The common color convention
These are the colors most Massachusetts warehouses and plants use:
- Yellow: aisles, traffic lanes and work cells
- White: equipment, racks and fixtures
- Green: materials and components, finished goods
- Blue: raw materials and work in progress
- Red: defects, scrap and fire equipment areas
- Black-and-white stripes: areas to keep clear
- Red-and-white stripes: areas that must stay clear for safety or compliance
- Black-and-yellow stripes: physical hazards
Line widths
Aisle lines are commonly 2 to 6 inches wide. OSHA guidance calls for aisle markings at least 2 inches wide, and many facilities choose 4 inches for visibility.
Paint vs. tape
Epoxy and urethane paints outlast tape under forklift traffic. Tape is useful for layouts that change often. We help you pick based on traffic and how often layouts move.
Frequently asked questions
Does OSHA require specific floor colors?
OSHA requires red for fire equipment and yellow for caution, and requires aisles to be marked. Beyond that, facilities choose a consistent system.
Can you stripe while we're operating?
Yes. We stripe in zones, nights or weekends so production keeps running.
How long does floor epoxy take to cure?
Usually 12 to 24 hours before forklift traffic, depending on the product.
Related services
Want this handled for you?
Boston Line Striping stripes commercial lots across Greater Boston with fixed written pricing and overnight crews.