The BICSc (British Institute of Cleaning Science) four-colour coding system assigns a colour to cleaning equipment based on the area it is used in, so a cloth or mop used on a toilet is never accidentally used in a kitchen. This poster is designed to be printed and displayed in a cleaner's cupboard or store room as a quick visual reference.
Download the poster
Download the PDFA printable A4/A3 poster showing the four colour zones, ready to laminate and display.
The four colours
| Colour | Area | Typical equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Washrooms, toilets, urinals, washroom floors | Cloths, mop heads, buckets marked red |
| Blue | General areas — offices, corridors, public areas | Cloths, mop heads, buckets marked blue |
| Green | Catering and food-preparation/food-contact areas | Cloths, mop heads, buckets marked green |
| Yellow | Higher-risk or isolation areas (e.g. clinical/infection-control zones) | Cloths, mop heads, buckets marked yellow |
Why it matters
Using the wrong colour equipment in the wrong area risks carrying bacteria from a high-risk zone (a toilet) into a food-preparation or general area — the entire point of the system is to make cross-contamination visually obvious and hard to do by accident, even for new or temporary staff who have not memorised a written procedure.
How to roll it out on site
- Colour-code all mop heads, buckets, cloths and gloves to match the system
- Display the poster in every cleaner's cupboard and store room, not just a central office
- Cover it explicitly in new-starter induction and toolbox talks
- Check compliance as part of your routine quality audit
Where to reference it
Cross-reference the colour system in your specification so it is contractually expected, not just good practice left to chance.