It’s very tricky to navigate a construction zone when you’re unfamiliar with what is beneath your feet. Learning to mark and flag your job site for construction can prevent employees from making mistakes.
Ensure safety on a build site by understanding these marking flags.
What are marking flags & why do we use them?
Marking flags are smaller pieces of colored material that you stake into the ground on a construction site. Each color represents something different, so employees can quickly identify where things are, such as utility lines. We use these flags to help navigate a construction zone, warn operators of where elements are, and prevent unsafe practices.
What do the colors mean?
Each color represents a specific element or structure within the construction zone. Flags must be placed in the designated location to organize the work site and ensure safety. Look at what each color means.
- Red flags: electrical lines
- Yellow flags: underground pipes for natural gas
- Orange flags: communication lines
- White flags: mark the perimeter of the work site
- Blue flags: freshwater
- Green flags: sewer facilities
- Purple flags: reclaimed water
- Pink flags: temporary survey measurements
Mark the perimeter & place other flags
Before you begin any construction, the crew must mark the work zone to ensure everyone knows where things are underground. This gives a visible line of defense when workers cannot see what is below their feet—this can help prevent an operator in a large construction machine from digging in the wrong area of the job site.
Go around the perimeter of the work site and mark where the lot line ends. Furthermore, once you have a map of the piping and lines underground from the city, you can begin placing other colors of flags to indicate specific aspects of the construction. Keep these flags in place until you complete the project to avoid mistakes and hazards.
Marking and flagging your job site for construction is a crucial practice you should never ignore. While these flags seem tiny and unnecessary, they save companies from accidentally digging in the wrong locations due to the vibrant color of the flags, making them highly visible. Don’t forget to do this practice at your following build location to help establish safety.
