Pipe labels are quite a bit different than most other types of labels in the workplace. This is partly because of the fact that there is a very limited amount of visible room on this particular type of label. Since the label has to wrap around a pipe, it requires the perfect placement of text and the most important information to convey caution.
Because of these limits, and the fact that pipes of different sizes have different amounts of room, there are very few actual requirements when it comes to the text used on these labels. Instead, the requirements are focused on the colors of the labels and the symbols such as arrows to indicate flow direction or GHS symbols for especially hazardous chemicals.
What is in the Pipe?
The most important information on a pipe label needs to be the pipe's contents. This should be printed off in letters that are at least the minimum required size for the diameter of the pipe itself. Ideally the text should also be in bold capital letters to make it as easy to read as possible. For larger pipes, it is often ideal to print the text in two or three places so that it will be visible from each side of the pipe itself.
Additional Information
If there is room on the label, it can be helpful to include other text. What is printed on the label will be left to the decision of the facility manager. In most cases, it will be specific warnings related to the chemical in the pipe. Brief instructions such as a hazard statement can be used to convey what should be done should the contents of the pipe leak.
The one thing to remember about this is that while additional details can be helpful, the main portion of the label should be simply identifying what is in the pipe. Anything extra can be there only if it doesn’t make it so the contents of the pipe is unreadable.
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