ANSI color codes help identify hazards and safety equipment. Red, orange, and yellow signal dangers, green indicates safety and first aid, while blue denotes non-critical information.
In workplace safety applications, these standardized colors make it easier for employees and visitors to quickly recognize hazards, instructions, and emergency resources. They also create consistency across signs, labels, tags, and equipment, helping workers understand the general purpose of a message before reading its details.
The ANSI
ANSI is a nonprofit that coordinates U.S. voluntary standards, representing over 270,000 organizations and 30 million professionals.
One of the ways it has worked to achieve its goals is through ANSI Z535.1-2022, more easily remembered as the American National Standard for Safety Colors. This is a collection of colors with a set of intended meanings meant to be easily distinguished from one another.
ANSI Z535.1 establishes a uniform system for specifying safety colors and works alongside the other standards in the ANSI Z535 series, which address areas such as facility safety signs, product safety signs, labels and temporary safety tags. The 2022 edition also harmonizes its safety-color system with ISO 3864-4.
ANSI specifies safety colors with precise ink formulations and corresponding PANTONE® references:
- Red: PANTONE 186 C.
- Orange: PANTONE 151 C.
- Yellow: PANTONE 109 C.
- Green: PANTONE 335 C.
- Blue: PANTONE 285 C.
- Purple: PANTONE 259 C.
These references help organizations reproduce colors consistently rather than relying on subjective descriptions such as “bright red” or “dark green.” For example, safety green is specifically PANTONE 335 C. For multilingual teams who might be researching "colores ANSI," the same standardized color system can provide a common visual reference even when written safety communications appear in different languages.
ANSI Safety Colors vs. ANSI Terminal Colors
The phrase ANSI red can have different meanings depending on the context. In workplace safety, ANSI red refers to the standardized safety color associated with danger, stopping and fire-related applications. In computing, “ANSI colors” can instead refer to escape sequences used to change text colors in command-line terminals. These are separate systems, so workplaces choosing colors for physical signs, labels, equipment or safety communication should follow the applicable ANSI Z535 safety standards rather than terminal color codes.
Common Use Cases
ANSI’s safety colors don’t have singular meanings. Rather, each color defines a group of potential meanings, allowing a person to determine, at a glance, how noteworthy the sign or warning is and often, through context, better understand the purpose of the sign or warning.
Color is only one part of effective safety communication. Workers should still read the wording, symbols and instructions on a sign or label to understand the specific hazard and the action they should take.
The common use cases for these different colors are as follows:
Red
Red signals critical safety equipment and significant dangers, marking stop buttons, fire equipment, flammable liquid containers, and barricade lights.
ANSI red is therefore one of the most immediately recognizable safety colors. On ANSI-style safety signs, red is also associated with the DANGER signal word for hazards that can result in death or serious injury if they are not avoided.
Orange
Orange marks areas with potential hazards, often machinery or energized equipment, where caution is required due to moving parts or hot surfaces.
Orange can help distinguish warnings about serious hazards from the more general cautionary conditions commonly associated with yellow. It is frequently encountered around machinery, electrical equipment, and other areas where workers need to recognize a potentially dangerous condition before proceeding.
Yellow
Yellow represents specific hazards and generally designates that one should be cautious in a given area. It marks falling, tripping and striking hazards and more.
Yellow is commonly associated with cautionary conditions, reinforcing its role as a visual signal for situations that require attention and care.
Green
Green indicates safety and emergency equipment; like first aid kits, eyewash stations, exits, and muster points.
This makes green fundamentally different from red, orange, and yellow, which are used primarily to draw attention to hazards. Businesses can support green category workplace preparedness through properly stocked first aid and workplace safety supplies.
Blue
Blue communicates non-safety information, such as out-of-order signs or general instructions, and serves an administrative role.
It can be useful for notices, policies or other information that employees should know but that does not identify an immediate risk of personal injury.
Purple
Purple is used to indicate radiation hazards and is typically found on warning signs, tags, or labels for radioactive materials.
This specialized use helps employees distinguish radiation-related warnings from more common workplace hazard colors.
Applying ANSI Colors in the Workplace
Understanding the meaning of each color is only the first step. Facilities should use safety colors consistently across signs, tags and labels so employees do not receive conflicting visual cues. The message, safety symbol and location of the sign should reinforce the meaning of the color rather than forcing workers to rely on color alone.
Safety colors are particularly useful in facilities where workers regularly interact with machinery, electrical equipment, chemicals, fire protection equipment or emergency resources. They can also support training by giving employees a repeatable visual system for recognizing hazards and locating safety equipment. Employees working around traffic, equipment or other low-visibility environments may also require high-visibility clothing that meets applicable ANSI requirements. Employers should evaluate the standards and regulations that apply to their particular workplace, since ANSI safety colors are one component of a broader workplace safety program.
Conclusion
In many industries, understanding ANSI color codes should be considered essential. It helps individuals immediately recognize what to pay attention to. These colors are also a standard adopted across the U.S., it’s helpful to understand these colors in general, not just as related to your specific industry.
Consistent use of safety colors can help make hazards, instructions and emergency resources easier to recognize throughout a facility. Red, orange and yellow primarily draw attention to hazards, while green and blue help communicate safety resources and informational messages. Color should work together with clear wording, symbols, employee training and the other safety measures required for the work being performed.
At Alsco Uniforms, we can help you stay in compliance with both ANSI/ISEA and OSHA standards. If you want to learn more, read about our health and safety services. We can make sure your team has flame-resistant uniforms, high-visibility clothing, first aid cabinets and other materials that meet OSHA and ANSI/ISEA standards. We also offer comprehensive facility services like floorcare, restroom supplies, and cleaning chemicals. Reach out to us today to learn more.
References
About ANSI. American National Standards Institute Inc.
American National Standard for Safety Colors. (2022). ANSI Z535.1-2022. American National Standards Institute/National Electrical Manufacturers Association
What Are ANSI Color Codes? Brimar Industries LLC.
ANSI Z535.1 — Safety Colors in Focus. (July 2023). Same Page Publishing.