Today, we will be analyzing the colors applied to the industrial sector, and specifically those that cover the pipes and channels through which different fluid types circulate. Do you know any of these colors? Is it really important to know what they are? Next, we will solve these questions and provide you with some valuable information in this regard.
Why are pipes painted different colors?
The use of colors to cover objects is something that we tend to automatically associate with the beautification of its surface in order to increase visibility and make it more attractive. However, when it comes to painting certain surfaces in the industrial sector, as is the case of pipes, the purpose goes beyond a purely aesthetic function, since the color used in each pipe is intended to facilitate the identification of the fluid that runs through its interior to allow for the following aspects:
- To carry out the correct maintenance of the installation, avoiding confusion.
- To optimize fire fighting by allowing for the seamless identification of pipes that carry flammable fluids to stop the passage, and which may be used to extinguish the fire.
- To Indicate dangers and hazards.
The DIN 2403 standard was created to unify identification, standardize the colors used and eliminate any interpretation that could lead to error.
DIN 2403 standard
The DIN 2403 standard standardizes the color of each unburied pipe through which fluids circulate. The colors used are divided into ten groups, numbered from 0 to 9. Each group has a color with a particular RAL code that takes into account that some groups may also be covered or identified by means of another additional color. Other aspects normalized by this standard are the following:
- Next to the specific color for each pipe, the following must be identified: the name, code or chemical formula of the fluid and an arrow indicating the direction that follows the fluid during its circulation.
- Marking is included for every ten meters of pipe, so that it is clear, indelible and covers the entire circumference of it.
- The font used for the text included depends on the color of the pipe and the marking used, the colors used being black and white.
- When the circulating fluid is hazardous, the channeling must be accompanied by the respective indications about it in points considered operational or hazardous.
- This supplementary identification is carried out using posters, sheets and/or self-adhesive tapes.
Colors used to paint pipes that carry fluid
The groups contemplated by the DIN 2403 standard, and the colors used in each of them are those expressed in the following table:
The color used as an identifier
In the industrial sector, the use of colors facilitates the identification of certain facilities and risk factors, including those related to the circulation of fluids through unburied pipes. This allows for employees to quickly and seamlessly identify the type of fluid they are working with, in order to be informed, to optimize certain maintenance work or to save time in dangerous and emergency situations. All this visual information translates into higher levels of safety and lower accident rates.
