Colour Blind Electricians: What You Can (and Can’t) Do in the TradeÂ
- Technical review: Thomas Jevons (Head of Training, 20+ years)
- Employability review: Joshua Jarvis (Placement Manager)
- Editorial review: Jessica Gilbert (Marketing Editorial Team)
- Last reviewed:
- | Changes: Comprehensive rewrite with updated regulations, modern practice standards, and lived experience data
Introduction
Yes. You can become an electrician if you’re colour blind. It’s legal, it’s possible, and thousands of colour-blind electricians work successfully across the UK right now. But there are additional considerations, adaptations, and barriers you need to understand before pursuing this career.
Here’s the context that matters. Colour vision deficiency affects approximately 8% of UK men and 0.5% of women, totalling around 3 million people. This isn’t a rare condition. It’s mainstream. The most common types are protan (reduced sensitivity to red, affecting 2% of males) and deutan (reduced sensitivity to green, affecting 6% of males). Both impact the ability to distinguish red, brown, and green hues, which are relevant when identifying electrical conductors.
UK law does not prohibit colour-blind people from becoming electricians. BS 7671 Wiring Regulations require correct conductor identification, but colour is just one method. The regulations explicitly allow alternatives like numbering, ferrules, labelling, and sleeving. The Health and Safety Executive does not ban colour-blind individuals from electrical roles either. It advises risk assessments and suitable adjustments where colour differentiation is safety-critical.
But here’s the complication. JIB and ECS (the bodies that issue electrician cards) do require colour vision testing for apprentice registration and card applications. Most use Ishihara plate tests, and people who fail sometimes get told they’re ineligible. This creates confusion: the law allows it, modern practice supports it, but certification bodies impose restrictions.
Let’s clarify exactly what’s possible, what’s difficult, and how colour-blind electricians actually work in practice.
What UK Regulations Actually Say
The regulatory landscape is more supportive than most people realise, but it’s also contradictory in places. Understanding what each body actually requires matters.
BS 7671 (IET Wiring Regulations): The UK electrical standard specifies colour codes for conductors (brown for live, blue for neutral, green/yellow for earth). But it explicitly permits alternative identification methods. Regulation 514.3.1 allows conductors to be identified by “colour, alphanumeric marking, or other means.” Where colours aren’t relied upon solely, labelling, sleeving, numbering, or ferrules are acceptable and compliant.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE): Provides guidance on colour vision testing for safety-critical roles but does not mandate exclusion. The HSE recommends risk assessments and appropriate tests. If colour identification is safety-critical, employers should use tests like Ishihara plates or the City University Test to assess functional capability. But the HSE explicitly states that not all colour-blind individuals need to be excluded, colour vision should be assessed in context of specific tasks.
Joint Industry Board (JIB) and ECS: This is where restrictions appear. JIB requires colour vision testing (typically Ishihara plates) for apprentice registration and ECS card applications. “Normal” colour vision is expected for safety-critical electrical tasks. However, people who fail initial tests can sometimes appeal using secondary assessments like the City University Test, which evaluates practical colour discrimination ability rather than just plate recognition.
Equality Act 2010: Colour blindness may qualify as a disability if it has substantial, long-term adverse effects on day-to-day activities. Employers must make reasonable adjustments, such as providing labelled tools, alternative identification methods, or additional verification equipment.
The contradiction is clear: UK law and BS 7671 support alternative methods, but JIB/ECS certification bodies impose colour vision requirements at the entry stage. This creates barriers for apprentices while the actual work increasingly relies on non-colour verification methods.
For a complete overview of how electrical qualifications work and what’s required at each stage, see our detailed guide to becoming an electrician in the UK, which covers entry requirements, assessments, and certification pathways.
What Tasks Are Actually Affected
Not all electrical work relies heavily on colour. Understanding which tasks present challenges and which don’t matters for both safety and career planning.
Tasks that can be problematic for colour-blind electricians:
Legacy red and black wiring. Older installations used red for live and black for neutral. For people with protan or deutan deficiency, distinguishing these in poorly lit consumer units or junction boxes can be difficult. This is particularly challenging during maintenance or alteration work on pre-2006 installations.
Multicores with subtle hue differences. Control cables with multiple conductors (grey, white, brown, blue) can look similar under certain lighting. Identifying the correct conductor for termination requires care.
Indicator lights on control panels. Red, green, and amber status lights may appear indistinguishable. Industrial and commercial electricians working with control systems need alternative verification methods.
Phase rotation identification. In three-phase systems, identifying L1, L2, L3 by colour alone (brown, black, grey) can be difficult. Incorrect phase connections affect motor rotation and equipment function.
Tasks that present low risk:
Modern domestic installations with proper labelling. Brown, blue, and green/yellow conductors with sleeving (like blue sleeving over black in old installations) and terminal labels significantly reduce reliance on colour alone.
Industrial work with numbered systems. Panel wiring using numbered ferrules, terminal blocks with printed labels, and schematic drawings removes colour dependence entirely.
Testing and verification. Safe isolation, proving dead, continuity testing, insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance. These procedures rely on test instruments (multimeters, voltage testers, MFTs), not colour identification.
Thomas Jevons, our Head of Training with 20 years on the tools, explains the reality:
"Old red and black wiring in legacy installations can be problematic for colour-blind electricians, especially in poorly lit enclosures. But modern brown, blue, and green/yellow conductors with proper sleeving and labelling reduce ambiguity. More importantly, safe isolation and testing procedures don't rely on colour at all. You prove circuits dead with voltage testers, not by looking at wire colours."
The key insight: modern electrical work has moved away from colour-reliant methods. BS 7671 amendments since 2018 increasingly emphasise verification through testing instruments. Estimates suggest colour reliance has dropped by 70-80% in compliant installations due to mandatory labelling, numbering, and instrument verification.
Practical Adaptations That Actually Work
Colour-blind electricians who work successfully in the trade use consistent adaptations. These aren’t workarounds, they’re proper professional practices that all electricians should follow regardless of colour vision.
Digital labellers and permanent markers. Label everything. Conductors at both ends, terminals, devices. Brother P-Touch or similar labellers are standard kit. If you cannot rely on colour, clear labelling becomes non-negotiable. This actually improves compliance with BS 7671, which requires identification anyway.
Numbered ferrules and terminal markers. Industrial and commercial work extensively uses numbered ferrules crimped onto conductor ends. This removes colour interpretation entirely. Many colour-blind electricians prefer commercial work for precisely this reason.
Sleeving for old installations. When working on legacy red/black wiring, apply coloured sleeving at termination points (blue over black for neutral, brown over red for live). This brings old work into modern colour compliance and aids identification.
Testing equipment as primary identification tool. Multimeters, voltage testers, continuity checkers. Use these to verify conductors before termination. This isn’t just for colour-blind electricians, it’s proper safe practice. No competent electrician identifies live conductors by colour alone.
Mobile apps for colour identification. Apps exist (Colour Blind Pal, Color Blind Check), but professional electricians don’t rely on them for safety-critical decisions. They’re supplementary tools at best. Proper labelling and testing equipment are primary.
Team verification for critical tasks. On installations where phase identification or complex multicores are involved, having a colleague double-check terminations before energising is good practice. This applies to all electricians working on unfamiliar or complex systems, colour-blind or not.
Good lighting. Portable work lights, head torches with adjustable colour temperature. Poor lighting exacerbates colour discrimination difficulties. Adequate lighting is a basic safety requirement anyway.
These adaptations are not burdensome once they become routine. Many long-serving colour-blind electricians describe them as automatic, no different from any other safety procedure like proving dead or checking polarity.
What Colour-Blind Electricians Actually Say
Forum discussions, social media posts, and direct experiences reveal a pattern: colour blindness is manageable but presents genuine challenges, especially during entry and assessment phases.
Success stories are common. Multiple UK electricians openly discuss working in the trade for 20-40 years with colour vision deficiency. They emphasise that once adaptations become routine, the condition has minimal day-to-day impact. One forum user described using multimeters religiously and labelling everything, stating “after two years it’s automatic, not a burden.”
Entry barriers are the hardest part. Apprentices report anxiety around JIB colour vision tests and AM2 practical assessments. Some describe being told by training providers that colour blindness “may render you ineligible,” leading to discouragement before even applying. Others report passing assessments by being methodical about testing and labelling.
Employer attitudes vary dramatically. Some contractors won’t consider colour-blind applicants due to perceived liability. Others have successfully employed colour-blind electricians for decades and view it as manageable with proper procedures. Small contractors tend to be more flexible than large firms with strict HR policies.
Legacy wiring causes most practical difficulties. Older red/black installations in poorly lit spaces are repeatedly mentioned as challenging. Modern installations with proper labelling and sleeving are far easier to work with.
Testing and verification are the safety net. Nearly every colour-blind electrician who discusses their experience emphasises using testers as primary identification tools. “I don’t trust colours anyway, I test everything” is a common sentiment. This actually makes them more compliant with safe working practices than some electricians with normal colour vision who rely on visual assessment.
Joshua Jarvis, our Placement Manager who works with contractors daily, explains:
"Colour blindness adds complexity to entering the trade, especially during apprenticeships. But we've seen learners succeed by being upfront about it, demonstrating strong safety practices, and using tools consistently. The industry needs electricians desperately. If you can prove competency through verification methods, many employers will work with you."
The Myths That Need Dismantling
Misconceptions about colour blindness and electrical work are widespread, often deterring people who could succeed in the trade. Let’s address them directly.
Myth 1: Colour-blind people cannot be electricians at all. False. Thousands of colour-blind electricians work across the UK. Regulations support alternative identification methods. The barrier is often entry requirements and employer attitudes, not the actual work.
Myth 2: Conductor identification depends entirely on colour. False. Competent electricians use verification instruments (multimeters, voltage testers) for safety-critical decisions. Visual colour alone is not sufficient for safe working practices, regardless of colour vision.
Myth 3: Colour blindness automatically disqualifies you from ECS/JIB certification. Partially false. JIB requires colour vision testing at apprentice screening, but failures can sometimes be appealed with secondary tests like the City University Test. Restrictions apply mainly at entry level, not through legal prohibition.
Myth 4: You’ll constantly make dangerous mistakes if colour-blind. False. Research shows that with proper procedures and testing equipment, error rates for colour-blind electricians are comparable to those with normal colour vision in modern, compliant installations. The safety concerns often stem from misunderstanding rather than actual data.
Myth 5: Modern electrical work hasn’t adapted for colour vision deficiency. False. BS 7671 amendments increasingly emphasise verification through instruments, mandatory labelling has become standard, and numbered terminal systems are common in commercial/industrial work. The industry has moved significantly toward non-colour-reliant methods over the past 20 years.
The biggest source of confusion is conflicting guidance. Training providers may enforce strict colour vision tests even though industry practice enables adaptations. For comprehensive information on what qualifications actually require and how assessments work, our complete electrician training guide clarifies entry requirements and assessment criteria.
Why People Still Pursue This Career
Understanding motivations helps clarify whether electrical work makes sense for you if you’re colour-blind. Common reasons people pursue this career despite colour vision deficiency:
High earning potential. ONS data shows median qualified electrician earnings at £30,784, with experienced or self-employed electricians earning £35,000-£50,000+. South-East self-employed sparks can invoice £45-£50 per hour. Financial incentive outweighs adaptive challenges for many.
Practical, hands-on work. Many people with colour vision deficiency leave office jobs or service sectors for skilled trades offering tangible results and variety.
Strong demand and job security. The UK needs electricians urgently. Skills shortages mean qualified people have genuine job security. Once you’re in and competent, colour vision becomes a minor consideration compared to your value as a skilled worker.
Interest in renewables and green technology. EV charging, solar PV, battery storage. Growing sectors attract career changers interested in future-focused work. Commercial renewable installations often use numbered systems that reduce colour dependence.
Adaptations become routine. Many colour-blind electricians explicitly state that after initial adjustment, using labellers and testers becomes automatic. The condition stops being a daily obstacle and becomes just another procedural consideration.
Long-term self-employment potential. Once qualified, self-employment offers autonomy and control. You choose your work, set your standards, and implement whatever labelling and verification systems work best for you.
The consistent message from practising colour-blind electricians: it’s harder to get in, but once you’re established and using proper procedures, the colour vision deficiency has minimal impact on day-to-day competence or career progression.
Who Actually Asks About This
Demographics show clear patterns in who researches colour blindness and electrical work:
Age 16-25 considering apprenticeships. Young adults planning careers often discover colour vision requirements during research or after initial rejections. Forums like The Student Room and Reddit feature anxious queries from school leavers worried about eligibility.
Career changers aged 25-40. Adults retraining from other sectors (retail, hospitality, office work) researching whether colour blindness prevents entry into electrical work. Mumsnet and career change forums show significant interest from this demographic.
Predominantly male enquiries. Genetics make colour vision deficiency far more common in males (8% vs 0.5% females). This aligns with the male-dominated electrical trade but also means support and information is less readily available for women with colour vision deficiency entering the trade.
Non-technical backgrounds. Many queries come from people without construction or technical experience, seeking reassurance that colour vision won’t be an insurmountable barrier when learning from scratch.
Concerns about academic ability. People who struggled with science or maths at school often worry that colour blindness compounds existing disadvantages. They need clear information about what’s actually required versus what they’ve assumed.
If you’re 18 and applying for apprenticeships, or 32 considering career change, and colour vision is making you hesitate, you’re describing a very typical profile. This is exactly who needs accurate information about what’s possible, what’s difficult, and how real electricians manage in practice.
The System Contradictions You Need to Know
The regulatory landscape contains contradictions that create confusion for colour-blind people considering electrical work. Understanding these helps set realistic expectations.
Contradiction 1: Law supports it, certification bodies restrict it. UK equality legislation and BS 7671 support alternative identification methods. But JIB/ECS impose colour vision requirements at apprentice entry. You can legally work as an electrician with colour blindness, but getting the certification to prove it is harder.
Contradiction 2: Modern practice reduces colour reliance, but assessments still test colour recognition. Electrical work has moved toward verification through instruments and mandatory labelling. Yet AM2 and apprenticeship assessments may still include colour-based tasks without clear allowance for alternative methods. Some assessors are flexible, others are not.
Contradiction 3: Employers are told to make reasonable adjustments, but many simply won’t hire. Equality Act requires reasonable adjustments. But many contractors, especially large firms, screen out colour-blind applicants at pre-employment stage rather than managing perceived risk. Small contractors are often more pragmatic.
Contradiction 4: Industry needs electricians desperately, but entry barriers remain. Skills shortages are acute. Yet colour vision requirements (that don’t reflect modern practice) restrict access. The system simultaneously encourages entry into skilled trades while maintaining barriers that exclude capable people.
These contradictions aren’t easily resolved. They reflect different priorities across regulatory bodies, certification schemes, and employer attitudes. Recognising them helps you navigate the system rather than being discouraged by inconsistency.
So Can You Actually Do This?
Yes. You can become an electrician if you’re colour blind. The legal framework supports it. Modern electrical practice supports it. Thousands of colour-blind electricians work successfully across the UK.
But you need to understand what you’re navigating:
Entry barriers are real. JIB colour vision tests for apprenticeships. Some training providers enforce strict screening. You may face rejections or need to pursue secondary testing (City University Test) to prove functional capability.
Adaptations are necessary but manageable. Digital labellers, testing equipment as primary verification, good lighting, team checks on complex work. These become routine with practice and actually improve your compliance with safe working procedures.
Employer attitudes vary. Some contractors won’t consider you. Others will, especially small firms or those with existing experience of colour-blind employees. Finding the right employer takes persistence.
Assessment challenges exist. AM2 and apprenticeship practicals may include colour-based tasks. Being methodical about testing, labelling, and verification is critical. Some learners succeed by explicitly discussing adaptations with assessors beforehand.
Once you’re qualified and established, it’s manageable. Practising colour-blind electricians consistently report that after initial barriers, the condition has minimal impact on day-to-day work. Modern installations, proper procedures, and testing equipment mitigate most challenges.
The key is going in with eyes open. Don’t assume you’re automatically excluded. But don’t underestimate the entry challenges either. For a realistic breakdown of what the full qualification pathway involves, see our step-by-step guide to becoming an electrician, which covers entry requirements, assessments, and certification in detail.
If you’re colour-blind and serious about electrical work, research providers who understand adaptive practices, be upfront about your colour vision during applications (attempting to hide it creates problems later), and commit to methodical testing and labelling as core practice from day one.
What To Do Next
If you’re colour-blind and considering electrical training, here’s what we’d recommend:
Get proper colour vision testing. Standard Ishihara plates are just screening tools. The City University Test or similar functional assessments provide better insight into practical colour discrimination ability. Know exactly what type of colour vision deficiency you have and how it affects real-world tasks.
Research training providers carefully. Contact providers directly and ask about their approach to colour vision deficiency. Some are flexible and understand adaptive practices. Others enforce strict exclusions. Find providers who work with you, not against you.
Be upfront about it in applications. Attempting to hide colour vision deficiency and being discovered later creates problems. Discussing it upfront lets you demonstrate your understanding of adaptations and safety procedures.
Invest in proper equipment early. Digital labeller, quality multimeter, voltage tester, good work lights. These are essential tools anyway, but for colour-blind electricians they become primary working methods.
Focus on modern installations if possible. Domestic new-build or commercial work with numbered systems reduces colour reliance compared to maintenance work on legacy wiring.
Call us on 0330 822 5337 to discuss realistic pathways to electrical qualification if you’re colour-blind. We’ll be honest about challenges, explain what adaptations work in practice, and discuss whether training providers we work with are flexible about colour vision requirements. We won’t tell you it’s impossible when it clearly isn’t, but we also won’t minimise the genuine barriers you’ll face during entry and assessment phases.
Colour vision deficiency doesn’t prevent you from becoming a competent electrician. Modern practice, BS 7671 regulations, and proper procedures support alternative identification methods. The question is whether you’re ready to navigate entry barriers and commit to methodical working practices that make colour blindness irrelevant to your day-to-day competence.
References
- Colour Blind Awareness – UK Prevalence Statistics – https://www.colourblindawareness.org/
- National Eye Institute – Types of Colour Vision Deficiency – https://www.nei.nih.gov/
- IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 (Regulation 514.3.1) – https://www.theiet.org/
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – Colour Vision Testing Guidance – https://www.hse.gov.uk/
- Joint Industry Board (JIB) – Colour Vision Requirements for Registration – https://www.jib.org.uk/
- Equality Act 2010 – Disability and Reasonable Adjustments – https://www.legislation.gov.uk/
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Electrician Earnings Data 2024 – https://www.ons.gov.uk/
Note on Accuracy and Updates
Last reviewed: 25 November 2025. This page is maintained; we correct errors and refresh sources as BS 7671 amendments, JIB requirements, and colour vision testing standards evolve. Prevalence statistics reflect published research 2010-2025. Regulatory positions reflect current BS 7671:2018+A2:2022, HSE guidance, and JIB/ECS requirements as of November 2025. Next review scheduled following any BS 7671 Amendment 3 publication (estimated 2026/27).Â
