S1 E11 Understanding OSHA Safety Color Standards Artwork

Mighty Line Minute with Dave Tabar - Talking Safety Codes & Standards, Music, and Business Innovation

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Mighty Line Minute with Dave Tabar - Talking Safety Codes & Standards, Music, and Business Innovation

S1 E11 Understanding OSHA Safety Color Standards

October 28, 2026 • Dave Tabar • Season 1 • Episode 11

0:00 | 3:06

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What does OSHA actually require when it comes to workplace safety colors? In this episode of Mighty Line Minute, Dave explores OSHA’s color requirements for physical hazards, machinery, fire protection equipment, safety signs, tags, and high-visibility garments. He also explains why OSHA doesn’t cover everything you need to know about safety colors and introduces additional standards to be discussed in upcoming episodes.

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We commonly think of color from what we know or what we see. Think about red for flammable liquid storage cans, gasoline containers, or red for stop signs, yellow for yield signs. Also, the color green used for medical oxygen and medical oxygen tanks. But then we get into the workplace, and in the work environment, oftentimes people wonder, what does OSHA require?

Or oftentimes we see things that use this OSHA color. Is it really an OSHA color? We're going to talk about that for a moment and what OSHA does say about color. One of the most common areas where OSHA requires a color is that in 1910.144 involving the use of hazardous equipment and machinery. There it refers to the use of red for the color of stop buttons, stop devices, and stop bars for such machinery.

And in that same section, OSHA also requires that red be used for certain fire protection equipment. Examples include fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguishers, and other fire protection equipment. OSHA says the following about the color yellow: yellow shall be the basic color for designating caution and for marking physical hazards such as striking against, stumbling, falling, tripping, and caught in between.

And if you look deep enough, for example, 1910.261, which is pulp and paperboard mills, you'll see that yellow is required for booms on cranes. And if you move back further into Subpart J, which is general environmental controls, you'll find recommendations from OSHA for signs and tags. Some of those are as follows.

Danger signs and tags, red background with white lettering. Caution signs, safety instruction signs, green background with white lettering, with additional information on a white background with black lettering. Exit signs, directional signs. For hand signaling or flaggers, there are specific colors required to be worn.

For example, orange, yellow, or strong yellow-green in a vest or shirt or jacket. And for nighttime work, such garments might also include a reflective white or gray in addition to the reflective requirements for evening use. Biological hazard signs or tags require fluorescent orange or orange-red background with contrasting lettering.

While you won't find much from OSHA to help you in the area of compressed gas cylinder coloring, you can go to the Compressed Gas Association and get their viewpoint on what colors should be involved. Next week, we'll get into the ANSI safety standard for color. That's an important area for all of us to spend some time on because you won't find all that you need to know in OSHA, but you will find it here.

And in the meantime, take a look at MightyLineTape.com for your use of color as it relates to floor striping and signage. Take care and have a safe day!