Publishing and copyright information

The BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the document was last issued.

The following BSI references relate to the work on this document:
Committee reference PSE/4
Draft for comment 14/30283828 DC

Publication history

First published, March 1951
Second edition, August 1960
Third edition, December 1971
Fourth edition, October 1975
Fifth edition, May 1984
Sixth (current) edition, December 2014

Foreword

Publishing information

This British Standard is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 31 December 2014. It was prepared by Technical Committee PSE/4, Identification of piping systems. A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

Supersession

This British Standard supersedes BS 1710:1984, which is withdrawn.

Information about this document

This is a full revision of the standard and introduces the following principal changes:

the labelling system has been refined;
ship systems have been removed;
the water systems section has been amended and the labelling for water services expanded; and
colour coding and sizing of markings reviewed and amended.

Presentational conventions

The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its requirements are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is “shall”.

Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

Particular attention is drawn to the following specific regulations in respect of requirements for clear identification of services conveying fluids:

The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 [1];
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Scotland) Byelaws 2014 [2]; and
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 [3].

1 Scope

This British Standard specifies the colours and supplementary information for the identification of pipes conveying fluids in above ground and below ground installations. It also includes ducts for ventilation and conduits used for carrying electrical services.

The following two methods of identification are included:

basic identification colours only; and
basic identification colours and code indications and/or code colours.

NOTE 1 Examples of identification by basic colour and code indications are illustrated in Annex A.

NOTE 2 The marking and labelling requirements identified in this British Standard are the preferred methods where there is no British Standard that covers a specific pipe or pipeline sector.

This British Standard does not include identification of fluid services on ships.

NOTE 3 For piping systems on ships and marine technology applications, see BS ISO 14726.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 General

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

5 Identification colours

6 Code indications

6.1 Safety colours

6.2 Information

7 Method of application

7.1 General

7.2 Basic identification colour only

7.3 Basic identification colour with code indications

7.4 Basic identification colour with code and/or safety colours

8 Direction of flow and supplementary information

8.1 General

8.2 Direction of flow

8.3 Supplementary information

Bibliography

BS 1710:2014

Specification for identification of pipelines and services

Current

Published:

31 Dec 2014