TS ISO 22324

TS ISO 22324 is a guidance standard for using colour codes to communicate hazard information in emergency management. It uses colour as a visual language to help people at risk and first response personnel understand how serious a situation is, especially when decisions must be made quickly.

How colour-coded alerts function in emergency communication

The standard deals with the general guidance for using colour codes to signal danger and severity. In broader technical terms, colour coding is a practical way to distinguish warning levels, priority levels, or situation states at a glance. In emergency settings, colours can reduce the need for lengthy verbal explanation and support a shared understanding across different teams and audiences.

According to the scope, the guidance applies to all types of hazard in any location. It does not cover the method for displaying colour codes, detailed ergonomic considerations related to viewing displays, or safety signs addressed by ISO 3864-1. In other words, this document is about the meaning and use of colour-coded warnings, not about the detailed design of signs or display systems.

Practical boundaries and typical use

• Colour codes are used to classify the severity of an event quickly, rather than to provide a full technical diagnosis.
• The intended audiences are people at risk and first response personnel.
• The guidance is broad and can be applied to any hazard type and any location.
• Display methods and ergonomic viewing details are outside the document’s scope.
• It should be distinguished from ISO 3864-1 safety signs, which address sign design rather than the conceptual use of colour-coded alerts.

For organisations building emergency communication procedures, TS ISO 22324 offers a common framework for assigning meaning to colours so alerts can be understood consistently. Clear colour meanings can reduce ambiguity and help speed up response in time-critical situations.