REGALTAGS Safety Tags Play an Important Role in the Restoration of Blackfriars Bridge, London

REGALTAGS is delighted to be assisting contractors in the refurbishment of Blackfriars Bridge across London’s River Thames, which started in late summer 2021 and will run until 2024.

For more than a year, large parts of the 290m-long (950ft) Blackfriars Bridge in central London have been shrouded by scaffolding and thick layers of wrapping. The iconic steel and wrought iron bridge was built in 1869, and since its last refurbishment in 2000, has started to show signs of rusting and ageing. 

Giles Shilson, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Bridge House Estates board, states: “The repaint and refurbishment of this important bridge will greatly improve its aesthetics and will also protect the fabric of the structure to increase its longevity.”

The 150-year-old bridge is currently undergoing this extensive refresh. With Every beam, bolt and roundel needing to be repainted and hundreds of metres of balusters to be disassembled and repaired; this £15m project is set to be a mammoth task.

Assisting the progress of this project, is the team at REGALTAGS who have worked closely alongside contractors to create customisable safety tags. These tags are currently playing an extremely important role in marking each of the 2,168 cast-iron balusters to ensure they are returned to the exact same spots they were placed in in the 1860s.

Because the balusters comprise nine different and intricate designs and are seemingly placed at random, each one has to be numbered and tagged before being taken apart, removed, and sent off-site for repair.

Without these REGALTAGS tagging systems in place, costly and potentially dangerous mistakes could be made, prolonging the restoration of the bridge.

Why REGALTAGS Custom Safety Tags Were Selected for The Restoration of Blackfriars Bridge

Because Blackfriars Bridge is Grade II listed, its historic form must be protected, right down to the handedness of the spirals around each baluster. This means that tags being used to identify which baluster goes where must be legible, and efficient, to ensure no mistakes are made.

The REGALTAGS Custom Safety tags were perfect for this complex project, providing contractors with reliable tagging that is:

• UV and fade-resistant
• Freeze-resistant
• Scratch- and scuff-resistant
• Project-specific
• Highly visual
• Branded
• Legible to all employees on site

These custom safety tags used for the Blackfriars Bridge restoration will also allow contractors to keep an effective audit trail of the maintenance, improving accountability and site safety.

Compliant Workplace Safety Tags from REGALTAGS

At REGALTAGS, our approach to safety tagging is simple. With a focus on design and durability, we deliver tags that enhance the safety and productivity of your operations.

From isolation tags to flange tags, inspection tags, and more, we have your needs covered. Our complete range of safety tags is suitable for use in the harshest of environments.

If you’d like to find out more about how we can help with your safety tags, contact our friendly team at REGALTAGS® today. We’re more than happy to answer any questions you have.