A different electrical question

[NB Alnwick]

Back in the 1960s, when I served my apprenticeship with English Electric (and 240v mains cables were coloured: red for live, black for neutral and green for earth), we were taught that all high voltage electrical equipment (i.e. circuit breakers, switchgear, fuse-box covers, removable plugs, conduit etc.) in engine rooms should be identified by being painted orange. Was this just a company tradition or was it an official standard?

 

What colour (if any) should be used to identify this equipment these days?

[Guest]

In the factory where I served my time, we too used to paint all electrical fittings, conduits, trunking etc orange. I have seen it done in other establishments, but not in recent years.

[international_boatbuilder]

Back in the 1960s, when I served my apprenticeship with English Electric (and 240v mains cables were coloured: red for live, black for neutral and green for earth), we were taught that all high voltage electrical equipment (i.e. circuit breakers, switchgear, fuse-box covers, removable plugs, conduit etc.) in engine rooms should be identified by being painted orange. Was this just a company tradition or was it an official standard?

 

What colour (if any) should be used to identify this equipment these days?

 

Hi Graham & Jane,

Sorry I can't answer the question directly, I served my electrical engineering apprenticeship in a chemical factory in the late 70's. The recollection I have of painted electrical systems i.e. conduit was coloured red for fire alarms... also pyro or micc cable was served in red pvc for fire alarms. The general colour for the pvc on pyro was and probably still is orange, though where we used it in offices away from the industrial areas we used bare copper sheath .

 

Cheers Roger

[Yoda]

Orange was the standard colour for such things.

[NB Alnwick]

Orange was the standard colour for such things.

 

Indeed but does anyone know why?

[Guest]

Indeed but does anyone know why?

Think it was just a standard at the time. In the school where I work part time there seems to be a system still in place in the boiler room. Hot water is green IIRC and gas is yellow. Drinking water is blue I think.

Fire extinguishers where once all colour coded; co2 was black, water blue etc. Conveniently they all seem to be red now with a farting little label on them, which is just the job when you haven't got your readers on and you are trying to tackle a fire. It is called progress.

[Split Pin]

The requirement for colour coding probably started in the chemical process industry. It is now covered by a European directive,after a good search I found this which seems to cover most. http://www.neutron.co.za/pipes.htm.

 

Steve

Edited February 16, 2009 by Split Pin