You Don't Have To Follow Standard Striping Colors -- But It Helps
Striping in a warehouse helps indicate certain conditions very quickly. Everything from mundane directions to urgent cautions can be telegraphed by one colored line on the floor. When setting up a striping system for a new warehouse, you can use whatever colors you want. However, you may want to follow conventions that other companies use simply because it's easier, and new employees will have less to learn as they navigate the new warehouse.
No Set Requirements for Striping Colors
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has requirements for striping width and aisle size, but it doesn't really set standards for what colors have to be used. If you want your striping to use different colors, you can do that. However, there are generally accepted colors plus an OSHA standard for colors indicating caution and fire danger overall. It makes sense to use the same colors for the striping in your warehouse because that's what people will expect to see.
Less Overwhelm for New Employees
One of the best reasons for using conventional colors, such as yellow for caution, red for danger, and so on, is that people tend to associate certain colors with certain issues. Red is often the "danger" color, so it makes no sense to use green to mark a safety-related boundary. When new workers join your facility, they'll already be faced with the huge task of learning all your rules. Don't add to the problem by using non-conventional colors for striping unless you have a very good reason and make it very clear which colors are used in which situations. Post extra signs if you use non-conventional colors.
Standards Often Set Based on Typical Usage
One more reason to use conventional striping colors is that, if OSHA does eventually set striping colors, the standards will likely be based on what people typically use. If people use red for fire-related things and danger, yellow for caution, and blue for delineating storage, for example, standards are likely to use those colors and definitions. If your warehouse differs, you'll have to redo all the striping.
Warehouse striping, especially if done with tape instead of paint, won't take that long. But you do want to get it right the first time. A paving company often offers commercial warehouses striping services, and the ones you talk to can show you the colors they have available. You'll have a relatively wide array of choices, including two-tone tape and paint patterns.
