Signaling and Demarcation in Work Areas: Industrial Safety Guide

The efficiency and safety of logistics operations improve significantly with careful planning of the location and layout of different workspaces, such as machinery, storage areas, warehouses, and traffic lanes.

What are signaling and demarcation?

• Signaling: A set of stimuli that condition the behavior of those who receive them when facing specific hazard conditions that need to be highlighted so they can be avoided. Safety signaling provides indications related to the safety of people and property: it can be expressed through safety, warning, prohibition, and mandatory symbols. For its objective to be properly met, this tool should coexist with an accident prevention plan.

• Demarcation: A concept that determines and marks the boundaries of a specific terrain or area. All work areas and facilities within the space used by a company to carry out its activities must be demarcated.

Types of Safety Signaling

After executing basic preventive actions (risk identification, evaluation, and minimization, along with staff training), signaling is incorporated as a complementary measure. The process begins by selecting the type, size, material, and approval of the signs.

When planning, the size of the warehouse or facility where forklifts circulate must always be considered. As a general rule, it is considered sufficient for any worker to distinguish the sign from a maximum distance of 10 meters and an elevation of 5 meters.

1. Warning Signs

They feature a triangular shape and display a black pictogram on a yellow background with black borders. As an exception, the background for the "Harmful or Irritant Substances" sign will be orange to avoid confusion.

2. Prohibition Signs

They have a round shape and feature a black pictogram on a white background, with red borders and a red diagonal crossbar.

3. Mandatory Signs

These stand out due to their round shape and a white pictogram on a blue background.

4. Firefighting Equipment Signs

They have a rectangular or square shape, featuring a white pictogram on a red background.

5. Rescue or Relief Signs

These signs possess a rectangular or square shape and a white pictogram on a green background.

6. Supplementary Permanent Risk Sign

Used to warn against fixed hazards or obstacles. This signaling is performed using alternating yellow and black stripes.

How to Demarcate the Workspace

By delimiting facilities, it is possible to identify different operating, traffic, and storage areas, safety distances, and traffic instructions, conditioning people's behavior for their own protection.

Evaluation of work areas

When designing a facility and its layout, it is necessary to identify which signaling to place in each of the following spaces:

• Exits, access doors, and emergency exits.

• Floors, hallways, types of stairs, ramps, and platforms.

• Storage rooms (including flammable materials or hazardous substances).

• Material handling equipment: cranes, conveyors, and industrial vehicles (forklifts and electric forklifts).

• Boilers and pressure systems.

• Piping networks for fluid transport.

Main operational demarcation spaces

Forklift traffic lanes

There are critical forklift traffic areas within facilities. Each area must be protected and demarcated by installing firm handrails or barriers, which must be painted yellow and black at a minimum distance of 60 centimeters from machinery or moving parts. Likewise, a continuous yellow stripe of 10 centimeters wide must be painted on the floor to delimit traffic lanes.

Substance distribution networks (liquids, solids, and gases)

Delimiting fluid networks is done by painting the pipes with the corresponding color according to the product's nature, including joints, valves, and branches. If painting the entire pipe is not possible, the direction of the flow must be indicated using an arrow. Recommended colors for identifying pipes are: orange, green, gray, blue, yellow, and white.

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