Pipe Color Code Standard and Piping Color Codes Chart

Color coding of pipelines and piping materials are standard industry practices.  Color marking will make identification easier for raw material and fluid that is being transported by the pipe. There are various national and international Pipe Color Code Standards available. (I have used both British and American versions to spell color/colour)

1. ASME/ANSI A13.1 – Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems
2. BS 1710 – Specification for Identification of Pipelines and Services
3. IS 2379 – Pipelines Identification Colour Code
4. PFI ES-22 – Recommended Practice for Color Coding of Piping Materials

Color Coding of Piping Material – PFI ES-22

Why the color coding of piping material?

Various grades of carbon steel, alloy steel, and stainless steel are used during construction and fabrication. To avoid mixing of this material and easy storing and retrieving in the warehouse, piping components such as pipe, fittings, flanges, and valves are color coded.

Most companies have their own color coding system. Pipe Fabrication Institute (PFI) Standard ES-22 provides Piping Materials color coding requirements for the most commonly used piping material grades. It also provides guidance on marking location of piping components.

Refer to below images for the color band location on piping components.

Color Code for Pipe Material Identification – PFI Standard ES-22 -1999

Carbon Steel Material

High Yield Carbon Steel

Low Alloy Materials

Ferritic and Martensitic Stainless Steels

Austenitic Stainless Steels

Nickel Based Alloys

Color Coding of Pipeline and Piping Identification

Oil and Gas Industries, Process industries are complex installations. Piping systems are used in these plants to transport various fluids. These pipelines transport various industrial materials such as gases such as Air, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Hydrogen, etc., liquids such as water, acids, hydrocarbon, toxic materials, etc.

Identifying the material pipeline transporting without a proper pipe color code is extremely difficult. Systematic color coding of pipelines and piping systems is essential to reduce the safety hazard and the possibility of mistakes in identification and accidents associated with the wrong identification of pipelines during an emergency situation. Uniformity of color marking promotes greater safety, lessens the chances of error, and reduces hazards in handling material inside the pipelines.

National and international standards provide the guidelines for uniform color coding in industries that are used to color code of pipes to identify.

• ASME A13.1 – Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems
• BS 1710 – Specification for Identification of Pipelines and Services
• IS 2379 – Pipelines Identification Colour Code

These standard uses different color code methodology to identify the pipe material. They use a base color, band color, letters, and direction arrow to identify fluid inside the pipeline.

ANSI/ASME A13.1 – Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems

The purpose of the ASME/ANSI A13.1 Standard is to establish a common system that assists in the identification of hazardous materials conveyed in piping systems and their hazards when released into the environment.

ASME A13.1 – 2015 edition has six fixed colors, and four users define colors that can be used to identify hazardous material. In this standard, the following categories are used;

1. Flammable – Fluids or vapor or produce vapors that can be ignited and continue to burn in air.
2. Combustible – Fluids that can burn, but are not flammable.
3. Oxidizing – Oxidizing fluid is any gas or liquid that may, generally by providing oxygen, cause or contribute to the combustion of other material more than air does.
4. Toxic and Corrosive – Fluids that are corrosive or toxic, or will produce corrosive or toxic substances when released.
5. Fire Quenching – Fluid Such as water, foam, and CO2 used in sprinkler systems and firefighting piping systems.

Size of Label and Letters as per ASME B13.1-2015

BS 1710 – Specification for Identification of Pipelines and Services

BS1710 uses two types of colour coding to identify the content of pipe and hazard.

1. Base colour – Base colours are used to indicate the content inside the pipe.
2. Safety colours – These colours are used as band colours that applied in conjunction with the base pipe color code to create various service identifiers.

Other than colour code, additional information regarding the nature of the contents of the pipe by using the following systems either individually or in combination:

1. Name in full
2. Abbreviation of name
3. Chemical symbol and
4. Appropriate code indications or code colour bands

Size of Label as per BS 1710 -2014

1. When Only Basic Identification Color Used

2. Basic identification colour with code and/or safety colours

IS 2379 – Pipelines Identification Colour Code

IS 2379 is Indian Standard for the colour coding requirements. It is quite comprehensive and a little complex as compared to BS and ASME standards. IS 2379 is more in line with BS 1710. It used the ground colour, band colour, and letter labeling to identify fluid content and associated hazards.

This standard covers piping systems that include pipes of any kind and in addition fittings, valves, and pipe coverings. Supports, brackets, or other accessories are excluded from this standard. This standard is not applicable to pipelines buried underground or used for electrical services.

Refer to the table for the ground colour that used in pipeline marking.

Size of Label and Letters as per IS 2379 – 1990 (Reaffirmed 2006)

Commonly used Pipe Color Code As per Is 2379

Location of the color band and Labels

Coloring and identification labels on the pipe should apply in such a way that is clearly visible from all the approaches, especially when pipes are overhead. ASME B13.1 and IS 2379 provide guidance on the positions of the labeling.  Refer to the table below for the general guideline provided in the standards.

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