I have seen both systems used in the electrical distribution industry.

We used
red = breaker closed = on = alive = dangerous
green = breaker open = off = go = safe

Other utilities used
red breaker open = off = stopped
green = breaker closed = electrons go
(traffic light style)

Many systems are adapted from the gas and water utility industries also.
Now we have
closed = gas stopped = breaker closed = electricity flowing
open = valve open = gas flowing = breaker open = electricity stopped

Culture can hurt you! Ask the yoghurt manufacturers!




"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
I've also have seen it used in two semi houses - two Giants -

Red is not producing.
Green is producing.

Go fix the red machine or get another operator...

Traffic light theory.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
"Our Republic and the Press will Rise or Fall Together": Joseph Pulitzer
TSRA: Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member. http://lufkinced.com/

On 6/26/2010 4:12 PM, Robert Bonomi wrote:
In 7.15.254,
Brad wrote:
wrote in
:

Saw a tv commercial the other night. Its a Jeep commercial on how
productive the US use to be. I noticed when an electrical switch was
activated the colors were reversed. The ON part of the switch was RED.
The Off part was Green. Its no wonder the US doesn't produce much
anymore, can't even figure out how a switch should be labeled and
colored. But then again the switch was probably built in China.



I haven't seen the commercial, but I've seen setups for some computer
labs
where the master switch is color coded as you describe.
Red = burning money (on)
Green = "thinking green" (off)

The light panels were near the door. It reminded the teachers to shut
off
the computers (and gave them an easy way to do so).

For status indicators, red=on, green=off is -not- that uncommon.
on=dangerous, off=safe. keep clear when the red light is on. OK to
approach when the green light is on.