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What’s ANSI and Why Is it Important to HVSA?

What’s ANSI and Why Is it Important to HVSA?

April 27, 2022

You might not have heard of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), but you’ve likely benefitted from their work. ANSI helps oversee the creation of standards for a wide range of products, systems, services, and manufacturing processes across the U.S. One of those product categories is High Visibility Safety Apparel (HVSA).

ANSI states that they are responsible for, “bringing together representatives from government, industry, academia, and the public to develop voluntary, consensus standards aimed at strengthening U.S. business competitiveness while protecting the safety and health of consumers and the environment.” In short, ANSI coordinates and brings together the best of the best so that these representatives can create the standards. 

One of the most prominent organizations they work with is the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA). ISEA helps develop the standards and submit them to ANSI to become the American National Standard. 

And that leads us to the gold standard for HVSA guidelines: ANSI/ISEA 107-2020. 


What’s ANSI/ISEA 107-2020?

ANSI/ISEA 107 (2020 simply denotes the year they were last updated) is a 52-page document that provides straightforward, yet technical guidelines on design, performance specifications, and use of the high-visibility garments from vests and shirts, to pants and outwear.

Now, you might think that 52 pages on how to design highly reflective clothing is overkill, but those are the guidelines that could be the difference between someone seeing you in the pouring rain when you’re working alongside the road, and a serious, life-threatening accident. 


Is All Hi Vis Clothing the Same?

Consider this—you see a simple safety vest in front of you. It looks fine: seems to be the right color, has the pockets you’re looking for, has some reflective tape across it. But you look at the tag and see that it doesn’t mention ANSI. 

Many people think high visibility safety vests are all the same, but if a vest meets ANSI standards, you’ll know the design guidelines have met the specified photometric requirements, used the minimum amounts of component materials and colors, and those materials have been placed perfectly to help enhance your visibility while you’re working. 

Whether you’re working in the daylight, low-light, or pitch black of night, and whether you’re a shopping cart collector, policeman, construction worker, or flagger, you want to make sure you’re wearing the right workwear for the job. This guide tells us how to help provide you exactly that. 


How Do ANSI Standards Affect My HVSA?

ANSI/ISEA visibility standards define the minimum level of protection and reflectivity of your workwear depending on your work environment and occupation. For example, a police officer’s hi vis clothing requirements differs from a parking attendant’s even though both are wearing apparel that meets ANSI standards. 

To better equip workers and create safer working conditions, there are three ANSI work environment types—O, R, and P—designed to guide companies and workers to use the vest which offers the right amount of reflectivity for the conditions. And within those, there are three different Performance Classes: 1, 2, and 3. 


The Types of Work Environments According to ANSI

Type O: Off-Road
Class 1

Type O HVSA increases visibility during the day and at night for workers in zones that have restricted access to public vehicles, but still vehicles pose a struck-by hazard. For example, in warehouses, chemical plants, building job sites, etc. 

Type R: Roadway
Classes 2 and 3 

Type R HVSA increases visibility during the day and at night for workers in zones that include exposure to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) from public access highway rights-of-way, or roadway temporary traffic control (TTC) zones or from work vehicles and construction equipment within a roadway temporary traffic control (TTC) zone.    

Type P: Public Safety
Class 2 and 3

Type P HVSA increases visibility during the day and at night for first responders who are exposed to all the hazards in Type R work zones, but also have competing hazards or require access to special equipment.


ANSI Performance Classes

Once you’ve determined the right work environment type, you need to choose the right Performance Class. In general, the Performance Class is proportional to the speed and proximity of moving vehicles. If you’re working right next to a busy road with cars flying by at 50mph, a Class 3 vest would be a better choice than a Class 1. If in doubt, go with a higher class. 

Please note that the above is just guidance. ANSI/ISEA advises: “High visibility garments should be chosen after a basic hazard assessment has been completed by a trained person designated by the employer, taking into account the expected threat environment, work activities, competing hazards, job classifications, and use policies.” 

There is also a supplemental class—Class E—that includes items such as pants, bib overalls, shorts, and gaiters. Class E items do not meet HVSA PPE requirements, so they’re not allowed to be worn alone. However, the good thing is that if you wear a Class E item with Performance Class 2 garment, the overall classification is upgraded to Performance Class 3.  


How Does OSHA Fit In?

Although ANSI is not a government agency, it does work closely with the government, and remains the official United States voice in international standards bodies. As such, it also works closely with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 

While product standards don’t fall under OSHA’s jurisdiction, how those products (or hi vis clothing, in our case) is used in the workplace does fall under OSHA. In fact, OSHA requires that many Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) categories meet or are at least the equivalent of the standards developed by ANSI. 


How Often Do ANSI/ISEA Standards Change?

ANSI updates or reaffirms existing standards every 5 years using the same standardization process created by consensus and public canvas. The most recent standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel was published in September of 2020 and can be found here.


How Do I Know If My HVSA Meets ANSI Standards?

Simply check your tag. The ANSI/ISEA standards maintain strict guidelines for garment labeling. Your label will tell you all you need to know about your ANSI/ISEA 107 rated piece of workwear. Take a look and you’ll find out the Type, Class, whether or not it meets ANSI/ISEA standards and if it’s considered flame resistant. All of this information is crucial because you can’t wear the wrong gear for the job.  

In Summary

We know that’s it’s unlikely that you’ll want to scour the ANSI/ISEA 107 guide for the requirements for Background and Combined-Performance Retroflective Materials. But when you choose HVSA that meets ANSI standards, you can rest easy knowing that the work has already been done for you. You’re wearing HVSA that’s been thoroughly thought out and vetted. You’re doing your part to create a safer workplace and get home safe.