What is Hazard Demarcation? (Line Marking Explained)

Hazard demarcation is the use of coloured line marking on floors to highlight hazards, walkways, and safe zones in industrial and commercial environments.

Hazard Demarcation in Action at Marshalls PLC – Halifax

The UK’s leading producer of construction materials such as landscape flags, building stone and pavement kerbs is at the start of a huge safety uplift right across the group. A proud Halifax company which first started producing stone back in 1890 and is now a FTSE 250 company, sending products across Europe and beyond, they were committed to achieving the highest levels of safety for walkways around the plant.

Safe walkways 24 hours a day

With a massive workforce and forklift trucks working 24-hour shifts, Marshalls was keen to create and maintain an environment in which all personnel could move around their sites in a safe manner without disrupting the fast-moving production line, which has been at the forefront of Marshalls’ success over the past decades.

The very nature of the work being carried out in the different facilities meant the floors had a build-up of dirt, dust and concrete. The Ultrasyntec team first removed this using diamond grinding methods, and when all planned walkways were prepared and cleaned, it was time to install the specified epoxy coating.

High-performance epoxy floor coating

As there was a significant level of pedestrian traffic using these areas 24 hours a day, it was decided to install Resdev Pumashield, an epoxy coating which is much thicker than standard epoxy. Installed as a thicker, high build coating, this product is extremely hardwearing and successfully fills chips, holes and rough areas in concrete. The application of two coats of Pumashield resulted in an excellent aesthetic finish too.

Marshalls were also seeking to achieve good levels of slip resistance for added safety. This was achieved by adding kiln-dried silica sand into the first coat. The application of the second coat resulted in a finish with a texture similar to sandpaper, ensuring that any wet or greasy areas could not present a slip hazard.

Clear demarcation using line colour and floor signage

The main walkways were all coated to stand out, with all demarcation lines in white, showing clear guidelines for forklift traffic. Zebra crossings were created at all locations where forklift trucks crossed the new walkway, with STOP signs painted in bright red before the crossing. In addition, designated working stations were created for each machine in the form of a simple green box or hatched area, prohibiting any other plant or machinery from being left in this space.

If you require hazard demarcation or line-marking services, such as those undertaken for Marshalls, contact our team today.