What is Hi Vis Clothing and why is it important to safety?
What is Hi Vis Clothing and why is it important to safety?
It is no small feat at protecting industrial, utility, electrical and construction workers on the job. It requires proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and often high-visibility clothing. High-visibility or high-visibility clothing is a type of clothing that workers wear to increase their visibility on the job site and ultimately improve workplace safety.
High-visibility clothing is most commonly used to alert drivers and other equipment operators of their location. It is critical in hazardous conditions such as close to roads, dark conditions and areas where workers may be blocked by trees, traffic barriers or construction equipment.
Below, we've outlined everything you need to know about high-visibility clothing; from proper garment design and construction to optimal color and selection criteria to keep your workers safe.
What is Hi Vis clothing?
Vests are one of the most common types of high-visibility clothing, but smaller items like high-strength shirts, high-strength jackets, overalls, pants, and even gloves can keep your workers safe. Hi vis clothing has two components.
Colored fluorescent elements made of special pigments that are brighter than normal: These pigments reflect the invisible ultraviolet rays from the sun into bright visible light. Fluorescent colors make the most of available sunlight and are easier to see in low-light conditions such as dusk, dawn and overcast. They also contrast strongly with most backgrounds, whether natural or man-made.
Reflective strips, tape, or other elements made of materials that reflect light back to its source: Reflective materials are most effective in the dark because they don't provide much contrast in daylight conditions.
Most high-gloss garments include a combination of these two components, such as a fluorescent-colored vest with reflective strips or materials that are both fluorescent and reflective.
Why is Hi Vis clothing important to safety?
Wearing bright clothing ensures your workers can see each other and anyone else in the area, preventing workplace accidents and injuries. This is especially important for workers in the gas and electricity industries, as well as in the transportation industry, such as road, rail and airport workers. Construction workers, surveyors, first responders, sanitation workers and warehouse workers also benefit from increased visibility.
The key to maximizing high-visibility safety features is choosing high-visibility clothing that provides the greatest contrast between your worker's body and his or her surroundings. Make sure that the highlight clothing you choose doesn't blend into your work environment in any way.