It’s hard to ignore the color. Orange fencing at a construction site is used to designate a “keep away” zone, much like the familiar highway orange barrels or orange cones behind a utility vehicle. Perforated, flexible, waist-high orange fencing defines a perimeter or calls attention to a hazard. The message is that the area beyond a temporary barricade should not be breached. It’s the color that sends that message, rather than the height, the strength or the permanence of the barrier.
Orange is defined as a “warning” color by both OSHA and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), specified to designate “machinery or energize equipment” that “may cut, crush or otherwise injure.” Fluorescent orange or orange-red are also the colors, with the appropriate bio-hazard symbol, used to identify blood and infectious waste containers. Neither agency specifically defines the uses for flexible orange fencing, but its use is common practice for hazards.
In the general language of colors, red signifies danger, yellow caution, blue information; green identifies safety equipment and orange serves as a warning.
Heed the Warning
While the original orange fencing at construction sites was designed to provide a barrier for small animals, act as tree protection and preserve sensitive areas, its use now generally signals a “no go” zone. In addition to identifying a temporary hazard, it is a simple way to discourage deer and other animals from straying onto a busy street and can be used as a temporary snow fence. Open pits, wet cement, large potholes, crime scenes and crowd control also benefit from the visual reminder to stay away.
United Rent-a-Fence stocks temporary fencing to meet your construction site and business needs, whether your goal is to keep people and animals away or to define bounds of authorized work areas. In some townships, economical orange construction fence is authorized as a perimeter site boundary in lieu of chain link temporary fencing. Our team will help you determine what is appropriate in your situation, and we have a variety of modular systems and collapsible options.
We serve the greater Chicago area and surrounding communities as well as adjacent states within a 150-mile radius. Whatever your needs for temporary fencing in orange, or in another color or style, we’re here to help with appropriate, economical and durable construction fences. Feel free to contact us to discuss your project.
I had never thought about the benefits of using an orange fence around something that is dangerous. It makes sense why people would most likely avoid areas with a bright orange fence around it. My parents are wanting to put a ground-level pool in their backyard. I’ll have to talk to them about using this kind of fence around the hole so that their grandchildren don’t go in it.