Marking Safety: A Comprehensive Guide To Selecting and Using Caution Tapes

Caution tape is a type of nonadhesive, highly visible tape that identifies hazardous conditions or keeps the area clear of unauthorized personnel. It can have general safety wording such as “CAUTION” or a personalized message.

The History of Caution Tape

The bright, attention-grabbing, nonadhesive barricade tape was developed in the 1960s in the United States to block off access to restricted areas and prevent accidents. Authorities, event handlers, store owners, custodial staff, and many other people use safety tape to warn others of any dangerous area, unsafe situation, or active investigation indoors or outdoors. It also alerts pedestrians or vehicle drivers that the taped-off areas are off-limits.

Caution tape is often made of polyethylene and has great elongation and tensile strength. It can stretch 400% before it tears, making it a lightweight but strong barricade tape that can be installed easily and quickly for both temporary and permanent situations.

Polyethylene tape is a plastic tape produced using a polyethylene film and a rubber adhesive. The film is created from a thermoplastic polymer formed through the polymerization of ethylene gas. The sheet is then coated with a rubber adhesive, resulting in a strong and conformable tape.

Polyethylene tape adheres to a wide range of surfaces and is resistant to moisture, chemicals, abrasion, and UV light. It does not crack or fold in cold conditions and does not yellow with age.

The above properties make polyethylene tape an ideal protective tape, so it's often used to make protective plastic sheets and films. The surface protection tape you find on new appliances is constructed of polyethylene film.

In addition to caution tape, Tape Jungle carries various polyethylene film tapes such as LDPE Mosaic Tile Tape and special UV-resistant polyethylene film tape.

Types of Caution Tapes and Applications

Caution tape is very versatile and can be personalized for any situation. Here are just a few applications caution tape is great for:

Warning passersby and the general public of any dangerous conditions or areas
Keeping people out of construction areas where there may be falling objects, heavy vehicles, or trip hazards
Taping off remodeling, repairs, demolitions, and other work zones in residential, commercial, or industrial settings
Marking off unauthorized areas for exhibitions, shows, or concerts
Helping police restrict areas of investigation areas or preserve crime scenes
Blocking off vehicle and pedestrian traffic in streets, garages, parking lots, or sidewalks for events such as parades
Blocking off foot traffic for street work, utility work, tree removal, landscaping, or signage repairs
Identifying areas with potential radiation, toxic chemicals, smoke, or gasses
Warning staff and visitors of dangerous materials being produced, tested, or stored in laboratories and production facilities
Keeping people away from areas with a risk of fire or smoke inhalation
Taping off dangerous or defective equipment and appliances to deter people from touching it
Marking off spills or wet areas to prevent slips and falls
Restricting access to open manholes, trenches, exposed pipes, or other tripping hazards
Guiding foot traffic around obstacles in sidewalks, hallways, or stairs
Protecting exposed electrical wiring

This high visibility caution tape has traditionally sported messages such as DO NOT ENTER, CAUTION, or CUIDADO. The tape may also have wording that lets people know why the area is restricted, such as:

Fire line tape: FIRE LINE DO NOT CROSS
Sheriff tape: SHERIFF BARRICADE DO NOT ENTER
Crime scene tape: ACTIVE CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS

Tape Jungle Caution Tape

Tape Jungle carries yellow and red hazard identification caution tape with a thickness of 3 mils and a width of 3 inches. It also has several color options:

Black text on yellow film
Black text on red film
Yellow film without text
Red film without text
Red and white stripes without text
Black and yellow stripes without text

You can choose from any of the following messages, which are stamped repeatedly across the entire roll of tape:

CAUTION
CUIDADO
CUIDADO CAUTION
CAUTION DO NOT ENTER
CAUTION CONSTRUCTION AREA
CAUTION OPEN TRENCH
POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS
SHERIFF’S LINE DO NOT CROSS
DANGER
DANGER DO NOT ENTER

Best Practices for Caution Tape Usage

These best practices will help you use your caution tape to the best advantage:

Use hazard tape anywhere that may be dangerous to prevent accidents, slips, trips, falls, or injuries.
Comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines if using caution tape in an industrial, commercial, or workplace setting in the U.S.
Stretch the tape taut and place it about 4–5 feet off the ground or floor so the message is clearly visible.
Use staples, nails, or tape with strong adhesive to secure the barricade to utility poles, walls, doors, trees, etc. You can also tie it around an object, but make sure the knot is tight.
Affix the tape with bright, reflective safety cones for extra visibility.
Purchase blank tape if you have a variety of uses in mind. You can write a custom message directly on the tape with a marker. Keep it legible and concise, with thick, tall letters.

Tape Jungle sells caution tape by the roll or case. You can choose 100-yard rolls or 333-yard rolls.

Get Your Caution Tape at Tape Jungle

Caution tape can prevent accidents and injuries, keep unauthorized people out of restricted areas, or even save lives by alerting passersby of hazardous and potentially life-threatening situations. You can buy caution tape with a general warning or create a custom message.

Safety tape isn't limited to nonadhesive barricade tape though. You can also use floor tape, often fluorescent, luminescent, reflective, or striped, to warn of trip hazards or other unsafe conditions. Tape Jungle carries all these and more and can get your tape shipped to you quickly. If you’re unsure which tape to buy, send us a message and we’ll help you figure out which caution tape is best for your application.