Why Line Marking Is Important for Warehouse Facilities

Walk into any retail store stockroom, processing plant, or manufacturing facility and one of the main things you’ll notice is that they all consist of different segments that are demarcated by warehouse floor markings. These markings indicate safe walkways for employees, pathways to drive industrial machinery through, areas where toxic waste or damaged goods can be stored, and so much more. While these markings are completely commonplace and necessary features of industrial working environments, they’re usually left neglected as an afterthought within different production facilities. Workers absentmindedly use them on a daily basis without realizing just how much they depend on them for efficiency and overall safety. With more and more use, the lines on warehouse floors tend to fade and lose their effectiveness and this can result in potentially serious accidents or injuries. In order to avoid these types of situations, it’s important to ensure that line markings are repainted on a regular basis and that they’re always precisely and methodically placed. Manufacturing facilities and production companies rely on the expediency of their staff and machinery, which is why they should take all the proper precautions to create a safe and smooth-running workplace for their employees. Part of that means hiring a reputable and reliable GTA line painting company to ascertain and uphold workplace safety standards.

Warehouse Floor Line Painting

Properly marked and organized warehouses ensure the overall safety and efficacy of everyone who uses them. Keep in mind that these are often high-traffic and busy environments, which means that people are often rushing past one another to get from point A to point B and complete their tasks. These markings help to delineate safe walkways for employees; they create separate pathways on which heavy machinery can safely be transported and operated; and they also indicate appropriate storage areas for hazardous waste, tools, machinery, and other equipment. Over time, and with great use, these lines tend to fade and this can result in potential work-related danger or injuries. Repainting these markings every once in a while can greatly contribute to the smooth operation of your fast-paced business.

Benefits of Line Marking for Warehouse Facilities Management

Adding new warehouse floor markings or repainting existing warehouse line striping can be extremely beneficial to your overall operation in numerous ways. It will inevitably help to improve employee safety practices by providing clear guidelines as to which areas are appropriate for specific purposes, how to properly store and clean certain machinery, and where to store hazardous products and materials in order to avoid injury. Professional warehouse line painting can help improve traffic flow within your facility, promote safety, and boost cost efficiency for your business.

Important Line Marking Tips for Your Warehouse Facility

The following is a list of helpful tips to keep in mind when refreshing the line markings in your warehouse facility.

Devise a Workable Solution and Plan Ahead

While most workplace physical safety standards are universal across all industries, every warehouse has a different layout and different operational requirements to contend with depending on the nature of the specific business. With all of that in mind, no one knows the ins and outs of the industry better than the warehouse and logistics manager. Part of their job is to supervise everything that takes place in their surroundings and address and anticipate certain problems. As a warehouse manager, you should draw up a blueprint of what you predict could be a workable plan for line markings that’ll increase productivity, boost efficiency, and improve the overall operation of your company.

Test Out the Logistics of Your Plan

Before you jump the gun and paint permanent line markings on your warehouse floor, conduct a few productivity and efficiency test runs to make sure that your plan actually works well for you and your employees. Try out different scenarios and make notes of what works and what doesn’t. You should also welcome detailed feedback from your employees. After all, they’re the ones who’ll be affected the most by any changes or configurations you make.

Decide Whether You Need Permanent or Temporary Line Markings

Tape can be used as a temporary line marker while you test out the organization of your potential floor plan. It’s a lot cheaper to use and much easier to install or remove as needed. If your warehouse is constantly evolving or things are always being moved around from one location to another, then using tape is probably a good choice for you. On the other hand, if you need a more permanent solution, then paint is the optimal choice. Pretty much any type of paint can be used, whether it’s water or oil-based paint; standard paint; epoxy coating that’s sealed with urethane; or even urethane enamel. It just depends on the materials you have on hand and which option suits the needs of your business.

Clear Out All Debris and Employees

Before you begin warehouse line striping or painting, you have to make sure each area is immaculately cleaned and cleared of all debris or unnecessary equipment. This will make the whole process run a lot more smoothly and it’ll reduce the risk of avoidable accidents occurring during the procedure. If you’re planning on using paint to re-establish line markings, then you should warn all of your employees beforehand and perhaps even place caution signs in each affected area so they know not to use those parts of the warehouse. In total, the entire process from start to finish, as well as drying time, should take anywhere from two to three days to complete. Depending on the extent of the work being done and the size of the warehouse, you should also be prepared to suspend operations during this time. Any ongoing work will simply disrupt the warehouse line painting process and could even damage paint that hasn’t dried completely, which will only cause further delays. It’s best to make sure that there’s no one on the property when this type of work is going on.

Line Painting for Warehouses in the GTA

For over 20 years, Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. has specialized in both indoor and outdoor concrete line marking for warehouse facilities in Toronto and throughout the GTA. All of our work comes with a minimum seven-year warranty for services rendered and materials used. To schedule a complementary consultation or discuss your future project plans with one of our associates, please contact us.

Photo Credit: iStock.com/uatp2