1910.144: Safety Color Code
Employers must use red as the basic color for identifying danger and stop, including red danger signs, red lights at barricades and temporary obstructions, and red emergency stop bars and buttons. Yellow is the basic color for caution and for marking physical hazards like striking against, stumbling, falling, tripping and "caught in between."
Key takeaways
- 1910.144 is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart J).
- OSHA cited it 59 times in the last 3 years, in 59 inspections, with $79,360 in current penalties.
- 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: NY (29), NJ (19), CT (2).
- Most-cited part: 1910.144(a) Color identification (59 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.144, "Safety color code for marking physical hazards", is an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart J). It has 8 numbered paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
Show the full text of 1910.144 (8 paragraphs)
(a) Color identification — Open (a) 59 citations
(1) Red. Red shall be the basic color for the identification of: 6 citations
(i) Fire protection equipment and apparatus. [Reserved]
(ii) Danger. Safety cans or other portable containers of flammable liquids having a flash point at or below 80 °F, table containers of flammable liquids (open cup tester), excluding shipping containers, shall be painted red with some additional clearly visible identification either in the form of a yellow band around the can or the name of the contents conspicuously stenciled or painted on the can in yellow. Red lights shall be provided at barricades and at temporary obstructions. Danger signs shall be painted red.
(iii) Stop. Emergency stop bars on hazardous machines such as rubber mills, wire blocks, flat work ironers, etc., shall be red. Stop buttons or electrical switches which letters or other markings appear, used for emergency stopping of machinery shall be red. 6 citations
(2) [Reserved]
(3) 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.” Open (a)(3) 53 citations
(b) [Reserved]
[39 FR 23502, June 27, 1974, as amended at 43 FR 49748, Oct. 24, 1978; 49 FR 5322, Feb. 10, 1984; 61 FR 9239, Mar. 7, 1996; 72 FR 71069, Dec. 14, 2007]
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15.
Export the list: 59 inspections cited 1910.144 in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moInjuries linked to this rule
1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.144.
On April 10, 2024, an employee working as a maintenance worker for a tire manufacturer was troubleshooting the pallet loading failures of the WIGWAG-1 line. Surveillance video showed the employee entering the machine through the discharge conveyor without performing lockout/tagout. Entering the machine required passing…
Where and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 25 |
| 2025 | 23 |
| 2026 | 9 |
Top states: NY (29), NJ (19), CT (2), PA (2), NC (2)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| LENAPE REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT | MEDFORD, NJ | $7,000 |
| MORRIS HILLS REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | ROCKAWAY BOROUGH, NJ | $6,000 |
| TOWNSHIP OF WOODBRIDGE BOARD OF EDUCATION - ADMINISTRATION BUILDING | WOODBRIDGE, NJ | $5,000 |
| COUNTY OF SALEM PUBLIC WORKS / ROAD DEPARTMENT | WOODSTOWN, NJ | $5,000 |
| NJ TRANSIT MORRIS GARAGE | DOVER, NJ | $4,900 |
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.144.
Most-cited parts of this rule
- 1910.144(a) Color identification 59 citations
- 1910.144(a)(3) Yellow 53 citations
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Frequently asked questions
What color are emergency stop buttons?
Red.
What is yellow used for?
Designating caution and marking physical hazards such as striking against, stumbling, falling, tripping and "caught in between."
How must flammable liquid safety cans be marked?
Cans of flammable liquids with a flash point at or below 80 F must be red with a yellow band or the contents name in yellow.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.144 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-06
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.