Network Communications News (NCN) December 2016 | Page 38

COLUMN

know how

What’s in a name?
Liesbet De Soomer, marketing manager for EMEA, Newell Brands,
home to Dymo, explains why labelling matters

C

Accurate and
well thought out
labelling saves,
times money and
headaches

an you imagine a workplace or
a complicated infrastructure
that isn’t labelled correctly?
Cables would be unidentified,
dangerous hazards would be
unmarked, boxes would be a
mystery and important safety
cables could go unmarked.
The need for correct labelling
can be taken for granted, so if you
are an installer, network manager or
integrator you must firstly ensure you
have an understanding of the wider
cabling industry and must understand
the importance of complying with
certain datacom standards. Every single
connection and cable must be correctly
identified in order to not only prevent
error, but to make sure jobs are being
carried out efficiently and effectively.
Secondly you must be properly
qualified and feel confident in your
abilities to carry out any task. In order to
do so you must also have access to the
highest quality labelling equipment in
order to do a good and safe job.
When it comes to cable
management there are many reasons
for installers and network managers
to be well informed about its
developments. You will more often than
not be directly responsible for any faults
or errors made on the job, therefore
being aware of the cable management

industry’s latest advances is a vital part
of your job description.

Keep up to date
with regulations
As an installer you should demonstrate a
familiarity with the changing regulatory
landscape and should be aware of which
solutions can be used for compliance.
For example, the ANSI/TIA-606-B
standard outlines the labelling and
record keeping requirements for
telecommunications and network
systems in industrial, residential and
healthcare facilities. It identifies the
base guidelines for record keeping,
labelling and identification. The standard
specifically requires that all labels must
use a permanent and traceable identifier,
with each cable and pathway labelled
on both ends. All labels must also meet
requirements for legibility, defacement
and adhesion specified in UL969 - Dymo
XTL prints labels in a full range of ULrated materials and colours.
Those that are users of labelling
solutions, not just installers, haven’t
always received formal training. Instead,
they are often informally trained on the
job and rely largely on their own instincts
to label cables. Whilst having good
instincts in this profession are highly
valued, it is not always enough when you

are expected to adhere to complicated
regulations and it is up to those users of
labelling solutions to ensure you have
the correct knowledge to perform tasks
to a good enough standard. Therefore,
using solutions that come with ready
made templates that are kept up to date
means that users of labels shouldn’t be
faced with the same challenges that they
may have had in the past.

Remember, cabling
is complex
Remember that the size and scope
of cabling can very also vary, making
it a very complex system to navigate.
From households to huge industrial
infrastructures such as factories, data
centres, offices and airports, each space
presents its own individual challenges
that need to be correctly managed. As
one might expect, the bigger and more
complex the infrastructure, the more
important cable management becomes.
Be sure that you understand and feel
prepared to deal with different scenarios.
At the beginning of any project for an
installer, labelling will no doubt play a
vital role. And whilst you be an expert
in your field, you may not be aware of
every solution to identify and navigate
the mass of cables you are working with.
For example, you may be faced with
crossed wires or different surfaces that
all need to be labelled and may not have
originally considered the implications.
You may also arrive on a job and find
additional complications to a cabling
system that you had not anticipated. As
a result, you may feel unprepared to deal
with the problems at hand.
It is easy to forget just how
important the role of labelling quality
plays when thinking about cable
management. No matter how big or
small the scenario, providing accurate
labelling systems is a habit that cannot
be overlooked. Make sure you are
certified and properly trained and be
fully aware of the different complexities
of managing cabling infrastructure. This
will ensure you are equipped to address
every challenge efficiently and in a way
that is cost effective.

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