{{Short description|Triage system for damaged buildings}} A '''color-tagged structure''' is a structure which has been classified by a color to represent the severity of damage or the overall condition of the building. The exact definition for each color may be different in different countries and jurisdictions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.waco-texas.com/code-enforcement.asp|title = Code Enforcement - City of Waco, Texas}}</ref>
A '''red-tagged''' structure has been severely damaged to the degree that the structure is too dangerous to inhabit. Similarly, a structure is '''yellow-tagged''' if it has been moderately damaged to the degree that its habitability is limited (only during the day, for example). A '''green-tagged''' structure may mean the building is either undamaged or has suffered slight damage, although differences exist at local levels when to use a green tag.
Tagging is performed by government [[building officials]], or, occasionally during disasters, by engineers deputized by the building official. [[Natural disaster]]s such as [[earthquake]]s, [[flood]]s and [[mudslide]]s are among the most common causes of a building being red-, yellow- or green-tagged. Usually, after such incidents, the [[local government]] body responsible for enforcing the building safety code examines the affected structures and tags them as appropriate.
In some areas of the United States, buildings are marked with a rectangular sign that is red with a white border and a white "X". Such signs provide the same information as "red-tagging" a building. Tagging structures in these ways can warn [[firefighter]]s and others about hazardous buildings before the buildings are entered.
== References == {{reflist}}
[[Category:Building engineering]] [[Category:Structural engineering]] [[Category:Disaster management tools]]
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