safety helmet color code

The safety helmet color code indicates clearly different job functions and responsibilities in an organization including yours. Really, it provides easy recognition.

Please read the following simple illustration.

A forklift driver wears a safety helmet while he is driving. A chemical plant operator also wears a safety helmet but in a different color. And a mechanical technician wears another different color safety helmet from the forklift driver and plant operator.

Easy to recognize them, huh?

It also helps you improve safety in the workplace. Suppose someone with inappropriate responsibility stands in a prohibited area can be seen clearly. So, you can take action immediately after seeing it.

However, it does not mean that there is only one safety helmet color code exists in the world.

Safety helmet color code standards might differ from one country to another. Even, a company can also determine a different safety helmet color code from another company in the same country.

Let’s see an example.

Red safety helmet color meaning is not the only one. In my company, a red safety helmet is worn by a general safety officer. In another company, such helmets are worn by firefighting team members only.

So, what safety helmet color code should you use?

Read the following information about the safety helmet color code from several sources. You can use the information to make your own safety helmet color standard.

 

Safety Helmet Color Code in Industries and Countries

Actually, there is no standard safety helmet color code for chemical or manufacturing industries. However, some government agencies in the US, i.e. United States Navy and DOT have established their own safety helmet color code standard.

OSHA does not establish safety helmet color code standards. Meanwhile, I could not find the same information from ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014 Industrial Head Protection Standard.

However, in general, the following safety helmet colors are used as common practice:

  • white: for the manager, engineer, foreman, supervisor, process operator
  • red: for safety officer, fire fighting team
  • green: for first aid team, safety inspector, new worker
  • blue: for general labor
  • yellow: for visitors
  • orange: for maintenance members, technicians, laboratory analyst
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For other industries and countries, you can see my search results.

Safety Helmet Color Code for Construction Sites

Build UK, a leading representative organization for the UK construction industry, formed by the September 2015 merger of the UK Contractors Group and the National Specialist Contractors Council, has released a safety helmet color code that states the following standards:

  • black: for supervisor
  • orange: for slinger or signaller
  • white: for the site manager, competent operative, vehicle Marshall
  • blue: for persons on site who do not fall into any of the other categories

Safety Helmet Color Code in India

Civilology.com mentions the following safety helmet color code that is applicable in Indian construction site:

  • white: for Managers, Engineers, Supervisors, and Foremen
  • blue: for Electricians, Carpenters, and other technical operators apart from civil workers
  • green: for Safety Officers
  • red: for Fire Fighters
  • yellow: for labor
  • brown: for Welders and workers with high heat application
  • grey: for site visitors

Safety Helmet Color Code in Malaysia

Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia, Department of Occupational Safety and Health, also does not mention standards for the safety helmet color. It just mentions that safety helmets shall be of high visibility for daytime work.

Safety Helmet Color Code in Singapore

There is one safety helmet color code I found that is applicable in factories (building operations and works of engineering construction) in Singapore.

According to the Singapore government rule, there are five color codes used:

  • white: for the owner, architect, engineer, and their site staff
  • white with red stripe: for the main contractor, site agent, foreman, and other site supervisors of the main contractor
  • yellow with red stripe: for sub-contractor and supervisory staff of sub-contractor
  • blue: for site safety supervisor and contractor safety supervisor
  • yellow: for other workers.