Ansi A13.1 1996
Ansi A13.1 1996
Ansi A13.1 1996
ADOPTION NOTICE
ANSI-Al3.1, "Piping Systems, Scheme for the Identification
Of," was adopted on October 3, 1994 for useby the
Department of Defense (DoD). Proposed changes by DoD
activities must be submitted to theDoD Adopting Activity:
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DoD activities may obtain copiesof this standard from the
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Building 4D, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094. The private
sector and other Government agenciesmay purchase copies
from the American National Standards Institute,11 West 42nd
Street, New York, NY 10036.
FSC 4710
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENTA. Approved for public release;
distribution is unlimited.
Erratum
to
ASME A13.1-1996
Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems
On page 3, in Table 3, underthethird column, Size of Letters B, (in.), penultimate entry revised. The
complete table appears below.
TABLE 3
SIZE OF LEGEND LETTERS
Outside Diameter SizeLength of Color of
of Pipe Letters
or Covering A B
L3396E
A N
A M E R I C A N
N A T I O N A L
S T A N D A R D
This Standard will be revised when the Society approves the issuance of a
new edition. There will be no addenda issued to ASME A13.1-1996.
This code or standard was developed under procedures accredited as meeting the criteria for
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Copyright Q 1997 by
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
All Rights Reserved
Printed in U.S.A.
S T D * A S M E A L 3 - L - E N G L L77b 0 7 5 9 h 7 0 0 5 7 9 2 5 8 712
ASME A13.1-1996
Following approval by the ASME A13 Committee and ASME, after public review, this
ASME A13.1-1996 was approved by the AmericanNational Standards Institute on August
13.1996.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
ASME A 13.1- 1996 consists of A 13.1- 1981, as well as the following additional changes.
The changes given below are identified on the page by a margin note (96), placed on the
affected area. The pages not listed do not contain changes.
This is a revision of the Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems, originally affirmed (96)
in 1928, reaffirmed in 1945, revised in 1956, revised in 1975, revised in 1981, reaffirmed in
1985 and 1993, and revised in 1996.
Shortly after the turn of the century, with the resultant industrial expansion, it became ap-
parent that some scheme should bedevisedto identify piping. In 1908, an article on
“Identification of Power House Piping by Colors” was read at a meeting of The American
Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1909, an article called “Standard Colors for Power Station
Piping” was read at the meeting of the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies.
. In 1920, the National Safety News pointed out the need for a color scheme for pipe lines,
and the following year several papers were published and reports made to various committees,
notably the Prime Movers Committee of the National Electric Light Association, The American
Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the U. S. Navy Department which actually wrote its spec-
ifications.
In the meantime, many large companies compiled their own scheme with no thought to stan-
dardization of pipe colors, even in their own plants. When personnel were shifted, accidents
could and did happen.
The organization of the Sectional Committee on the Identification of Piping Systems, under (96)
the procedure of theAmerican Standards Association (now called the American National
Standards Institute, Inc.), took place on June 14, 1922.
On August 23, 1950, the committee was reorganized to investigate the possibility of a revi-
sion to the standard. It was felt that a revision was necessary because of the tremendous num-
ber of different materials being carried in pipes. After many meetings and much discussion, this
revision of American Standard, Scheme for Identification of Piping Systems, was approved by
the sectional committee and sponsors. Itwasthen presented to the American Standards
Association (now called the American National Standards Institute, Inc.) for approval and des-
ignation as an American Standard. This was granted on January 27, 1956.
In the late 1960’s the committee began discussions on the possibility of revising the .1956
Standard. These discussions continued for a number of years, eventually resulting in approval
by the American NationalStandards Institute, Inc. and the secretariat. Approval by the American
National Standards Institute, Inc. and designation as an American National Standard was ob-
tained on November 16, 1981.
This latest edition of A13.1 was approved by the American National Standards Institute on (96)
August 13, 1996.
Suggestions for improvement of this revision will be welcomed. They should be sent to The
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, United Engineering Center, 345 East 47th Street,
New York, N.Y., 10017.
...
111
OFFICERS
R. L. Fisk, Chair
J. M . Mrozek, Vice Chair
M. R. Aranzamendez, Secretary
COMMITTEE PERSONNEL
T. G. Corbett, FCI Sandstone
R. L. Fisk, Seton Name Plate Corp.
J. M. Mrozek, Brady USA, Inc.
F. P. Miller, Mission Operation Maintenance, Inc.
A. Mukherjee, Kuwait Oil Co.
G. B. Stanton, American Hazard Control Consultants
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...
111
Standards Committee Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
2 DefinitionsandReferences
2.1 Piping Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2.2 Materials
InherentlyHazardous ................................... 1
2.3 Materials of Inherently Low Hazard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2.4 Fire Quenching Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2.5 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3 Method of Identification
3.1 Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3.2 Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3.3 Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3.4 Type and Sizeof Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3.5 Unusual or Extreme Situations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure
1 ................................................................ 2
Tables
1 Examples of Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Classification of Hazards of Materialsand Designation of Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3 Size of Legend Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
vii
Schemes for identification of the contents of piping systems have beendeveloped in the past
by a large number of industrial plants and organizations of various kinds. Generally speaking,
the standards arrived atin individual cases may have given satisfaction to those using them but
they also may have suffered from a lack of uniformity. Numerous injuries to personnel and
damage to property have occurred because of mistakes made in turning valves on, or discon-
necting pipes at the wrong time or place, particularly when outside agencies, such as munici-
pal fire departments, were called in to assist. Furthermore, there has been considerable confu-
sion in the minds of those who change employment from one plant to another.
In order to promote greater safety, lessen the changes of error, confusion, or inaction, espe-
cially in times of emergency, a uniform systemfor the identificationof piping contents has been
established to warn personnel when the piping contents are inherently hazardous. Therefore,
while this Standard has been prepared to specify the identification of thecontents of piping sys-
tems on the basisof legends, it also suggests the use ofcolor as a supplementary means ofiden-
tifying the type of hazard of the material contained in the system.
ix
1 OBJECT AND SCOPE cludes materials known as fire producers or those creat-
ing an explosive atmosphere.
1.I This Standard is intended to establish a common sys-
tem to assist in identification of hazardous materials con- 2.2.2 Chemically Active or Toxic. This classifi-
veyed in piping systems and their hazards when released cation includes materials which are corrosive, or are in
in the environment. themselves toxic or productive of poisonous gases.
3.3 Visibility
3 METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION Attention shall be given to visibility with reference to
3.1 Legend pipe markings. Where pipelines are located above or be-
low the normalline of vision, thelettering shall be placed
This Standard considers legend to be primary and ex- below or above the horizontal centerline of the pipe.
plicit for identification of contents. Positive identification
of the contents of a piping system shall be by lettered
legend giving the name of the contents in full or abbre- 3.4 Type and Size of Letters
viated form (see Table 1). Arrows shall be used to indi- Contrast shall be provided betweencolor field and leg-
cate direction of flow. Contents shall be identified by leg- end for readability. Table 2 gives recommendations for
end with sufficient additional details such as temperature, color of legend on various color fields covered in this
pressure, etc., as are necessary to identify the hazard. Standard. Use of letters of standard style,' in sizes 1/2
Legend shall be brief, informative, pointed, and sim- in. (13 mm) and larger, is recommended. Refer to Table
ple for greatest effectiveness. Legends shall be applied 3 for specific size recommendations. For identification
close to valves or flanges and adjacent to changes in di- of materials in pipes of less than 3/4 in. (19 mm) in di-
rection, branches, and where pipes pass through wallsor ameter, and for valve and fitting identification, the use
floors; and at intervals on straight pipe runs sufficient for of a permanently legible tag is recommended.
identification. Identification may be accomplished by
stenciling, the use of tape, or markers. In any situation,
the number and location of identification markers shall
be based on the particular piping system. (See Fig. 1.) ' Sans serif gothic bold lettering provides high readability.
FIG. 1
G
DENTIFICATION
OF THE FOR
SCHEME A13.1-1996
TABLE 2
CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDS OF MATERIALS AND
DESIGNATION OF COLORS’
Color of
Color Letters
Classification Field for Leaend
Materials Inherently Hazardous
Flammable or Explosive Yellow Black
Chemically Active or Toxic Yellow Black
Extreme Temperatures or Pressures Yellow Black
Radioactive* Yellow Black
Materials of Inherently Low Hazard
Liquid
Admixture3
or Liquid Green White
Gas or Gaseous Admixture Blue White
Fire Quenching Materials
Foam, Water, COz, Halon, etc. Red White
(96) NOTES:
(1) When the color scheme above is used, the colors shouldbe as recommended in ANSI 2535.1
latest revision, Safety Color Code.
(2) Previously specified radioactive markers using yellow and purple are acceptable if already
installed and/or until existing supplies are depleted, subject to pertinent Federal Regulations.
(3) Markers with black letters on a green color field are acceptable if already installed and/or
until existing supplies are depleted.
3.5 Unusual or Extreme Situations achieve positive identification. Use of substitute tech-
niques shall be limited to such segments and shall not de-
Whenthe piping layout creates or occurs in a limited viate from the concept of identification described in 3.1,
area of inaccessibility or of extreme complexity, such “Legend,” 3.2, “Color,” and Table 2, “Classification of
segments of layouts mayrequire substitute techniques to Hazards of Materials and Designation of Colors.”