manual lifting.
Remind workers when personal protective equipment is required
Personal protection equipment (PPE) is required in certain parts of a warehouse. For example, if a hard hat is required beyond a set point—that can be indicated with a dotted red line.
Questions about Warehouse Line Marking
When it comes to line marking, which color is used?
It’s critical to use distinct colors for interior line painting and safety markings to ensure staff and customers understand what you’re communicating. Yellow is the most popular color choice because it is visible in both a well-lit space and a dimly lit space.
What are some common examples of line marking in a warehouse?
- Forklift traffic markings
- Aisle stripes
- Employee walkways
- Safety hazard markings
- OSHA floor markings for warehouses
- Custom stenciling and branding
Why can’t we just use tape instead of paint?
While tape gives you the flexibility to change your markings fairly easily, paint gives you a durable solution that you can rely on. As long as your painted markings are well thought out and planned, you can rely on them for the long term.
Durable Interior Line Painting for Your Business
At EverLine Coatings & Services, we understand the importance of communicating safety messages and improving traffic flow inside your warehouse, retail store, or commercial building—with durable interior line painting. Line marking can minimize liability risks and maximize your business’s efficiency and safety.
At EverLine Coatings & Services, we add customizations to warehouse floors not only for safety purposes but also to boost company spirit. Discover how our custom stenciling and branding can help build your team’s spirit. Contact us for more information about our interior line painting services.
