What to Look for in High-Visibility Clothing and Enhanced Visibility Uniforms
As an employer, it’s important to recognize the potential threats to your employees and take preventative action. One simple way to make your employees safer is to consider your need for high-visibility clothing or enhanced visibility workwear.
Now, it’s important to understand the primary differences between these two, as high-visibility is needed to meet the safety standards of certain positions, whereas we recommend utilizing enhanced visibility clothing where high-visibility garments are not required.
Understanding ANSI Safety Standards and High Visibility Clothing Laws
High-visibility clothing laws and standards often apply to employees who work in or near vehicular traffic, such as on streets or highways. This is essential so that oncoming traffic is able to clearly see your employees, preventing accidents. High-visibility garments that follow these clothing laws and safety standards for traffic control are certified by the American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear (ANSI/ISEA 107). Examples of employees that these standards are important to are law enforcement officers, highway administrators, and more.
What the ANSI/ISEA 107 essentially does is set criteria for the performance of high-visibility clothing, based on its material and its intent of use, such as off-road, traffic control, and public safety.
This standard is integral to research so that you can understand the federal regulations relevant to your industry and employees.
The Different Types and Classes of High-Visibility Clothing
So, how do you know if your business requires high-visibility clothing that abides by ANSI standards, or if enhanced visibility uniforms will do the job? This is dependent on the risk posed by the wearer’s job tasks and their work environment. The ANSI breaks this down into different performance classes:
1. Performance Class 1 Garments
This is the minimum requirement for high-visibility clothing, and is primarily for employees that are not working directly with traffic that is travelling faster than 25 mph. The key point with this performance class is that for this garment to be considered safe, an employee’s tasks cannot distract them at all from potential incoming traffic.
2. Performance Class 2 Garments
This performance class is the opposite from the first performance class in that it is intended specifically for employees who will be distracted from and near traffic that exceeds 25 mph in speed. These garments have more high-visibility material, making them more readily seen.
3. Performance Class 3 Garments
This performance class is for the most dangerous traffic work, where employees are at a minimum distance of 1,280 feet from incoming vehicles. These garments contain extra retro-reflective, background and combined performance materials, and must have sleeves.
The Difference Between Enhanced Visibility Apparel and High-Visibility Clothing
Workers who do not fall under the types of work described above in the performance classes, may be able to use enhanced visibility apparel instead. What makes the apparel enhanced visibility as opposed to high visibility, is that it can contain any color with retro-reflective striping and does not need to follow the same requirements of material as ANSI specifies for high-visibility clothing. This doesn’t mean the material doesn’t do its job, but is instead more intended for lower risk work environments where visibility is important, but not as critical as when, per say, working with roadway traffic.
Typically, employees who do work such as delivering packages, attending parking lots, changing tires, etc. could benefit from the use of enhanced visibility clothing.
Evaluate the risks to your employees to determine whether you’re in need of high-visibility clothing, or if enhanced visibility is a better fit for you.
The Types of Enhanced Visibility Clothing We Offer
At Service Uniform, we offer enhanced visibility clothing to help reduce your employees’ risk around heavy equipment and other hazards. Our uniforms are available in both long and short sleeve options and are available in navy/yellow and grey/orange combinations.
To learn more about how our enhanced visibility uniforms can help keep your employees safe, contact us at 210-226-2233.
