Reduce the Risk of Labelling Mistakes – Part 2

Reduce the Risk of Labelling Mistakes – Part 2

In part one we saw that incorrectly printed labels are a leading cause of product recalls and lawsuits. A potential embarrassment for you, unhappy customers and something that antagonises regulators. This is part two – how to reduce labelling risks by checking proofs and label deliveries.

What you’re going to learn is how you can avoid these disasters and have confidence when you buy your labels.

3. Check Your Label Proofs to Reduce Labelling Risks

Once labels are printed they can’t be changed and you’ll need to live with the consequences. What might be an insignificant typo can turn into a compliance nightmare.

A label proof is a label prototype. It’s a accurate representation of what your label will look like when it’s printed. Comes in PDF or physical format.

Usually a proof checks two things – the text that appears on the label and the colours being printed.

Make sure the text is checked. Sounds easy enough, but when you’ve got lots of similar but different designs, it can be a risk factor. Where you have to meet compliance rules, a second pair of eyes is a good idea.

Colours are slightly more problematic. In these situations, a physical ‘wet proof’ is needed. You’ll need to wait for one to be couriered to you and it might cost money. Use a colour swatch to ensure it matches your brand colours.

We’ll check your designs first but, at the end of the day, you are responsible for signing off your proofs.

4. Check Your Label Delivery.

We take care of your labels with our packaging – bubble wrapping, quality box materials and tracked couriers, but things can and do go wrong.

Check the labels when they arrive. Make sure they’re not water damaged or eaten by rodents.

Some of our pharmaceutical clients even test print a sample of labels to ensure quality.

If problems are reported early we can fix them for you. If they’re left for months, it’s more difficult to fix the problem.

Relax, Enjoy Stress-Free Label Printing

Following these best practices will reduce your labelling risks and keep you free of unwanted regulator attention, embarrassing recalls and expensive legal cases.

Read part three to learn how to reduce risks during the printing process.

I’d love your feedback on this article. If you’ve got a moment to comment via email I’ll be able to make it better. info@expertlabels.co.uk

We are here to help. If you have a question, or you would like a would like to discuss with us, please get in touch. Email sales@expertlabels.co.uk or call us on 01359 271 111, we’d love to hear from you.

Useful Links

The Health & Safety Executive

Labelling represents more of a financial risk. Risk assessments can focus on economic losses. HSE have some useful risk assessment tools on their website here:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/steps-needed-to-manage-risk.htm

The Institute of Risk Management:

They provide resources and training to help organisations manage risk effectively.

Their website includes a large set of resources, though nothing I could find about labelling.

Website: https://www.theirm.org/

Last Updated: 27 Jul 2023