Flagging is a coloured non-adhesive tape used in marking objects. It is commonly made of PVC or

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

, though wood fibre cellulose-based biodegradable flagging also exists.

Uses

Surveying

Flagging is used in

surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

to mark grade levels, utility lines, survey stakes and other boundary markers. Surveyors frequently attach their flagging to wooden stakes or lathes, with writing on it. One side tends to have a long number which they reference in a log book. The other side tends to have abbreviations suggesting what the stake marks. Choice of colour depends on many factors, and can include availability, and personal preference, or may adhere to some sort of colour code. No colour codes appear to be mandatory or universal, but certain colours do tend to be used for specific purposes.

Forestry

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

flagging is commonly used to mark

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s for various purposes. It can be used to mark trees for

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

, to mark dangerous or unhealthy trees, to mark invasive species, or to mark saplings. State and National forests often use a wide variety of flagging tape, sometimes even getting specially printed tape when the full range of colour codes is used up.

Wildland fire suppression

Flagging is widely used in wildlfire suppression both as a

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

al aid for firefighters and to mark trees. When walking to a

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

a crew may use flagging to flag their way to the fire, both to aid other firefighters in quickly finding the site and so they can find their way back out easily. Specially marked flagging also exists for fire use, imprinted with terms such as "spot fire" or "escape route". Hot pink flagging is considered the best colour for marking escape routes due to its visibility. Lime green is most visible for colour blind people but is less visible for those with full colour vision.

Triage

triage In medicine, triage () is a practice invoked when acute care cannot be provided for lack of resources. The process rations care towards those who are most in need of immediate care, and who benefit most from it. More generally it refers to prio ...

, flagging is used in lieu of a

triage tag A triage tag is a tool first responders and medical personnel use during a mass casualty incident. With the aid of the triage tags, the first-arriving personnel are able to effectively and efficiently distribute the limited resources and provide ...

to mark patients in a mass casualty

disaster A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources ...

situation. Four colours of flagging are typically used: * Black - deceased * Red - seriously injured, in need of immediate medical attention to save life * Yellow - seriously injured but not immediately life-threatening, medical attention can be delayed * Green - non-serious injuries or "walking wounded"

Outdoor recreation

Flagging is used as a navigational aid by

hunters Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

hikers Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Hist ...

, geocachers,

spelunkers Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology is ...

, mountain bikers, off-road vehicle users, and for other uses such as

paintball Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs that break upon impact. Paintballs are usually shot using low-energy a ...

Forensic uses

Flagging tape can be used in the field of crime scene photography to show the trajectory of bullets. It's preferable to string due to the wider thickness and reflectiveness though it is harder to pull tight across long distances.

References

{{reflist Safety equipment