DuraLabel Label Printer & DuraLabel Supplies

There are two things in this picture that go together. What are they?

Valve tags and a valve lock out.

Lock Out / Tag Out (LOTO) is a critical part of safety and valve tags are a critical component of LOTO.

The lock on the valve in this picture prevents the valve from being opened, protecting the workers who are doing downstream repairs.

The valve tag identifies the valve, helping to ensure the correct valve is locked out. It is important that needed information be available at the point of need. There must be 100% certainty that the correct valve is being locked out, and having valves marked with identifying valve tags provides this needed information.

Take another look at the hand wheel in the above picture. You can see the lock. The tags all appear to be on valves that are in the background. Why don't you see a tag hanging from the hand wheel to identify the valve?

The picture to the right shows another valve. Notice that the tag is on the valve body, not on the hand wheel. Valve tags should never be placed on the actuator, whether it is a hand wheel or a power actuator. Valve tags always are placed on the valve body.

Think of it this way... valve tags always go on the valve, not on the device that moves the valve.

For more information about valve tags and labeling valves, I recommend the Graphic Products Valve Tag Best Practices Guide. It is available as a free download.

If you need valve tags, or pipe markers, check out the DuraLabel PRO 300 thermal transfer label printer. It's the printer that can get the job done, and get it done right.

Labels: Pipe Marking, visual communication