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 ...
, though wood fibre cellulose-based
biodegradable
Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegrada ...
flagging also exists.
Uses
Surveying
Flagging is used in
surveying
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the land, terrestrial Plane (mathematics), two-dimensional or Three-dimensional space#In Euclidean geometry, three-dimensional positions of Point (geom ...
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
In
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
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, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...
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 skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, truckswildlfire suppression both as a
navigation
Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the motion, movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navig ...
al aid for firefighters and to mark trees. When walking to a
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...
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
In
triage
In medicine, triage (, ; ) is a process by which care providers such as Health professional, medical professionals and those with first aid knowledge determine the order of priority for providing treatment to injured individuals and/or inform th ...
, flagging is used in lieu of a triage tag to mark patients in a mass casualty
disaster
A disaster is an event that causes serious harm to people, buildings, economies, or the environment, and the affected community cannot handle it alone. '' Natural disasters'' like avalanches, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires are caused by na ...
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, hikers, geocachers, spelunkers, mountain bikers, off-road vehicle users, and for other uses such as
paintball
Paintball is a competitive sport, competitive team sport, team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called Paintball equipment#Paintballs, paintballs that b ...
.
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.