Britain’s growing compensation culture is creating a new market for hazard warnings signage, according to a UK queue management consultancy.
In response to what the firm calls a growing market, QM Group has launched a new range of queue barrier signs that allow organisations to temporarily cordon off an area and highlight a potential hazard. The new products are being introduced to Qm Group’s existing Guideline tape and post barrier range and the tapes feature a range of warning messages for uneven surfaces, spillages, wet floors, maintenance, repairs and "work in progress". Qm Group’s clients include Argos. Boots The Chemist, Woolworth’s, Matalan, Tesco, Orange, HBOS and Post Office Limited.
What they say
"We have developed this product to help organisations alert their customers to temporary hazards. We are not advocating the replacement of existing signage. Our solution can help facilities managers further improve existing health and safety signage," says Qm’s Marketing Manager, Mike Caddy. " As well as providing a barrier to discourage people from entering a potentially hazardous area, our system also alerts people to the nature of the hazard.
A Guideline system enables any area of flooring to be cordoned off with prominent warnings printed on tapes, the firm says. "Our increasingly litigious society, with rising numbers of lawsuits filed by personal injury compensation companies, is putting anyone who is responsible for a public area under pressure to post very public warnings when hazards arise. We believe the usual triangles alone may not be enough. They can be moved or knocked over too easily. Unsafe areas need a complete barrier and tape system as well."
The tapes, made to car seat-belt standard, according to the firm, are part of a new range carrying health and safety, queue management and crowd control messages, or customised designs and corporate logos.
They are printed in fade-resistant dye on Qm’s 2.3m and 4m polyester tape webbing for as little as £15 extra per cartridge length. Queue or crowd management messages also available include standard NO ENTRY, NO EXIT, AUTHORISED ACCESS ONLY, OUT OF SERVICE, NO SMOKING, PLEASE WAIT HERE and POSITION CLOSED tapes for customers including retailers, shopping centres, cinemas, local authorities, airports, concert halls and sporting venues. If a specific message is not needed, our off-the-shelf yellow-and-black chevron tape is ideal for clearly identifying areas being cordoned off.
And they fit the full range of Guideline barriers – from the low-cost outdoor and industrial GL25 to the smart and durable GL45 in powder-coated or metal finishes – which can be stored when not in use. The cartridges, using Qm’s braked retraction, are also compatible with the GL20 clear posts – used to display promotional posters or messages to publicise a brand or new products or to identify the service available at the head of the queue.
