How To Make Sure You Have The Right High-Vis Clothing

When you’re working across different sites or even in different environments, you’ll need different protective gear. And while you may think that one high-vis vest is like any other, there’s actually more to choosing this crucial piece of clothing, as Safety and Health magazine points out.

The publication highlights three key things to consider when you’re selecting your high visibility clothing.

Firstly, that it features both reflective and fluorescent materials. Reflective elements are essential to ensure you can be seen after dark, while fluorescent colours make you highly visible in daylight, or limited light conditions.

When you’re looking at the reflective materials on your high-vis clothing, you should consider where it’s located.

You’ll probably have noticed that there are often reflective strips around ankles  and wrists. This is because it highlights movements and as our limbs move the most, it will therefore ensure that anyone who sees the reflective material will know it’s on a person, not a static object.

Finally, you need to consider industry standards to ensure that the items of clothing you buy meet requirements in terms of the amount of reflective and fluorescent material used.

The publication noted that these requirements will vary depending on the type of work you’re doing and where you’re working. If you’re unsure, you should be able to check with your employer to make certain you have the most appropriate gear.

There are many incidents that could be prevented by wearing high-visibility clothing. Last month, a Welsh landfill company was fined after an employee was run over by a large shovel loader on its site.

Although the incident happened in 2015, the prosecution and fine were only announced by the HSE recently.