A guide to Prism® Polypropylene: The ultimate tagging material

Companies working in harsh environments must protect their workforce from potential hazards, which may cause serious harm if not carefully managed. Because of this, it is vital to identify any risks that may cause injury and take precautionary measures to ensure safety at all times.

One way to take control of your organisation’s safety is through the use of safety tagging solutions. At REGALTAGS, we understand the tough environments our customers operate in, so we provide only the most durable and reliable tags, which have been developed for long-term use.

We’re proud to achieve this through many factors, but hugely responsible for the success of our tags is our Prism Polypropylene.

With many of our tags manufactured from Prism Polypropylene, we thought it would be useful to explore its benefits and explain why it’s the ultimate material for all things tagging.

So, if you’re interested in learning more about the material responsible for our long-lasting tags, continue reading on. Here’s our guide to Prism Polypropylene.

What is the REGALTAGS Prism Polypropylene?

Our Prism Polypropylene is a unique material designed to withstand harsh environments anywhere around the world. It’s produced without using water and with zero harmful emissions. It is a strong, hard wearing material which is chlorine-free, 100% recyclable and contains no harmful additives.

Manufactured for REGALTAGS specifically, our material is used to create long-lasting tags whilst being environmentally sustainable too.

The benefits of Prism Polypropylene

• UV protected – Due to the material's protection against UV rays, tags made from Prism Polypropylene remain reliable even after prolonged exposure to sunlight.
  
  The damaging power of sunlight on Tags is underestimated by many; the UV rays have a photochemical effect within the polymer structure of the tag and can cause colours to fade and the material itself to break down and crumble apart.
  
  Where cheaper, less durable materials will become unreadable when exposed to sunlight for too long, our Prism Polypropylene has no trouble. This ensures you do not lose any critical information during maintenance and/or lockout procedures.

• Freeze-resistant – When operating in harsh environments, the weather can cause all sorts of problems for your tags.
  
  Just like the sun can make them fade, freezing temperatures can cause them to go brittle and break under pressure.
  
  Thankfully, our Prism Polypropylene is completely freeze-resistant, giving you peace of mind that your tags will work when operating in cold environments.

• Eco-friendly – Not only is REGALTAGS Prism Polypropylene 100% recyclable, but it’s also 35% lighter than traditional plastics. This helps to cut transport costs and emissions for a reduction in carbon footprint.

Prism polypropylene under test

We’ve had hundreds of testimonials from clients working in the harshest environments known to man: from scorched deserts to frozen tundra across the globe.  But we needed our own confirmation for ongoing quality control; a visual verification of our tags undergoing UV trials against other tag brands available on the market.

The trial was an accelerated weathering test, which tested the tags in accordance with ISO 4892-2:2013. It’s a laboratory-controlled condensed reproduction of the exposure caused by sunlight and moisture on materials stored outside over a long period.  For our ongoing quality control, it was intended to test how well the Prism® polypropylene and our specialised inks could maintain their colour.  To us, this is a crucial test: if you have a Tag with vital safety information attached to a critical flange, you can’t come back to it at a later date to find that the ink has faded beyond legibility. 

Below is an example from the latest test, which proves a point. Not all tags are created equal. The reference line is what both tags look like at point of sale: not much visually to separate them. However, the specimen line is where things get interesting. The left hand tag which had totally faded meaning that vital safety information was obscured. The right-hand sample is REGALTAGS material, which has hardly changed in appearance at all, and maintained the flexibility for which Prism® polypropylene is known for.

We are pleased to say that the REGALTAGS Prism material outperformed all 8 other comparison tag materials it was tested against.

Product examples of Prism Polypropylene in use

• Flange tags – Multi-part tags, such as Flange Tags, are used to communicate a highly visual record of the current status of the inspection or management process. This is an extremely important role where steps cannot be missed.
  
  Our FLANjTAGS are made from Prism Polypropylene to guarantee every step in your flange management process is recorded, without any risk of the tag fading, breaking, or failing in any other way. They are also completely customisable with a library full of tried and tested designs to work from.

• EXTAGS® – EXTAGS are designed to provide visual identification of equipment inspections in ATEX environments. They maintain a highly visual appearance which enables quick identification of the inspection. Because of their role, EXTAGS are designed for long-life use.
  
  Manufactured from our very own Prism Polypropylene, REGALTAGS range of EXTAGS can be relied on to identify equipment inspection status for many years. With the ability to change the colour and text too, EXTAGS from REGAL TAGS are a flexible and cost-effective choice for your operation. 

• Locked open/closed tags – Used as clear visual markers which indicate the status of the valve, locked open/closed tags reduce the risk of incidents and danger to workforce working up or downstream. 
  
  Where safety comes first in the workforce, having critical safety tags like these manufactured from our Prism Polypropylene ensures maximum resistance to UV colour fade, even in extreme conditions. This ensures no misunderstanding with faded tag, which could lead to injury.

Prism Polypropylene FAQs

1. Can you handwrite on Prism Polypropylene? 
   Yes, you can. Most permanent markers / indelible markers are suitable for writing on Prism Polypropylene.
   
   For the most durable pen though, we do recommend TAGPEN. It's designed for Prism Polypropylene and it is UV resistant, so it will last as long as the Tag does.
   
   Standard permanent inks fade surprisingly quickly when in direct sunlight, so we recommend using a marker that is durable and reliable.
   
2. What colours are available? 
   Our core colour range covers most scenarios, and all colours have the same qualities of Prism Polypropylene.
   
   For those looking for a Tag that is more bespoke, customised colours are available.
   
   
3. Is it only Tags that can benefit from REGALTAGS Prism Polypropylene? 
   Not all all. We also use Prism Polypropylene for a number of other safety solutions, including signage (barrier signs).
   
   Our products that use Prism Polypropylene will experience the benefits of the materials, as well as them being lightweight.
   
   All our Prism Polypropylene products are available on a quick turn around, so all you need to do is get in touch and let us know what you need. 

Interested in learning more about Prism Polypropylene?

For more information on Prism Polypropylene, its extended benefits, and its use in safety tagging solutions, get in touch with our expert team at REGALTAGS today – we’d love to tell you more.