Safety Colours for Workplace Line Marking

Colour is useful only when people know what it means. A facility that uses the same colour for pedestrian paths, storage boundaries and hazards creates ambiguity even when every line is bright and new.

Create a site-specific legend

Start with the organisation’s risk assessment, traffic management plan, emergency arrangements, approved drawings and applicable standards. Define one meaning for each colour and document the rules for borders, fills, hatching, words and symbols.

Do not rely on colour alone. Combine it with shapes, text, signs, barriers or positioning so instructions remain understandable to people with colour-vision differences and where dirt, glare or lighting affects appearance.

Avoid common errors

• Copying a generic online palette without checking applicable requirements
• Adding new colours without updating inductions and site drawings
• Painting over obsolete lines instead of removing the conflicting message
• Using decorative brand colours for operational safety instructions
• Allowing stored goods or equipment to obscure critical zones

Control future changes

Keep the legend with the traffic plan and issue it to contractors before quoting. When operations change, update the plan first and the floor second. Record the coating and colour references used so maintenance does not introduce a near-match with a different meaning.

This guide provides planning principles, not a universal mandatory palette. Confirm current standards and regulator requirements for the particular application. Continue with workplace traffic management and floor marking.