Hi Vis Workwear (18)

Hi Vis Workwear: When & Where it Should be Worn

Hi Vis (High Visibility) Workwear is designed to vastly improve wearer safety in locations that could potentially be dangerous if visibility becomes an issue.

Our range includes different types of hi vis workwear from leading brands like Beeswift, Regatta Professional and Draper Tools, all of which comply with the necessary standards and regulations, which will be explained below.

Table of Contents

1. Why is Hi Vis Worn?
2. What do the Different Colours Mean?
3. Hi Vis Class System
4. What are the Regulations Surrounding Hi Vis Workwear?

1. Why is Hi Vis Worn?

Hi vis workwear is a common requirement in industries where personnel are required to work in low light conditions or potentially hazardous environments.

They are manufactured from easily discernible fluorescent fabrics that stand out over any background and include a series of retro-reflective tapes that help keep you seen at night.

2. What do the Different Colours Mean?

There are only two colours of hi vis workwear that are legal in places such as building sites and railways: yellow and orange. Other colours that can sometimes be seen such as pink, blue and green are not legally recognised and are most often used for wearer identification as opposed to safety reasons.

• Yellow: The preferred colour of emergency responders and site workers due to its distinctive colour and ability to stand out in dark urban areas
  
  
• Orange: Most commonly worn in areas of low visibility, where most railway maintenance occurs. Yellow and green is also often used for train signalling, therefore orange is the preferred option due to being more distinctive and identifiable

Both of these colours are legally recognised and follow the ‘class’ system and comply with the relevant standards.

3. Hi Vis Class System

Hi vis workwear is divided into three classes, based on the safety and protection that they provide to the wearer:

• Class 1: The lowest level of visibility, items such as hi vis trousers when worn on their own without other clothing fall into this class. For clothing to comply with class 1, it must have a minimum area of reflective tape of 0.10m² and 0.14m² of fluorescent material
  
  
• Class 2: Intermediate level of visibility, the most common example of this is a sleeveless hi vis vest. Class 2 dictates that there must be 0.13m² of reflective tape and 0.50m² of fluorescent material
  
  
• Class 3: The highest level of visibility, examples of class 3 protection are hi-vis jackets and sleeved hi-vis vests. For clothing to achieve class 3, it must have a minimum of 0.20m² reflective tape and 0.80m² of fluorescent material

Classes 2 and 3 can be achieved by wearing articles adding up to the class number. For example, Class 3 can be achieved by wearing Class 2 trousers and a Class 2 jacket, as the class system is based on how much visible fluorescence and reflective area is available.

4. What are the Regulations Surrounding Hi Vis Workwear?

To guarantee safety for the wearers, regulations are used to uphold the standards of hi vis clothing sold and worn. Orange hi vis clothing (primarily used for railways) adheres to RIS-3279-TOM (formerly GO-RT 3279) and yellow hi vis articles (used primarily for roadworks and building sites) has to comply with EN ISO 20471:2013 (formerly EN 471).

EN ISO 20471:2013 specifies requirements for high visibility clothing which is capable of visually signalling the wearers presence. High visibility clothing has to provide conspicuity in any light condition when viewed by operators of vehicles or other mechanised equipment during daylight conditions and under illumination of headlights in the dark.

To comply with EN ISO 20471:2013 clothing must have reflective strips and fluorescent colour on at least one of five options:

• Torso only
• Torso and arms
• Legs
• Torso and legs
• Arms and legs

Rail Industry Standard 3270-TOM (RIS-3279-TOM) has been created to ensure that staff are sufficiently visible when on or near the line, allowing train drivers to give an early audible warning. This standard only applies to the UK rail industry and ensures workers are sufficiently visible to approaching trains and vehicles.

Within the RIS-3279-TOM regulations are strict rules around identification and company markings. Only three types of marking are allowed on orange hi vis clothing; the company or project name, a logo, and a title such as ‘First Aider, Press Officer, or Recovery Engineer’ etc. The class system is still in force when applying custom graphics or text to hi vis workwear, so it is important not to cover too much of the fluorescent colour with logos or text.

Network Rail has also implemented a ‘Full Orange Policy’, meaning everyone who is working on or near a railway must be wearing full orange. For example, an orange vest without orange trousers and vice versa, is not acceptable.

For further technical information relating to our range of hi vis workwear, please telephone our main sales line on 01772 431 216 or email [email protected].