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In storage and distribution businesses, warehouse aisle signage is vital to maintaining order and optimizing operations, as it serves as a visual guide for workers to locate critical areas of the facility and easily find stored goods.
Warehouse aisle signage involves a system of numbers, letters, and other general-purpose characters that should be known to all operators. These signs must be placed at a good height, made of quality materials, and follow regional storage and material handling regulations.
In the United States, these standards are regulated by OSHA, in Mexico by the STPS with NOM 006 STPS, while in Brazil, it falls under NR-11.
Proper aisle signage will also help improve vehicle traffic, identify load capacities on racks, and even find protective equipment in the event of a fire, collision, or collapse of storage equipment.
To ensure your warehouse aisle signage is correct, it’s best to contact an expert to help you design, standardize your system and choose the most suitable and durable materials.
Contact us if you need help with your warehouse aisle signage or any other storage project.
Where to display warehouse aisle signage
The aisles of a warehouse act as ‘streets’ within the building through which vehicles and workers pass for the storage and collection of goods. Thus, warehouse signage can be located on the shelves that form these passages, on the floors, or hanging as explained below:
Signage on shelves
Warehouse aisle signage helps keep a storage and distribution business well organized and looking good, as it performs vital functions for employees to perform their jobs effectively and provides an orderly workspace.
Generally, warehouse aisle signage is placed on the shelves at a considerable height. It has a standardized format, such as an alphanumeric system, although it can also be designed and adapted to the establishment’s needs and according to the purpose of the business.
In the aisles, it is common to find signs related to the load capacity that, as its name suggests, provides information on how much weight the storage system supports without damaging or affecting its operation.
Also, warehouse aisle signage can be barcodes or QR codes intended to provide easy inventory tracking by using scanners to read them, like those implemented in a smart logistics warehouse.
Barcodes or QR codes can be placed on shelves, at the end of aisles, on merchandise, and even on the floor. The location chosen should be known to the merchandise handlers so they can quickly locate the goods.
Hanging signage
Warehouse aisle signage can also be hanging and, as its name suggests, be suspended from the ceiling by chains and screws to prevent it from falling and damaging goods and employees.
These signs can indicate the number or name of the aisles, what products are stored there, which zone of the warehouse is, or give indications of prohibition, to mention some of its multiple uses. Likewise, hanging warehouse aisle signs can contain logos. These signs serve less practical or operational purposes but help reinforce a company’s image.
The adaptability, versatility, and easy visibility of hanging aisle signs make them one of the most common and vital signs that are part of the general signage system in a storage or distribution center.
Floor signage
In addition to being on shelves, warehouse aisle signage is also placed on floors as a visual guide for material handlers and machine operators, either with tape or epoxy paint markings or as arrows and other standardized shapes.
In general, warehouse aisle floor markings help to delineate different industrial workstations, provide directions for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, reinforce safety signs, and indicate restricted or prohibited areas.
Although floor marking is usually done with tapes and self-adhesive materials, there are various systems, such as 5S, an alternative originating in Japan with multiple shapes and colors to make operations more efficient.
In storage and distribution businesses with special conditions, such as cold storage warehouses, you must consider more resistant floor marks for aisle signage. For example, thick, durable tapes are optimal for freezing temperatures.
Security signs
Safety-related warehouse aisle signage is located at different points, depending on the indication to be given. This signage is vital, as it reduces the risks faced by workers placing and picking stored goods.
This warehouse aisle signage keeps operations running smoothly and prevents the warehousing or distribution company from facing legal problems due to operator injuries.
Aisle safety signage should clearly indicate nearby hazards, such as prohibited or storage areas with hazardous materials. They also help show emergency exits and where firefighting or first aid equipment is located.
When designing this warehouse aisle signage, remember that it can take many standardized shapes and colors, which should be known to all workers.
How to choose the best warehouse aisle signage
When choosing warehouse aisle signage, remember that it is best to plan your project and rely on the services of a professional, as these signs should correspond with the general signage system of your business.
The information you include must be consistent and homogeneous and even respect the design, font, size, color, and shape of the rest of the signage. This way, employees can quickly locate the aisles to place or remove products.
Materials are also crucial. These are chosen based on your budget and needs and can be paper, cardboard, metal, or plastic. The important thing is that you select quality supports where you can print or adhere letters, numbers, and pictograms.
Serviap Logistics provides and installs warehouse aisle signage
At Serviap Logistics, we supply and install warehouse aisle signage in storage and distribution businesses in Brazil, Mexico, and the United States, where we respect local regulations such as OSHA to ensure safe workspaces for employees.
In addition to understanding your signage project, our trained technicians offer practical, tailor-made, and budget-based solutions for installing warehouse aisle signage.
We can also install shelving, design and sell labels and place collision protectors. We also oversee the installation, remodeling, or relocation of a warehouse business from start to finish through our project management service.
Thanks to our professionalism, adherence to fair deadlines, and attention to detail, we have a portfolio of satisfied customers and partners from the automotive, e-commerce, and wholesale sectors.
Contact us if you need help with warehouse aisle signage in your business. And if you liked this article, check out the rest of our coverage.
