How To Implement Color Coding 

Implementing a successful color-coding plan requires careful planning. Here are a few guidelines to help your facility make the best plan to fit your needs. 

Color-Coded Plan Definition: A strategy for a plant or business that designates certain colors for a specific area or purpose designed to promote safety and cleanliness. 

Industries That Benefit from Color Coding

• Food Manufacturing & Processing
• Meat Processing
• Seafood Processing
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing 
• Brewing
• Health Care
• Cleaning & Sanitization  

 Reasons to Color Code

• Ensures tools stay in proper place
• Helps meet FDA and HAACP requirements 
• Reduces pathogens & allergens contamination
• Easy to understand
• Creates a culture that holds employees accountable 
• Long term money saving 

Example Plans

Allergen/Potential Contaminant Distinction   Facilities that handle common allergens are at a higher risk for contamination issues. Food manufacturing and processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, If you haven’t already, you need to implement color coding to be sure that all employees are only handling certain tools around these areas.  

Any plant that handles chemicals and food should have a color-coding plan in place. Chemicals present a high-risk for food manufacturers and incorporating a color-coding plan can help to reduce risk for contamination.

Zone Distinction  

Many larger facilities, particularly manufacturing facilities have designated areas or zones sectioned by step in the production process or by product. It is very popular to designate colors to zones to differentiate tools and cleaning supplies that belong to each zone. Depending on the difference between zones, this color coding of tools can help with everything from prevention of contamination between zones to proper organization and storage of tools by holding each zone accountable.

Similarly, health care centers often color-code by floors or wings.  

Shift Distinction 

Employing a large staff sometimes makes it difficult to hold people accountable for treating tools properly and for cleanup duties. It is a common practice to assign colors to shifts to encourage proper usage and storage of tools. In addition to adding this accountability measure for employees, this can help managers track excessive spending by identifying where they need to replace tools most often. 

Assembly Process Distinction 

Facilities that have any type of assembly process in place should consider color coding. This is especially important in food manufacturing and processing plants where these steps need to be kept separate.  

For example, meat processing facilities and kitchens often color code to distinguish raw meat from meat that is cooked.  

Cleaning Purpose Distinction 

For many facilities, there is a clear distinction between cleaning and sanitation procedures. Many facilities that are concerned with upholding high cleanliness standards choose to implement two-color coding to distinguish tools for cleaning and for sanitation.  

Color Coding Best Practices 

Keep plan simple 

A color coding plan works best when it is kept simple. If your facility only requires a two color plan, don’t implement a third just because you can. Keeping it simple helps everyone remember the plan and stick to it.  

Involve employees at all levels in planning process

Managers and workers in plants have very different perspectives of the daily operations in a facility. Therefore it’s important to have employees from all levels have a hand in the planning process. This ensures your plan will work for everyone from the start saving time and money in the long run. 

Contact color-coding manufacturers and distributors with questions 

Producers and distributors of color coding are a great resource if you run into any questions or concerns when developing your color-coding plan. 

Expand color coding to include all necessary tools 

You need to color code all of the tools possible according to your plan for the plan to be successful. Include items like color coding the racks the tools hang on. If you want encourage employees to follow procedure, they need to be able to follow it in all aspects of their daily job. If only some tools are color coded and others are not, procedures vary and may not be carried out properly. 

 Begin all color-coding at one time

A color-coding plan is only successful when rolled out all at once. Therefore there is no confusion. Be sure you have all tools in place before beginning.   

Provide ample training & signage on color coding plan 

Before expecting employees to follow a plan, adequate training needs to occur. Managers must communicate the meaning of the colors and all expectations for carrying out the plan on a daily basis. In addition, you will need to post signage around the facility that is readily visible to act as reminders. Depending on your facility, you may want to consider getting multi-lingual posters to ensure that all employees can read them.  

Reevaluate success of plan often

Plan to set aside time about every six months for the first couple of years to evaluate how the plan is working. If any issues are identified, consider modifying your plan. In addition, if any major changes occur at your facility, you should revisit your color coding plan to see if it the way it currently exists still makes sense for the needs of the plant.