How do you label pipes?

Labeling pipes is easy as long as the user has the right tools. The first of those tools is gathering information. Every employer and their employees should be familiar with the appropriate pipe labeling standards for their facility’s needs. These can be any of the following standards:

• ANSI/ASME A13.1 Pipe Marking Standard
• NFPA 99/CGA C-9 Standard for Medical Gas Markers
• ISO 14726 and ISO/DIS 14726-2 Marine Pipe Marking Standards
• The Ten States Standards for water treatment facilities

The next element that is needed for pipe marking are the actual labels! These can be obtained two different ways—either buying them from a supplier or making them on-site. Both options have benefits that make the choice appropriate for different facilities. However, investing in an industrial label printer will not only save the company money almost immediately, but it will also provide the convenience of having labels available on demand. If a label has torn or otherwise been ruined, it can immediately be replaced. Compare this to ordering labels from a supplier and the long wait times for the company to get even one singular label to the facility.

This process ends with applying those labels onto the desired pipes. ANSI’s pipe marking standard A13.1 has helpful advice on where to place the labels to have maximum visibility and Creative Safety Supply has helpful information on how to create durable LabelTac® labels with LabelSuite® Software, and how to apply those labels to the surface of the pipes.

Properly preparing beforehand by gathering all the necessary information and materials the facility needs will make the entire pipe labeling process much simpler and faster rather than collecting the necessary elements as the project progresses.