Safety orange

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (March 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Safety orange" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Safety Orange
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#FF7900
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(255, 121, 0)
HSV (h, s, v)	(28°, 100%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(66, 127, 28°)
Source	ANSI Z535
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Vivid reddish orange
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Safety orange (also known as blaze orange, vivid orange, OSHA orange, hunter orange, or Caltrans orange) is a hue used to set objects apart from their surroundings, particularly in complementary contrast to the azure color of the sky. (Azure is the complementary color of orange, and thus there is a stark contrast between the two colors.) The high-visibility color is commonly used for hunting during the rifle season and is also used for upland-bird hunting. Places such as construction sites use this orange to help ensure the safety of others.

ANSI standard Z535.1–1998 states how safety orange is defined in the following notation systems:

• Munsell notation:

5.0YR (hue) 6.0/15 (value/chroma)

• Approximate PMS (Pantone) Color (mixing directions):

13 parts yellow, 3 parts warm red, 1⁄4 part black

• Pantone number

152

• CIE Data:

x = 0.5510 y = 0.4214 Y% = 30.05

Note that this CIE color point is outside the gamut of common color spaces like sRGB or Adobe RGB.^{[citation needed]}

The closest CIE color point that is still in the sRGB gamut is x = 0.54091, y = 0.40869, Y% = 30.05, corresponding to the sRGB-255 coordinates (232, 118, 0).^[1]

The Adobe RGB color space is larger than the sRGB color space; the closest "safety orange" CIE color point that is still in the Adobe RGB gamut is x = 0.54467, y = 0.41424, Y% = 30.05%, corresponding to the AdobeRGB-255 coordinates (206, 118, 0).

Safety orange is the color usually used in the United States for traffic cones (starting in 1961^[2]), stanchions, barrels, and other construction zone marking devices.^[3] OSHA requires that certain construction equipment must be painted safety orange. Two large trucking companies, Allied Van Lines and Schneider National, paint their trucks and trailers safety orange. In Europe, Dayglo orange (or "luminous orange"; RAL 2005) serves the same purpose.

Safety orange is the same color as blaze orange, the shade of orange (Color No. 12199) required by United States law (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade, Section 1150.3) to be on the tips of barrels of replica guns such as airsoft guns, and cap or toy guns. Hunter orange is also the color of hats, caps, and other safety wear required to be worn while hunting in most US states.