Chicago Warehouse Striping – How To Implement Your Warehouse Markings
Chicago warehouse striping can mean the difference between a safe and unsafe work environment. Warehouses are busy places full of workers trying to meet unique objectives and equipment to make it all happen. Marking a warehouse can turn an otherwise chaotic and unsafe scene into a well-oiled productivity machine. But how do you successfully approach striping a warehouse?
Why Is Warehouse Striping Necessary?
Warehouse marking in Chicago plays a far bigger role than improving aesthetics! Striping helps make warehouses and industrial properties safer for employees. Warehouses are often massive, housing heavy-duty equipment, inventory racks, and more. It’s easy for workers to get lost or venture into areas that house safety hazards.
Striping a warehouse makes things safer for everyone, alerting employees to potential dangers while creating well-defined spaces for easy navigation. For example, many warehouses have dedicated pedestrian lanes, zones for equipment operation, hazard alerts and more. Every warehouse marking in Chicago improves safety. Furthermore, it enhances productivity and allows your team to get around quickly, safely and efficiently.
Failing to implement floor striping for warehouses can lead to disaster. Not only does it increase the risk of injury, but a lack of striping can lead to code violations and trouble with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
How Can I Develop a Striping Plan?
The best approach to marking a warehouse is to put significant consideration into how your property operates. Every line and symbol you implement should serve a purpose. Random placement will do more harm than good, so it’s important to consider current operations, how employees work and what your property needs to improve safety and productivity.
Try laying down temporary lines with brightly colored tape. Taping configurations on your warehouse floor is a fantastic way to refine your warehouse markings. You can see how things work, get input from employees and make changes to fine-tune your striping to get optimal results.
Are There Any Official Warehouse Striping Standards to Follow?
All warehouses should follow established standards and best practices. OSHA doesn’t detail precisely how warehouse markings should look, but the organization does have several guidelines to get property owners started.
Some of the most important include:
• All warehouse striping must be a minimum of two inches wide.
• Permanent aisles and passageways need appropriate striping and marking.
• Physical hazards must have markings that follow safety color codes.
• Floor striping for warehouses must include safe clearances wherever mechanical equipment operates. There must be clearances for aisles, loading docks, doorways and turns.
What Colors Should I Use?
When marking a warehouse, you must use established safety color codes. These colors are widely used in many industries and properties, making them easy for employees to identify. The most common colors used in floor striping for warehouses include:
•Yellow: Traffic flow markings and walkway boundaries
•White: Equipment storage and racking
•Black and Yellow Stripes: Safety hazards
•Red: Potential danger zones
•Red and White: Restricted zones
•Blue: Raw materials
•Green: Works in progress
•Black: Finished goods
In addition to using these colors, solid warehouse striping configurations also use symbols. Arrows, exit signs and other iconography can provide further clarification to everyone on the premises.
Why Turn to Professionals for Chicago Warehouse Striping?
The best way to get high-quality warehouse markings in a configuration that makes sense for your property is to partner with professionals. Expert warehouse striping contractors understand OSHA guidelines, local codes and federal regulations. They have experience striping properties like yours and will work closely with you to develop a plan that optimizes safety and efficiency.
Contractors also bring high-quality paint formulas and equipment to the table, delivering a lasting final product.
Let Black Hawk Paving & Construction be your go-to provider of warehouse marking in Chicago. We’re approaching our fifth decade in business. We have experience striping commercial and industrial properties throughout Greater Chicago and the Midwest. Our long-standing presence in this industry is a testament to the quality of work we provide and our reliability. Our goal is to deliver great results that boost your bottom line without the headache of significant downtime, delays or mistakes.
At Black Hawk, we’re proud to be your one-stop solution for all your paving, maintenance and striping needs. We do everything from new paving and repairs to ongoing maintenance, traffic signage and more.
Let us show you why we’re the best! Contact the Black Hawk Paving & Construction team today to discuss your needs and get a free quote. You can use our online contact form, email info@blackhawkpaving.com or call us at (708) 578-7434.
