KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- OSHA guidelines use specific colors — primarily red, yellow, and orange — to communicate different levels and types of risk in industrial environments.
- ZonePro barriers can be fully customized to align with these OSHA-recommended colors and display industry-specific warnings that clearly communicate hazards to employees.
- Red is used to signal danger, fire equipment, emergency actions, prohibited behaviors, and requirements like protective-gear use.
- Yellow indicates caution around tripping hazards, chemicals, and other situations that require heightened awareness, while orange highlights machinery or areas that pose crushing or entanglement risks.
- For more general needs, ZonePro also offers standard mesh barriers with bilingual “Area Temporarily Closed” messaging, ensuring visibility and clarity across diverse workforces.
Economical and effective, Safety barriers are an essential risk management tool for any warehouse, factory, or manufacturing facility. They not only minimize accidents by restricting access to hazardous areas but can also signal specific dangers to employees via color and messaging. At ZonePro®, we offer game-changing safety barriers that can be fully customized to the specific needs of your industry.
Did you know, for example, that the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) recommends using certain colors — the main ones being red, yellow, and orange — for different risks? According to OHSA guidelines, red represents danger and signals the need to halt. Items associated with fire (extinguishers, alarms, hoses, etc.) are usually red, as are emergency signs and buttons. Red is also used to prohibit actions (“No Entry” and “Do Not Touch” are common) and show a safety requirement, such as the need to wear protective gear.
Yellow, on the other hand, calls for caution and is often used around tripping hazards or spills. For example, yellow signs are often placed near wet floors. Yellow can also be used to signal the storage of potentially harmful chemicals and remind team members to wear protective gear such as goggles. Similarly, orange highlights potential dangers. Machines with parts that can trap or crush are frequently marked with orange. The color is also used to delineate areas that pose a fall hazard.
At ZonePro, our fixed, mobile, and wide-aisle barriers can be fully customized to meet an OSHA-prescribed color and to incorporate messaging applicable to your industry. To date, our customers have opted for wording such as “High-Pressure Test In Progress,” “Danger,” “Welding In Progress,” and “Keep Exits Clear.” With a skilled graphic designer on staff, we can assist you with formatting your banner, or you can simply upload your own via our website.
If your needs are more generic, ZonePro also makes standard safety barriers in blue or orange mesh with clearly displayed, dual-sided safety messaging (“Area Temporarily Closed”) in English and Spanish. This bold, pliable material is unmissable in any warehouse or industrial setting. With the right safety barrier, most accidents can be avoided. Contact us today to see how ZonePro can make your workplace safer.