When companies grow, so too do their inventories. What began as a group of friends on their laptops expands into microchip mosh-pit of desktops, printers, projectors, tablets, and more. With this growth in assets, companies reluctantly, but inevitably, decide it’s time to start labelling all their equipment.

To ensure that an asset labelling system has longevity, and to maximise it’s usefulness, a business must first assess what exactly they hope to achieve from their asset tags and consider all potential changes the company may experience.

Overlooking the future needs of the business, many individuals quickly select a numbering system that appears right at the time, only for an unforeseen change to the business to render the system inaccurate a few years down the line. In the worst case scenario, this can lead to hundreds of delicately-applied asset-labels being replaced.

To save you the tedious task of researching asset labelling systems, we have put together a handy list of the 5 most popular asset tagging systems. This will help you decide which system is the best for your business.

1. Location

Many businesses have several offices or buildings, each with their own computers; many businesses, therefore, asset tag computers according to their location. This allows a clear record of where a computer belongs, and can quickly be returned to that location when misplaced.

Although this may seem like a logical way of labelling assets, there are significant drawbacks to this method.

The primary issue with this method is that it is not future proof. As businesses grow or shrink, computing supplies may be moved to alternative offices or premises. This will require the computer to be re-labelled, as the asset tags indicated that it should be in the former location.

2. Department

A superior method to the location-based system is to tag products according to their department.

Computers are typically bought for a particular department of a business, and remain in that department despite office change; it would be highly unusual for a computer in a marketing department to be transferred to a warehousing department.

Department-based asset-tagging, therefore, remains accurate through multiple location changes.

Although this method is much more future proof than the location-based method, there are cases when a computer may move department, particularly if a new department is created or merged with another. This would also render the asset tag inaccurate.

3. Item Type

A method that is particularly popular amongst IT technicians is to barcode the label according to the type of device.

For example, a barcode may start with L for laptop, D for desktop, or T for tablet. The descriptive nature of this labelling system helps IT technicians recognise the device when the code is quoted to them.

A disadvantage of this method is that it will require some form of tracking software to remember the location of each of the tagged devices.

4. Purchase Date

Another popular system this is often used in combination with other asset tracking systems is the purchase date system.

This system can vary from the code actually being the date the item was purchased (eg. 18-06-2018), to adding a two-digit year code to the end of another barcoding system (e.g. a code ending in -18 for 2018)

This method is particularly useful in cases where items need to be periodically checked or replaced, as the age of the asset can be clearly determined just by looking at it’s barcode date.

An issue with this system is that as it is impossible to predict when assets will be bought, it lends itself more to printing individual labels as assets come in, rather than buying asset tags in bulk.

Printing individual labels is an expensive method as it requires investment in an asset label printer.

5. Serial numbered

The simplest, yet surprisingly-affective method is a serial numbering system. This method has no complicated coding carrying any particular meaning, the asset number simply increases by one for every new item.

This is the most flexible system as ascending numbers remain accurate, regardless of location or department changes. It also allows asset tags with ascending numbers to be bought in bulk and gradually used over time, saving you from the costly investment of a printer.

SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO THIS FOR A LIVING

Often considered as simply an activity to raise donations, a team-building exercise, or even as an addition to the bucket list; in many industries abseiling from high rise buildings forms an essential part of the working day

MANY INDUSTRIES USE ABSEILING

The more cautious of people may prefer the use of elevated platforms to abseiling, however, there are many industries where abseiling is the only viable option for workers to inspect, maintain or repair machinery and buildings.

Industries which require abseiling to gain access to inspect, repair or maintain multi-storey buildings and other large structures include:

• Offshore oil and gas platforms;
• Renewable energy such as wind generation on turbines, blades, and towers;
• Industrial cooling towers at power stations and petrochemical plants;
• Painting or coating, cleaning maintenance or bird control of bridges communications masts, cranes, sports stadia, and other highrise buildings;
• Entry to confined spaces, shafts such as storage tanks, tunnels, chambers, and access shafts;
• Erection and removal of banners or signs;
• In mining and quarrying;
• Military;
• Shipping and harbours;
• Cliff rescue;

THE DANGERS OF ABSEILING

In 2015, IRATA (international rope access trade association) indicated that there had been 103 reported events that year, of which 61 were classified as dangerous incidents (which could have led to harm or injury), resulting in 41 injuries (4 being reportable) and one fatality.

Unsurprisingly the most common sources of injury during abseiling were due to falls from height. Typically there were due to ropes being severed by sharp edges, falling edges, cutting by high power water jets, blasting equipment, chainsaws or melting by heat lamps. Due to this diversity of hazards, extreme caution should be taken even if using two independent anchor points. 

Less common sources of injuries can be sustained from entrapment in confined spaces, physical strain injuries, or impact injuries sustained from adverse weather conditions, particularly high winds.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUIPMENT INSPECTION

In order to reduce injuries to a minimum, periodic inspection of work equipment is essential to ensure safe operation of the fall arrest system. 

Whether abseiling is used for occupational or recreational purposes, periodic inspection should be undertaken to ensure equipment complies with EU directive 2001/45/EC. These are the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of equipment for work at height. 

 LABEL SOURCE'S INSPECTION TAGS

Label Source has produced a series of tags for safety inspection of fall arrest systems. These can be used to inspect:

• Fixed anchors;
• Eyebolts;
• Safety harnesses;
• Safety helmets;
• Eye protection;
• Any personal protective equipment (PPE).

For further information on these products, please contact Label Source by e-mail at sales@labelsource.co.uk or contact our sales department by telephone on 0800 376 1693 ( or +44 1443 842769 if outside the UK). 

BS 1710 - The British Way of Marking Pipes

BS 1710 stands for British Standard 1710. This is a framework legislated in 1984 that specifies how pipelines, ducting and electrical conduits should be labelled. The labels and tapes provide a visual identifier to warn of the risks and dangers of the release of pipeline contents and to prevent accidents and injuries from any such release. 

Content Information Code Indicators

Pipe contents must be easily identifiable and labelled with at least one of the following methods, in line with the British Standard 1710 pipe marking code:

• The full name of the content
• Its common abbreviated name
• The chemical symbol
• The appropriate designated colour bands
• Its British Standard 4580 number

Any text or symbols (code indicators) must be printed either in black or white, depending on which shows up more clearly on the assigned label colour for the pipe content.

Direction of Flow

As well as having a content label, each pipe should be labelled with the direction of the content’s flow. This should be on or near the identification colour label.

As with the text, this arrow should be black or white depending on which provides the better contrast against the liquid or gas pipe colour identification.

BASIC IDENTIFICATION COLOURS

BS 1710 gives specific guidelines on the colours of pipeline labelling. Pipelines may be labelled with multiple colours in specific patterns, or they may be labelled with a single colour known as the 'basic identification colour'.

Although there are dozens of different categories of pipeline contents, there are distinct categories of conduits that share the same basic identification colour. The main typical categories for these, and their assigned identification colours, are as follows in the pipe colour coding chart (UK) below.

BS 1710 Colour Chart

You can see what each one looks like in practice, below.

WATER MARKING

WATER PIPELINE TAPE

DRINKING WATER FLOW LABEL

WATER FLOW TAPE

The dark laurel identification colour is used for pipes that contain water of any use. This includes, amongst others, drink water, boiler water, central heating water and fire extinguishing water. 

BS Colour: 12 D 45
HEX Colour: #6A6C3C
RGB Colour: 106; 108; 60

OIL & FUEL MARKING

OIL PIPELINE TAPE

OIL FLOW LABEL

The saddle brown brown colour is used to indicate the presence of oils or fuel, such as diesel, lubricating oil, and hydraulic power oil.

BS Colour: 06 C 39
HEX Colour: #72503B
RGB Colour: 114; 80; 59

GAS & REFRIGERANTS

GAS PIPELINE TAPE

GAS FLOW LABEL

GAS FLOW TAPE

The 'fudge' colour indicates the presence of refrigerants and natural gas.

BS Colour: 08 C 35
HEX Colour: #CFA671
RGB Colour: 207; 166; 113

AIR SERVICES & VACUUMS

AIR PIPELINE TAPE

AIR FLOW LABEL

AIR & VACUUM FLOW TAPE

'Cornflower blue' indicates the presence of compressed air or a vacuum.

BS Colour: 20 E 51
HEX Colour: #6CA4D3
RGB Colour: 108; 164; 21

STEAM

STEAM PIPELINE TAPE

STEAM FLOW LABEL

STEAM FLOW TAPE

The 'dawn grey' label colour is only used for steam pipes.

BS Colour: 10 A 03
HEX Colour: #C9C7BF
RGB Colour: 201; 199; 191

DRAINAGE & EFFLUENT

DRAIN PIPELINE TAPE

Black coloured labels indicated that the pipe contains treated or untreated wastewater.

BS Colour: 00 E 53
HEX Colour: #2F2F30
RGB Colour: 47; 47; 48

ELECTRICAL CONDUITS & DUCTS

ELECTRICITY PIPELINE TAPE

ELECTRICITY FLOW LABEL

The 'apricot' colour indicates the presence of electrical cabling within a duct or conduit. 

BS Colour: 06 E 51
HEX Colour: #F18F59
RGB Colour: 241; 143; 89

ACIDS & ALKALIS

ACID PIPELINE TAPE

ACID FLOW LABEL

ACID & ALKALI FLOW TAPE 

'Heather' coloured labels and tapes indicate the presence of caustic acids and alkalis.

BS Colour: 22 C 37
HEX Colour: #7D7A9B
RGB Colour: 135; 122; 155

Label Pipes Correctly with Label Source

At Label Source, we provide everything you need to safely and correctly identify and label pipes. Shop with us for Pipe & Valve Marking, Pipeline Identification Tape, Pipeline Identification Labels, Pipeline Flow Labels, Flow Indication Tape, and any other labels you require for the safety of your facility.

Our Brand-New Inspection Tag Range

Label Source has introduced a new range of inspection tags in semi-rigid plastic (0.5mm thickness), which can be attached to plant and equipment by cable-tie, ball-chain or wire. The range comes in 5 different designs, each with a different word or phrase.

Each tag has month and year sections (2018 to 2023) which can be either punched or marked to indicate when the inspection has taken place, or when the next inspection is due.

The body the tags have a diameter of 35mm, with an additional hole to allow attachment to tags with ball-chain, cable-ties, or string. The products are supplied in packs of 100 identical tags.

Inspected Month and Year Tag

The Inspected tag is used to indicate when a piece of equipment was last inspected.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

VIEW PRODUCT

 

Next Inspection Month & Year Tag

The Next Inspection Tag is used to tag a piece of equipment with the date it next needs to be inspected.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

VIEW PRODUCT

 

Serviced Month & Year Tag

The Serviced Tag is when routine maintenance was last performed on equipment.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

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Tested Month & Year Tag

The Tested Tag is used to indicate when a product was last tested for accuracy.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

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Calibrated Month & Year Tag

The Calibration tag is used to indicate when equipment last was last fine-tuned.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

VIEW PRODUCT

 

For further information please contact Label Source by e-mail at sales@labelsource.co.uk or by telephone 0800 3761693 or 01443 842769.

 

How To Build A Train Station

The United Kingdom is currently going through a period of extensive rail modernisation. A new high-speed rail system will bring Britain’s largest cities closer together and huge lengths of existing tracks are being electrified. 

Along with improvements to tracks, new stations are being built around the country. In light of all these new stations, we've put together a simple guide of how to build a train station. 

1. Prepare the ground

Before every train station was built, there was first a barren piece of land that needed to be tamed. Work begins with the uneven ground being brought to the correct level, either through excavation or covering depending on whether the ground is too high or too low. The ground then undergoes compression to prevent future soil movements and the resulting disturbance to the track.

Once the ground has been prepared for the track a layer of gravel (referred to as ballast) is laid on top of the foundation. This is then levelled out and stabilised in preparation for sleepers to be placed on top.

2. Put down the track

After the ground has been prepared and the ballast laid, concrete or wooden sleepers are spaced at regular intervals along the path of the railway line. These act as the ‘crossbars’ that will hold the rails in position.

The rails are then attached and welded together. Sometimes gaps are left between rails to prevent buckling when the rails expand in hot weather.

Further ballast is then laid around the sleepers to stabilise the track.

3. Lay down electrical cabling

Electricity is vital to modern railway stations. At the beginning of the railway industry, an army of train conductors and signalling men were needed to ensure the smooth running of services. This has now evolved into a complicated digital network, with electronic public announcement systems, lighting, signalling equipment, and CCTV. In order to supply this diverse range of equipment with electricity, extensive underground cabling needs to be laid. Railways typically use 240V & 415 and 650V (signalling) power supplies. These are marked with warning labels such as those below.

Danger 240 volts

Danger 240 volts label. Part of our electrical hazard warning label range. Self adhesive vinyl, with clear laminated surface. Rub test compliant, waterproof, chemical and scratch resistant. Supplied in packs of 10.

Price From: £7.68 (inc VAT)

(£6.40 ex VAT)

Danger 415 volts

Danger 415 volts label. Part of our electrical hazard warning label range. Self adhesive vinyl, with clear laminated surface. Rub test compliant, waterproof, chemical and scratch resistant. Supplied in packs of 10.

Price From: £7.68 (inc VAT)

(£6.40 ex VAT)

Danger 650 volts

Danger 650 volts label. Part of our electrical hazard warning label range. Self adhesive vinyl, with clear laminated surface. Rub test compliant, waterproof, chemical and scratch resistant. Supplied in packs of 10.

Price From: £7.68 (inc VAT)

(£6.40 ex VAT)

As all this electricity introduces the chance for electric shock, all electrical equipment should be clearly marked with appropriate signs and labelling. View our range of electrical labels, tags, and signs.

4. Platform

As few people like to board trains using stepladders, the next stage is to lay down the platform.

Platform construction increasingly involves modular systems, in which prefabricated interlocking portions can be quickly laid and joined. Staircases and bridges are also constructed during this stage. These linking different platforms to each other, and allow public access.

5. Signalling

Without signalling, railways would be no more coordinated than a toddler playing with Hot Wheels. To prevent Hot-Wheels-like devastation, train drivers receive instructions from traffic lights, alerting them to trains ahead and hazards on the track. Alongside the installation of signalling equipment, switching equipment is installed to allow the trains to be guided onto the correct tracks.

6. Lighting

No railway station would be complete without adequate lighting. Many platforms are located underground and would be pitch-black without extensive lighting installation. Trains also operate late into the night, and passengers may feel unsafe waiting on the platform if there is not sufficient light to see their surroundings.

7. Telecoms

Once the platform has been constructed and the electrical cabling laid, telecommunications equipment such as the digital timetables, CCTV, and public address systems are installed. Public Address Systems ensure that passengers are aware of train times, platform changes or any delays.

CCTV is a very effective deterrent against crime. Not only does it reduce the likelihood of break-ins and theft, but also reduces ant-social behaviour as people know they are being monitored. It also prevents antisocial behaviour; as the knowledge that they are being recorded may lead to them reconsider their actions.