Physical barriers and visual cues are important communication tools for crowd control and navigational assistance. Whether you’re providing visual cues at an event or directing foot or vehicular traffic for a temporary detour, floor marking tape, barricades, and signage help improve communication and safety. Explore this guide to find crowd control quick tips for improving visual communication and traffic flow.
Use Barricades and Stanchions to Direct Traffic Flow
Versatile physical cues are temporary solutions for crowd control, which provide flexibility to adjust as necessary. Physical barriers can help improve traffic flow and are ideal safety tools for setting up for public or private events, streamlining foot traffic in a school or public office, or maintaining orderly lines in waiting areas and congested spaces. Portable posts and stanchions allow for easy adjustment based on capacity and attendance, so you can alter the traffic flow as necessary to impro
ve navigation, reduce congestion, and direct flow based on immediate needs. But physical barriers can’t do all of the work: Pairing visual cues, text, and graphics provides clear messaging that can be understood at a glance.
Provide Visual Cues With Floor Tape and Signs
Floor marking tape and floor signs help visitors understand processes, provide directions and navigational assistance, and improve experiences overall. Consider these options for using floor marking tape and signs for crowd control:
- Displaying reminders for visitors to have tickets, identification, or other necessities available prior to getting in line
- Designating separate lines for pre-registration versus registering at the venue
- Labeling floors with lanes for intended destinations, allowing visitors to follow cues to specific seating, ticketing areas, restrooms, or concessions
- Marking areas that must be kept clear, such as reserved seating areas, vendor access points, staging areas, or exits
- Highlighting emergency exit routes and doorways for easier identification prior to, or in case of, emergency
- Posting “not an exit” notices where required, such as closet doors, offices, stairwells, and other areas that do not provide an emergency outlet
Improve Communication Using Detailed Signage
Always have an eye on facility safety, whether it’s an industrial location, retail center, municipal building, or public or private space. Location-specific notices, from outdoor pavement tape directing traffic to indoor floor marking tape and wall signs reminding visitors of any facility policies or procedures, can provide instructions at a glance and improve overall safety. Consider the target audience when creating your signage plan. Pre-printed messages may be enough in many circumstances, but you may find that custom messaging is necessary for your specific needs. Floor signs and floor marking tape are durable, long-lasting options that can communicate a range of messages to attendees, and custom options allow for adding advertiser logos, conveying event-specific notices, and reminding visitors of venue requirements.
For messages that may change season to season, or even event to event, temporary floor signs and tape are ideal because they can be removed and replaced easily. Custom-printed graphics, including vinyl floor signs, banners, and venue signage, provide necessary information to improve navigation and safety—and temporary and portable options are ideal if renting a venue rather than gathering in an owned facility.
For messages that do not change often or that must last through many seasons of use, consider permanent floor signs—tough mesh fabric applied with a permanent liquid adhesive coating to protect the sign.
Gaffer tape is a multi-use tool for visual communication and safety which can be used to secure cables and wires, provide directional cues, and alert to hazards such as changes in elevation or edges. It is a temporary solution often preferred for film and stage, and offers benefits for crowd control and event use.
Choose Products to Improve Visitor and Staff Safety
Beyond messaging and graphics on signs and tape, facility safety can be improved with additional visual cues and gear. Increase visibility, streamline traffic flow, provide added traction, and keep visitors and staff safer with these facility safety tools:
- Glow-in-the-dark tape and reflective tape improve visibility in low-light conditions
- Outfit parking attendants or other outdoor staff with safety clothing, such as vests, high visibility rainwear, and ear protection where necessary
- Apply grit tape for traction on ramps, stairways, or where it may become slippery
- Choose freezer-rated tape for doorways and venue entrances to ensure the application lasts even in inclement weather
- Organize parking areas with visible striping, safety signals, and cues to prevent congestion, confusion, or accidents
- Traffic cones, speed bumps, parking curbs, barricade tape, and other traffic control devices keep drivers alert and pedestrians safe
Whether hosting an event, managing a trade show, or keeping parking lots running smoothly, these floor marking tape, signs, and communication tools make it easier to improve safety for all. From temporary floor markings to permanent signs, there are plenty of options to suit your facility’s needs. For more information about improving safety with visual cues, explore our Resource Center.
