HD 402 S2:1984

Standard colours for insulation for low-frequency cables and wires

Applies to thermoplastic insulation for low-frequency cables and wires. Gives the standard colours to be used.

Standardfarben der PVC-Isolierung von Niederfrequenz-Kabeln und Drähten

Couleurs de référence de l'enveloppe isolante pour câbles et fils pour basses fréquences

S'applique aux enveloppes isolantes en thermoplastique des câbles et fils pour basses fréquences. Définit les couleurs de référence à utiliser.

Standard colours for thermoplastic materials used for the insulation for low-frequency cables and wires

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 08-Mar-1984
• Withdrawal Date: 31-Aug-1985
• Technical Committee: CLC/TC 46X - Communication cables
• Drafting Committee: CLC/SC 46XC - Multicore, Multipair and Quad Data communication cables
• Parallel Committee: IEC/SC 46C - IEC_SC_46C
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 09-Mar-1984
• Completion Date: 09-Mar-1984
• Ref Project: SIST HD 402 S2:1998 - Standard colours for insulation for low-frequency cables and wires

Overview

The HD 402 S2:1984 standard, published by the CLC, establishes the standard colours for thermoplastic insulation used in low-frequency cables and wires. This standard is aligned with the IEC 60304 international standard and provides a consistent colour coding system for insulation materials in telecommunications, electrical installations, and other applications involving low-frequency conductors. The objective is to ensure uniformity and safety in cable identification worldwide by specifying colour references that manufacturers and users should adopt.

Key Topics

• Scope: Applies specifically to thermoplastic insulation materials for low-frequency cables and wires.
• Standard Colour Set: Defines a recognized range of colours including black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey, white, pink, and turquoise.
• Numerical Colour Coding: A numerical system simplifies colour designations for easy identification:
  • 0 = Black, 1 = Brown, 2 = Red, 3 = Orange, 4 = Yellow, 5 = Green, 6 = Blue, 7 = Violet, 8 = Grey, 9 = White, 22 = Pink, 55 = Turquoise.
• Bicoloured Wire Designation: Colours of combined insulation are represented by juxtaposition of the respective numerical codes.
• Multi-conductor Cable Marking: Different conductors in a cable are separated by plus signs (+) for clarity (e.g., 2 + 0 represents a pair with red and black wires).
• International Consensus: The standard has been widely accepted by national committees and integrates amendments from various editions to enhance global harmonization.

Applications

• Telecommunications Cabling: Ensures proper identification of wires in low-frequency telecommunication systems, facilitating maintenance and installations.
• Electrical Wiring: Enhances safety and troubleshooting efficiency in electrical systems by providing a universally understood colour coding for insulated wires.
• Manufacturing Consistency: Allows insulation manufacturers to produce cables adhering to internationally recognized colour standards, supporting interoperability.
• Quality Assurance: Helps organizations verify insulation materials and wire assemblies meet exact colour specifications for compliance with international norms.
• Engineering and Design: Assists engineers in specifying cable colours for wiring schemes to meet regulatory and industry best practices.

Related Standards

• IEC 60304 - The international equivalent detailing standard colours for insulation on low-frequency cables and wires, from which HD 402 S2:1984 is derived.
• CLC/TS 60446 - Provides further guidance on colour coding for electrical installations including practical applications beyond telecom cables.
• ISO/IEC 11801 - Addresses generic cabling for customer premises, complementing HD 402 S2 by specifying wiring and colour standards for structured cabling systems.

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By conforming to HD 402 S2:1984, manufacturers and technicians can benefit from improved colour coding consistency, leading to enhanced safety, reduced installation errors, and easier maintenance across global markets. This standard remains a critical reference for anyone involved in the design, production, and application of low-frequency insulated cables and wires.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-april-1998
Standard colours for thermoplastic materials used for the insulation for low-
frequency cables and wires
Standard colours for insulation for low-frequency cables and wires
Standardfarben der PVC-Isolierung von Niederfrequenz-Kabeln und Drähten
Couleurs de référence de l'enveloppe isolante pour câbles et fils pour basses fréquences
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: HD 402 S2:1984
ICS:
01.070 Barvno kodiranje Colour coding
29.060.20 Kabli Cables
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

INTERNATIONAL IEC
STANDARD 60304
Third edition
Standard colours for insulation for
low-frequency cables and wires

 IEC 1982 Copyright - all rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Electrotechnical Commission, 3, rue de Varembé, PO Box 131, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Telephone: [phone] Telefax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web: www.iec.ch
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Commission Electrotechnique Internationale
International Electrotechnical Commission
МеждународнаяЭлектротехническаяКомиссия
For price, see current catalogue

304 © I EC 1982 - 3 -
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
STANDARD COLOURS FOR INSULATION
FOR LOW-FREQUENCY CABLES AND WIRES
FOREWORD
1) The formal decisions or agreements of the I EC on technical matters, prepared by Technical Committees on which all the
National Committees having a special interest therein are represented, express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the subjects dealt with.
2)
They have the form of recommendations for international use and they are accepted by the National Committees in that
sense.
3) In order to promote international unification, the I EC expresses the wish that all National Committees should adopt
the text of the IEC recommendation for their national rules in so far as national conditions will permit. Any divergence
between the IEC recommendation and the corresponding national rules should, as far as possible, be clearly indicated
in the latter.
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
This standard has been prepared by Sub-Committee 46C: Low-frequency Cables and Wires, of I EC Technical Committee
No. 46: Cables, Wires and Waveguides for Telecommunication Equipment.
Following the discussions of a first draft at the meeting held in Baden-Baden in 1965, a revised draft was sent through
the IEC Central Office to the C.C.I.T.T. for consideration. As the great majority of postal administrations approached
had signified their acceptance, the draft was submitted to the National Committees for approval under the Six Months'
Rule in June 1967, then under the Two Months' Procedure in May 1968.
The following countries voted explicitly in favour of the publication:
Australia Korea (Democratic People's
Austria Republic of)
Belgium Netherlands
Canada Norway
Denmark Sweden
Finland Switzerland
France Turkey
Germany Union of Soviet
Iran Socialist Republics
Israel United Kingdom
Italy United States of America
Japan
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
This standard forms the second edition of I EC Publication 304 (1969).
Following the discussions of the meeting held in Florence in 1978, it was agreed to incorporate the amendments submitted
to the National Committees for approval under the Six Months' Rule in February 1976 and March 1977 into a new edition.
The decision to consider a numerical code for colour abbreviated designations was taken during the Ljubljana meeting
in 1972.
The draft, Document 46C(Central Office)77, was submitted to the National Committees for approval under the Six Months'
Rule in February 1976.
304 © I E C
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