The lanyard, that little bit of cord around the neck of nearly every professional, actually has a bit of an interesting history. It started with the military to attach important items which could be easily lost to the individual, most often a weapon or a whistle for signalling. From functional, the lanyard became more ornamental on the military uniform. This is by no means the only example of a lanyard, nearly any sort of tether or pull cord used in business and industry is technically referred to as a lanyard.
Many organizations require a special identification badge for employees as a security measure. A custom lanyard with the company name or logo is often issued to new employees for wear along with the identification badge as part of the required dress code while on shift for the organization. Lanyards also commonly hold nametags, event tickets, or any other token which needs to be readily visible. A individualized custom lanyard can give that employee chafing under a tight dress code a half inch by 20 inches worth of personality he or she so craves.
There are certain items that can’t be lost at work, for fear of thier work being unable to continue. Keys, security authenticators, and thumbdrives are among these items. If the item can’t afford to be lost, a lanyard should be used by the employee for it. A lanyard enables an employee to keep up with crucially important items without being required to pay constant attention to the item. Expensive and fragile items are also protected from fear of breakage by dropping it by the use of a lanyard.
Lanyards also play a very important role in safety in industrial environments. They often serve as handles for a kill switch around a dangerous piece of machinery so as to stop the equipment if the wearer becomes incapacitated and thus pulls the pin from the switch. This same mechanism is used in dangerous vehicles as well. Interestingly, the string on a cannon, which is triggered the same way, is a lanyard.
Now that it’s been brought up there’s barely a day that goes by without coming across a lanyard being used in a business or industrial setting. Such a simple little cord with so many different things riding on it. From identification, to physical security, industrial safety, and protecting expensive equipment from taking a fall, the simple lanyard does it.
Irida Sangemino is a skilful, intercontinental editor, PR specialist and SEO copywriter. She is known for her special style, which she freely displays through many well-researched articles. She writes about a variety of topics, lanyards and extraordinary sites, such as OrderLanyards.com.