Earlier this month, the Health Service Journal published a report on the current state of patient safety in the NHS. Entitled The Case for Patient Safey: Financially, Professionall and Ethically, it is a wide-ranging report that covers a number of different concerns; however, one point in particular stands out:

"[T]here's a long list of clinical risks where, seen through the lens of patient safety, we have to act, and the NHS can be a world leader. There are still enormous improvements to be had from improvements in areas such as sepsis and acute kidney injury. And one of the biggest threats facing all healthcare systems, anti-microbial resistance, needs to be comprehensively tackled as an emerging patient safety threat."

Today, we'd like to tell you how you can personally help to prevent the spread of anti-microbial resistance with the UK and its National Health Service. But first...

What IS anti-microbial resistance?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines anti-microbial resistance as the "resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it". In layman's terms: once scientists have found the cure for a particular disease, that disease may - over time - build up a resistance to the cure. This is called 'anti-microbial resistance'.

Why is this a problem?

Because infections will pose a far more serious threat to human life if they become resistant to antimicrobial treatments. Illnesses that are currently treatable may eventually become life-threatening if their anti-microbial resistance builds up.

What can I do about it?

We're glad you asked! The following actions are recommended by the WHO itself - here's what you personally can do to tackle anti-microbial resistance:

• Wash your hands. This simple act is the single best way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases - you should always wash after using the toilet, preparing food, sneezing/coughing into your hands, or otherwise coming into contact with something that could carry infection (e.g. animals, refuse, wounds).


• Avoid contact with sick people if possible. This one is just common sense: the less time you spend around an infection, the less likely you are to be infected.


• Practise safe sex. Condoms are the most effective way to prevent the spread of sexually-transmitted infections; while other contraceptives (such as the pill or an IUD coil) will minimise the risk of pregnancy, these methods do nothing to prevent infection.


• Ensure that you are properly vaccinated. This also goes for any children in your care, as well as for vulnerable elderly relatives who may need your assistance to get their vaccinations.
  
  
• Do not use anti-microbial drugs unless prescribed. Just as vaccinations help you to build up a resistance to certain diseases, unprescribed use of anti-microbial drugs may help infections to build up a resistance to these treatments. 
  
  
• If your doctor prescribes anti-microbial drugs, be sure to finish the full treatment course. Even if you feel better after a few doses, it is important to take the full recommended treatment.

Of course, if you work in a hospital, clinic, or any other healthcare environment, you may be able to prevent anti-microbial resistance in other ways. For example, you can ensure that your building has plenty of signs that remind people to wash their hands, dispose of clinical waste properly, and so forth. Education is an important of any safety programme, and now that you know how to prevent anti-microbial resistance, you can educate others, both via safety signs and by word of mouth.

Thermal transfer labels are used in all sorts of industries. Thermal printers are fast, reliable, and don't need any ink or toner, making them a superb label printing solution for everyone from parcel couriers to food manufacturers and medical professionals.

While thermal printing isn't capable of matching the print quality of some other methods (e.g. laser/inkjet printing), it is still possible to achieve an eye-catching finish through the use of coloured thermal transfer labels. We offer a range of different colours here at Label Source; our paper thermal transfer labels are available in 7 different colours, while our vinyl labels offer 12 colour choices.

Furthermore, no matter which colour you need, you'll have a huge range of sizes to choose from, as well as several different shapes. All of our thermal transfer labels are manufactured to industrial standards, ensuring that you won't be disappointed with their appearance or performance when you use them.

To see Label Source's full range of industrial thermal transfer labels and related products, visit our Printers & Consumables page.

Earlier this week, the Daily Mail reported that funeral directors may be at increased risk of developing motor neurone disease (MND) if they work with formaldehyde. This news was based on a recent American study, which found that "men* in jobs with high probability of exposure versus no formaldehyde exposure had an almost three times greater rate of mortality from motor neurone disease".

Funeral directors sometimes use formaldehyde to embalm dead bodies (an increasingly popular option amongst grieving families who wish to view the deceased in a chapel of rest), but use of this chemical is carefully regulated - this report isn't the first to link formaldehyde to nerve damage. The aforementiond Mail article features a quote from Alan Slater, CEO of the National Association of Funeral Directors, who made it clear that health and safety guidelines are crucial for the protection of funeral directors who use formaldehyde; Slater specifically cited "the use of appropriate protective clothing and equipment" as an important factor, along with "a strict adherence to manufacturers' instructions".

Here at Label Source, we sell a wide range of products that can be used to minimise risk when using such hazardous chemicals as formaldehyde. Our COSHH signs remind employees to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and observe the relevant precautions, while our UN labels should be used to identify hazardous substances when in transit.

Visit our Hazardous Substances & Chemicals department to browse Label Source's full range of chemical hazard products.

*The same results were not observed in women, but according to the Mail article, "this could be because the amount of women in the study with exposure to high levels of formaldehyde was too small".

We sell a huge range of products here at Label Source, but what we really specialise in is made-to-order solutions. Our labels come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, colours, materials, and thicknesses, so we're confident that we can meet your requirements, no matter what they might be!

Here are some examples of the choice that's on offer:

Materials

We are capable of supplying bespoke labels in a variety of different materials, including polyester, vinyl, and aluminium foil. Some materials may be more suitable for your circumstances than others - if in doubt, feel free to contact the Label Source team for advice. We can also provide materials with built-in security features, such as tamper-proof destructible vinyl (which fragments upon attempted removal) and tamper-evident polyester (which leaves behind a permanent mark if removed).

Colours & Designs

The colour choices available to you will depend on the material you select (for example, foil labels will almost always have a metallic grey background), but even with this in mind, there are still surprisingly few limits on what we can do for you. We can even add a custom design to your labels - your company logo, for example, or another illustration of your own devising. Examples of our custom-branded labels can be found here.

Information

Our bespoke labels can be printed with practically any information, from something as simple as your company's name to something as complex as an interleaved bar code system. No matter what you're planning to use your labels for, we can provide the perfect made-to-order solution!

Contact us to discuss your labelling requirements, or try our Custom Asset Tag Builder now!

Labelling your pipes is important for a number of reasons. It makes life easier for service personnel, but more importantly, it allows you to warn of any potential hazards. For example, if your pipes carry toxic substances or dangerous gases, this should be identified using the appropriate pipe identification tape.

Pipelines need to be labelled in a number of key locations. The list below is by no means exhaustive - additional pipe labels or signage may be necessary depending on your circumstances - but it should give you a rough idea of what's required.

Pipes must be labelled at the following points:

• At the point of entry to, and exit from, any tanks, manifolds, hose connections, and elevated pipe racks
• Adjacent to any control valves, flow meters, and pumps
• Along straight lengths of pipework (with no more than 8 metres between each marking)
• Within 1 metre of passing through walls, perimeter fencing, the ground, and any other barriers
• At tee connections and other fittings
• Any other locations that have been assessed as possible hazards

If you need any tapes, tags or labels for your pipework, visit our Pipe & Valve Marking department.