An important, but often overlooked, way to ensure effective electrical safety practices is to have a cable management system. It’s important to keep wires and cables untangled and orderly so that workers can understand the system they’re dealing with and avoid accidents. Not only will cable management improve the safety of your workplace, it can make for faster repairs, a better organized operation, and can actually save you money.
When you have a large amount of cables, you may need to use some other tools to stay organized and manageable. Zip ties are commonly used to hold cables together in place, keeping the cables from becoming a giant tangled mess. Another frequently used tool is a cable mount. These mounts sometimes feature a zip tie and often have an adhesive backing to attach to desks, walls, or other surfaces.
Identifying wires with cable wraps is the most efficient way to ensure your wires are clearly marked. Instead of using small, handwritten labels, you can easily create your own cable wraps with an industrial label printer to make sure wires are marked with legible, printed text. The information included can be words, pictograms, or numbers that correspond to the cable management system. These wire markings make completing electrical work in your facility safer, easier, and more efficient.
Electricity is present in nearly every step in manufacturing, construction, and most other industrial settings. Electricity-related accidents are also some of the most deadly and damaging hazards that can occur in the workplace. An incorrectly labeled wire can end in tragic catastrophe; therefore, it’s crucial to abide by the wire color code standards set forth by the proper agencies in your country, and good wire/cable management.
Whether you’re building a toolshed in your backyard or embarking on a million- dollar build at your facility, wiring properly could be the difference between life and death. Following the wire color codes ensure those working around live energy can do their work safely and efficiently. Color conveys a lot of information about wires, so it’s critical that workers have a basic understanding of wire color codes before they do anything energy-related.
Good wire marking practices is the cornerstone to a strong safety program, so it’s important for you to take every precaution necessary to protect employees from accidents. Spend time to develop and implement a comprehensive wire and cable management program and be sure to train employees how to best utilize the system.
Additional Resources
- Cable Management– creativesafetysupply.com
- A Guide to Parking Lot Management– bollardpostcovers.com
- Why it’s Important to Label Pipes– pipemarking.net
- What is lockout / tagout?– arcflashanswers.com
- Where can I use custom labels?– label-printers.org
- Labeling for Workplace Safety– safetyvisuals.com
- A Guide to Safety Labels– safetylabelmakers.com
- 5S: Understanding the Lean Methodology– 5sforum.com
- What is Composite Risk Management (CRM)?– compositeriskmanagement.net