Hi-vis clothing for different work tasks
High-visibility clothing protects the employee
Hi-vis or reflective clothing is intended for work tasks where the employee's visibility must be ensured. Hi-vis, i.e. high-visibility warning clothing, protects the employee, for example, on construction sites, when working near construction machinery, on railways, in ports and airports, in cleaning and waste management, in warehouse work, in fire, rescue and police field duties, in traffic control and in other situations where you work near moving vehicles.
Weak lighting or bad weather conditions reduce the employee's visibility. The employee may be difficult to see due to morning or evening twilight, darkness, fog, rain or dust.
EN ISO 20471:2013 specifies requirements for hi-vis clothing
The international EN ISO 20471:2013 standard specifies requirements for reflective warning clothing, i.e. high-visibility protective clothing. The standard defines the quantities of fluorescent and reflective materials, their minimum areas for three different visibility classes, and the requirements for placing the materials. The standard also defines the colours of fluorescent materials. Since fluorescent material does not reflect, it is not useful in the dark.
The standard also sets requirements for the performance of fluorescent and retroreflective materials. The colour and luminance of fluorescent materials are tested before washing and after the maximum number of washes. The functionality of the reflective materials is also tested both before washing and after the maximum washing amount.
Fluorescent colours for daylight and dusk
Fluorescent material is fabric or film that has been treated with a fluorescent pigment. The fluorescent pigment increases visibility both during the day and at dusk as well as in fog, rain and dusty conditions. Since the fluorescent material does not reflect in artificial light or in the dark, it is not useful when working in the dark.
There are three colours approved in the hi-vis standard: yellow, orange and red. Yellow usually stands out the best because its luminance, i.e. luminous intensity, is greater than luminance of orange and red. Darker colours absorb more light than lighter ones. However, in snowy conditions, orange stands out better than yellow due to the contrast. When choosing the colour of work clothes, you should therefore choose a colour that stands out well from the work environment.
A reflective material needs a light beam
Since fluorescent material does not stand out in the dark, retroreflective material is needed for clothing. Retroreflective material is not self-illuminating, it needs a light source to reflect. The retroreflective material has microscopically small glass beads or microprisms that bounce the light back to its source. The retroreflective materials appear brightest near the light source. The grey reflective material has a good reflective effect.
Reflective materials must be visible on all sides of the garment so that the employee can be seen from all directions. The reflective materials must form a pattern, based on which the employee's position and movement can be visualized.
If there are optically functioning devices in the working area of the person wearing the hi-vis clothing, it must be ensured that the reflective surfaces do not interfere with the operation of these devices.
The combined material provides safety in the dark
The combined material contains both fluorescent background material and reflective material. The visibility of the combined material is especially emphasized in low light.
Three categories of protective clothing
The standard EN ISO 20471:2013 is divided into three protection classes, based on the amount of fluorescent and reflective material. Class 3 clothing has the best visibility. This class requires 0.8 m² fluorescent surface and 0.2 m² reflective surface. The smallest sizes (e.g. XS and S9) usually do not reach the level of class 3, because there is not enough background fabric to place the reflective strips. Class 3 protective clothing must cover the body, the sleeves and legs must have reflective strips. The legs must be full-length. Class 3 hi-vis clothing is mandatory, e.g. when working in dark or on public roads and the traffic speed is more than 60 km/h. Class 3 is visible at traffic speeds up to 90 km/h.
Class 2 requires 0.5 m 2 fluorescent surface and 0.13 m 2 reflective surface. Class 2 high-vis clothing is suitable for work on public roads with a maximum traffic speed of 50 km/h.
Class 1 high-vis clothing has the lowest level of visibility. They class requires 0.14 m 2 fluorescent surface and 0.10 m 2 reflective surface. Class 1 high-vis clothing is not suitable for work on public roads. This clothing is suitable for work in full or partial daylight within a company's premises.
A higher safety classification can be achieved either with one garment or by combining several pieces of clothing. See the joint certification table here.
The background material must be evenly distributed in proportion to 50% ± 10% on the front and back of the garment. The fluorescent background material must wrap around the body, sleeves and legs. The width of reflective strips on clothing must be 50 mm.
If logos or other marks are added to the clothes, it must be ensured that the logos and marks do not reduce too much visibility.
LED lights ensure visibility in the dark
Led lights bring visibility to dark working conditions where there is no external light source. For example, the optical fibre strip of Image Wear's LED warning jacket and LED warning vest can be seen 360° in all directions. The fibre optic strip is adjusted with the hand controller in the front pocket. The light strip can be set to continuous glow or flashing. The battery lasts about 5 hours when using the brightest level. The battery must be removed before washing the LED garment.
Dust stains and dirt reduce visibility
Hi-vis clothing should not be stored in direct sunlight, as the fluorescent material may fade, reducing its visibility. Worn out and dirty garment has reduced visibility. When washing hi-vis clothes, follow the washing instructions and wash them with clothes of the same colour.
If the colour of the clothing has clearly faded compared to a new garment, or the dirt no longer comes off in the wash, it is time to get a new hi-vis clothing. If the reflective strips are worn out or damaged, the garment must be replaced with a new one.
The fit of the hi-vis clothing increases safety
When choosing protective clothing, the requirements of the work environment and work tasks must be considered. Work positions, how dirty the work environment is, and the weather affect the choice. The job may also have other protection needs, such as fire protection and waterproofing.
A fitting garment increases safety. That's why Image Wear has its own designs for men and women. It's not just about ease of use, but also occupational safety. Clothes that are too big can stick to work machines more easily. A fitting garment stays in place, flexes with the movements required by the job and does not hinder the work.
Keep the jacket on for best visibility. Even if you work in hot, abrasive working conditions, do not roll up your sleeves or legs, as the visibility of the hi-vis clothing and the classification may be reduced.
