Why and When Should I Wear High Visibility Workwear?

High visibility safety apparel (HVSA) encompasses a wide range of highly reflective workwear that’s especially designed to increase the visibility of the wearer so they’re safer in their work environment. The reason for wearing HSVA is simple: to be seen, and therefore safer.

Imagine you’re working alongside the road and it’s after midnight and cars are rushing by. You want to do everything possible to ensure you’re noticed by the drivers and your first line of defense is high-visibility apparel. Not only is the fluorescent color eye-catching, but the reflective tape is expertly designed to stand out against both daytime and lowlight conditions.

And it’s not only yourself that you’re keeping safer when you wear hi vis clothing. Whether you’re directing traffic, operating machinery, or working in a warehouse, you can help prevent accidents by ensuring that you can be seen.

You might think that all HSVA is created equal, but that’s definitely not true. There are different types and performance classes that have been established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) that guide what should be worn under different work conditions. Let’s dive into those types and classes.

The Types of Work Environments According to ANSI/ISEA

Type O: Off-Road

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 O HSVA comes in Class 1. 

Type R: Roadway

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

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/ISEA 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. So, 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. 

Performance Class 1 (Type O) 

This class provides the minimum amount of hi viz materials required to differentiate the wearer from non-complex work environments, in scenarios where the struck-by hazards will not be approaching at roadway speeds, and therefore operative detective and identification distances in the work environment can be shorter than in other situations without compromising safety. 

Performance Class 2 (Type R or P) 

Performance Class 2 garments incorporate additional high-visibility material that allow the designs to highlight the human form more effectively at greater distances. 

Performance Class 3 (Type R or P) 

Performance Class 3 offers better visibility to the wearer against complex backgrounds by accentuating body with the use of a special combination of background, retroreflective and combined-performance materials on the sleeves or pant legs. Regardless of the amount of reflective material used, a sleeveless garment or vest alone is not considered Performance Class 3.   

Supplemental Class E 

Pants, bib overalls, shorts, and gaiters are all considered Class E garments. Class E items do not meet HVSA PPE requirements, so they’re not allowed to be worn alone. 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.  

When Should I Wear High Visibility Apparel?

If you’re in one of the industries mentioned above, or if your company has mandated it, you should wear your high-visibility apparel the moment you arrive on the worksite. Even if you’re not clocked in yet and walking to your work area, it’s a smart idea to make sure drivers, machine operators, and others can see you. 

Often safety managers will determine the kind of safety apparel you’ll need, but here are some considerations for you to think about as well:

• Exposure to heat
• Traffic flow/volume
• Surrounding environment—rural, heavily forested
• Working with heavy machinery
• Presence of traffic barriers and other traffic controls
• Need to identify different personnel

It’s also important to note that when changing from one environment or task to another to reassess what your clothing has been designed and approved for. If you’re going from operating heavy machinery to working along the roadway with welding equipment, you should change your workwear to suit the new environment and tasks.

And in the event of change in weather, remember not to wear anything over your HVSA like a jacket or hoodie that could block your high visibility apparel. Instead, look for high-visibility hoodies and jackets that meet your requirements. We offer a variety of outerwear for just those occasions here.

The Best Reason to Wear HVSA

It’s a simple one—to ensure that you and those working around you are easily visible and as safe as possible. It’s such an easy, yet crucial part of staying safe when working around heavy equipment, fast-moving vehicles, and so many other jobs.