About Color Codes For Pipe Marking

As late as 2010, the procedure for color coding industrial pipes wasn’t mandatory. There were no municipal, state, or federal agencies that were mandating the way to color code pipes. In order to promote safety in the pipefitting industry, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which is a nonprofit organization that oversees the adherence, development, and creation of standards that impact companies, implemented a procedure of color coding pipes for recognition and consistency. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have both adopted ANSI standards for the color coding of pipes, with arrows to depict the direction of flow through the pipes and specific colors to indicate the contents of pipes.

Labels on pipes contain a color code and a legend. Basically, the legend offers a way to identify the contents of the pipe. It includes arrows that indicate the direction of the flow of the contents of the pipe and also clearly states the contents of the pipe. However, this legend is only helpful if the pipe label is close enough to be read. If the label is too far out of reach or too high up to be read, then a secondary method to identify the contents of the pipe is provided by its color. The color of the label will soon inform an individual if the pipe contents are a hazardous or flammable material. The ANSI standards ANSI/ASME A13.1-2007 promotes the worldwide adherence to the color coding of pipes by educating employees and businesses about its importance.

Black on orange labels indicates that the pipes contain toxic and corrosive, like ammonia, alkali, and acids.

White on red labels indicates that the pipes contain material that will retard fires. This may include gases such as carbon dioxide, liquids such as foam and water, and dry chemicals like potassium sulphate and potassium bicarbonate.

Although white on blue labels is reserved for gases like compressed air, they also indicate that the pipes contain a material that is considered a low hazard. .

White on green labels indicates that the pipes contain low hazard liquids. These are liquids such as potable water, storm drain water, and boiler feed water. In accordance with the standards ANSI/ASME A13.1-2007, the green and white designation also indicates that the pipes’ legend doesn’t have to specify the temperature, cold or hot, of the liquid any longer.

Black on yellow labels indicates that the pipes contain flammable or other extremely hazardous material. The liquids that flow through these pipes might be unstable, flammable, or even explosive under extreme pressure or temperatures. These are liquids such as chlorine, nitrogen, and some derivatives of hydrocarbons.