I was wondering the other day about the products we make here at Presco. I was wondering about Yellow Caution Tape and Red Danger Tape. I have seen them all over and I work for a company that makes them but I have never really known when and where to use them. And I thought to myself “Self, what’s the difference?” Self replied back “Duh, one is red, the others yellow genius!” My self is snarky! But I meant what is the proper context on shall use Red or Yellow tape? Surely there is a call to use them in different circumstances. At which point Self said “Who you calling Shirley?”

Yellow Caution tape means (as implied) proceed with caution. It can mean there are tools or equipment that you need to watch out for, or hazards like debris, holes, or uneven terrain. Enter at your own risk. You can enter the area but proceed wisely and be on the lookout. Caution means you could be injured or damage something.

Red Danger tape means DO NOT ENTER without permission from the appropriate authority, that could be the foreman of a construction company, a job supervisor or property owner. Red Danger tape means there are life threatening dangers lurking beyond the tape. It could be on the door of building with faulty electrical conditions, downed electrical wires, a condemned building where the roof and walls could collapse at any moment, a crane with overhead payload. Danger means you could die.

Things to consider when using barricade tape:

  • Be sure to securely fasten the tape in away that it can not be easily blown away or causally taken down without some effort.
  • Be sure to mark all access points to the appropriate area, if you forget a side door or less used entrance the consequences could be dire.
  • Be sure to mark off a larger area then is necessary because it is human nature to be curious and “put your toes right up to the edge.”
  • If barricading roadways, parking lots etc, be sure to do it in such away as to take traffic flow into consideration. In other words, consider ingress/egress issues where you are not causing a bigger problem as in this video called “Caution Tape Chaos” and of course I love the use of the Benny Hill Theme Song!

So to really get a good look at how to properly use barricade tape I found this tutorial video for you. Enjoy!