If You Hear 'Code Black' in a Maine Walmart, Find Shelter

Seriously, familiarize yourself with this code word, because if you hear it, you could be in immediate danger.

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If you’re like me, when shopping, you’ve learned to tune out the intercom over the years—it's just part of the shopping ambiance, background chatter while we continue to browse. But that may not be the best thing to do after all.

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There are several reasons why someone might use the intercom at a store: an employee could be asking for assistance from other employees, informing shoppers about parking issues in the lot, or, most importantly, delivering vital safety alerts using codes.

If you know and understand these codes, you may be able to protect yourself, your loved ones, or even fellow shoppers and strangers from potential harm.

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Common Cents Mom, a website specializing in financial and shopping-related information, has decoded all of Walmart’s intercom codes, including the "secret ones." These codes fall into four categories:

General: Used for tasks like spills and stocking shelves.
Customer Service: Relating to customer service activities.
Sales & Discounts: Informing employees about sales and discounts.
Emergency: Indicating emergency situations.

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Each category further breaks down into four types of codes heard over Walmart’s intercoms: numbers, letters, word codes, and colors.

Let's focus on the category of colors, often signaling a change or specific situation in the store. Employees are trained to recognize the significance of each color, ranging from moderately serious incidents to potentially life-threatening situations. It's crucial for employees to understand these codes for swift safety measures.

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Color codes range from 'Code Orange,' which could pertain to a chemical spill, with the location provided after the color announcement, to 'Code Brown,' which alerts that there’s an active shooter on the premises.

'Code Black' is in reference to weather, such as a tornado warning, a particularly severe thunderstorm, or any potentially dangerous weather situation.

Keep scrolling to familiarize yourself with the other Walmart color code words and their 'secret' meanings!

Here's What Each Walmart Emergency Color Code Means

Some Walmart intercom codes involve the use of different colors. Each color is linked to a particular event or situation occurring in the store.

The significance of these color-coded alerts can range from relatively significant incidents to potentially critical, life-threatening situations. Understanding what these codes imply is crucial for Walmart employees. This understanding ensures they can promptly take required safety steps as and when necessary.

Hopefully, you'll never hear these codes announced at Walmart, but if you do, at least you'll know what they mean, and how you should act accordingly.