Most people don’t think too much about pipes and valves because they operate in the background. Even though valves may not be the main component of heavy machinery, they can do quite a bit of damage if someone opens the wrong valve.

Though so often overlooked, using adequate Valve Tags will increase safety, facilitate maintenance and minimize downtime while simplifying commissioning and ensuring regulatory compliance.

What is a Valve Tag and how do we determine which parts of the valve needs to be labelled?

A valve tag is any type of tag that can be attached to a valve.

Label and tag placement on pipes and valves are critical to facility safety. Almost always a valve tag is placed at the end of a pipe. Valve tags should never be attached to the valve stem or to the actuator. It is best to place valve tags in locations where workers will clearly see the pipe contents and valve information prior to opening the valve itself. In many cases, tags are attached to valves using plastic or metal ties.

Types of Valve Tag

1.  Identification tags, which correspond with the valve chart

2.  Instruction tags

3.  Test tags, for valves such as backflow preventers

Valve tags can be made of a variety of materials, depending on the valve environment (high/low temperature, chemical, etc) and size – from small circles to large squares, depending on the amount of information they need to contain.

The tags made from stainless steel are ideal for environments that include water and chemicals because they resist rusting and corroding. Aluminium tags are lightweight and they are used for environments that have low temperatures; however, they are not as strong in extremely hot environments. Brass tags are strong and may be used in high-temperature situations and environments that are corrosive.

Silver Fox can produce your valve tags in a range of different materials such as brass, stainless steel, aluminium, acrylic laser engraved or traffolyte. These can be supplied in the size you require with the message and/or sequential numbering. We can also supply with cable ties or metal chains so that they can be quickly and easily fitted by the site engineer.

Choosing the right tag and determining which part should be labelled should be the decision of your Safety Manager, as per his knowledge and understanding of the valve labelling standards and regulations.

If you are unsure what type of Valve Tag would be most suitable, speak to the Silver Fox Sales Team who can evaluate and review your requirements, working together to provide a solution and support to your project.

At Silver Fox, we offer a wide range of pipe & valve labelling solutions for a range of industrial environments. And, for a quick and easy way to label valves and equipment you can also produce Barcodes/QR codes and add Graphics when using the professional level of Fox-in-a-Box®, together with our Valve Tags and High-Performance Tape.

No other system offers this simplicity and range of labels with One Printer.

The Fox-in-a-Box® – One Software, One Printer, One Ribbon