EN ISO 20471:2013 Visible warning clothing for professional use

EN ISO 20471 Visible warning clothing standard

EN ISO 20471-standardized highly visible workwear enhances the visibility of the wearer in all lighting conditions. Warning clothing helps the wearer stand out and be seen better in work environments. The standard defines requirements for protective clothing that ensures the wearer's visibility in hazardous situations and environments with poor visibility. EN ISO 20471 workwear makes the wearer visible from all directions, both illuminated by vehicle lights at night and in all lighting conditions during the day. The EN ISO 20471 standard specifies requirements for warning garment materials and colours, as well as minimum requirements for their surface areas and placement on the product. The product must contain enough fluorescent and reflective material. Fluorescent or Hi-vis colours are yellow, orange, and red, which glow brightly under UV light. Additionally, products may contain contrast material. If a logo is desired on the warning garment, it can be placed freely over the contrast colour, but it must not reduce the surface area of ​​the fluorescent material below the required level. In such cases, it is best to consult the warning garment manufacturer.

Protection classes are divided into three classes based on the surface area of visible materials - fluorescent and reflective. The protection class is indicated on the product according to the surface area of ​​the visible material, which class 3 being the best and class 1 being the worst. The visibility class is determined by the surface area and placement of fluorescent, reflective, and contrast colours. To meet the EN ISO 20471 standard, the surface area of ​​materials is measured from the smallest size of the finished product. Class 1 garments may also use combination materials (both reflective and non-fluorescent). 

Instructions for using standard EN ISO 20471