IP-rated gobo projectors for cold stores and temperature-controlled warehouses are ideal when it comes to warehouse safety signage. Low temperatures, condensation, moisture, wet working, fresh and raw product that regular cleaning and on top of that forklift traffic can all cause traditional signs and painted floor markings to deteriorate quickly in these conditions.
For warehouses operating chilled, frozen or temperature-controlled facilities, it is essential that warehouse signage remains bright, visible, quick to apply and easy to maintain.
The Importance of Warehouse Signage in Cold Stores
Cold produce storage including fridge and freezers can be busy and challenging working environments. Employees are required to wear PPE including protective clothing, visibility can be affected by condensation and different areas of the warehouse may operate at different temperatures.
Clear warehouse signage can help to identify:
- Chilled, frozen and low-temperature zones.
- Goods-in and goods-out areas.
- Forklift routes and pedestrian walkways.
- Loading bays and vehicle access points.
- Emergency exits and fire equipment.
- Restricted-access and hygiene-controlled areas.
- Warehouse aisles, racking and pallet locations.
- Temporary storage and quarantine areas.
- Clear PPE guidance
Effective signage helps employees navigate the site safely, identify potential hazards and understand where specific activities should take place.
The Challenges of Traditional Warehouse Safety Signs
Many cold stores rely on painted warehouse floor markings, adhesive signs and printed labels. However, these can be difficult to maintain in areas exposed to moisture, temperature changes and frequent footfall or heavy machinery like forklifts or pallet trucks .
Painted floor markings chip and fade, while adhesive floor signs can become unstuck quickly. When warehouse safety signs become faded, ripped or unclear, employees may become ‘sign blind’ and fail to notice important warnings.
HSE guidance states that safety signs must be bright enough to be seen and properly maintained so that they remain capable of performing their intended function to avoid liability and protect staff safety.
Additionally warehouses which are busy environments and when unchecked product and pallets can be left in unsuitable places. Traditional signage and floor marking are often covered when this happens which can cause hazards and unchecked obstacles.
Projected Warehouse Signage for Temperature-Controlled Areas
Projected warehouse signage uses powerful LED gobo projectors to display bright safety signs and floor markings onto floors, walls and doors.
Cold stores typically operate at 0°C to +5°C for chilled products, while frozen storage is commonly maintained at -18°C to -25°C. These operating temperatures are not suitable for traditional painted signage and floor markings. Most conventional paints will not cure correctly in a working freezer and business downtime becomes one of the biggest challenges for food processing and storage businesses.
Before repainting you will need to remove all stock, followed by defrost the room, raise the air and surface temperature to the coating manufacturer’s specified minimum and ensure the substrate is dry and above the dew point to prevent condensation and coating problems or even failure.
Use a coating specifically approved for cold-store conditions, such as a low-temperature curing epoxy, polyurethane or polyaspartic system, and follow its technical data sheet for application, re-coat and curing times. As an example from www.coldstorageinstallers.co.uk one cold-cure epoxy system is designed for surface temperatures from 0°C to 10°C and may require approximately 36 hours to cure at 0°C or 18 hours at 5°C. Allow longer curing times at lower temperatures, protect the surface from moisture and footfall or traffic, then only restart refrigeration or return stock once the coating has fully cured and passed inspection.
For floor markings and safety messages, projected warehouse signage can complement permanent signs and reduce future repainting downtime. Projected signage can be particularly useful in wet stores where layouts change regularly or where installing and maintaining physical signs would create unnecessary downtime.
We completed a job for Europe's biggest processor and provider of smoked fish MOWI Scotland who required hatched areas to de-mark pallets and no stacking floor markings.
Our high-powered LED gobo projectors can project warehouse safety signage over almost any surface, including wet and cold temperatures environments to make these perfect for their solution to an on-going problem.
Arrange a Warehouse Site Visit
Every cold store is different, which is why Projected Image offers bespoke site visits for businesses looking to improve their warehouse safety signage.
Our projection experts can assess your warehouse layout, lighting conditions, existing floor markings and operating requirements. We can then recommend a bespoke projected signage system designed to work alongside your current warehouse signs.
To find out more about warehouse signage for cold stores and temperature-controlled areas, contact our team of projection experts today.