By Mark Smith 18/02/2024

Under: PPE and Workwear

Spotlight on: High Visibility Workwear

Ensuring the visibility of your teams working in low-visibility environments is essential for their safety. This is particularly true on sites where heavy machinery or vehicles are operating nearby. High-visibility workwear is a must. As an employer, it is your duty to provide this equipment free of charge to any at-risk workers.

Hi-vis workwear is required to be worn by workers who work in potentially hazardous environments. The bright colours help to make workers more visible, which in-term will reduce the risk of accidents. To protect your workers, high-quality hi-vis workwear is recommended.  

Know Your Hi-Vis Safety Standards

 

In a commercial or industrial setting, high-visibility clothing must comply with the EN471:2003 specification. The precise level of protection you require depends on several factors. This includes natural and artificial lighting conditions, the effects of adverse weather such as rain, fog and snow and any other factors which reduce visibility. 

In some environments, lighter levels of protection may be sufficient. In higher-risk settings, a greater level of protection is required. There are 3 classes of high visibility garments, categorised by the levels of protection they provide.

Class 3: The highest level of protection 

For high-risk environments, e.g. for highway engineers or construction workers on sites with heavy moving machinery.

• Minimum background material 0.8m2
• Minimum retro-reflective material 0.2m2 

Class 2: The intermediate level of protection 

Medium risk settings. May not include whole body coverage e.g. high vis vests without sleeves.

• Minimum background material 0.5m2
• Minimum retro-reflective material 0.13m2

Class 1: The lowest level of protection 

For low-risk environments with minimally reduced visibility and without heavy moving machinery or vehicles on site.

• Minimum background material 0.14m2
• Minimum retro-reflective material 0.10m2 

You’ll find these classes clearly indicated on the high-vis garments on our website.

 

Provide a Comfortable Fit for all Workers

 

Uncomfortable or ill-fitting high vis can become a hazard by restricting the user. Furthermore, if a worker's high vis is uncomfortable, it is more likely to be taken off, leaving the worker at risk. Make sure you provide a good fit for all team members. We have a wide range of sizes for men available to help you do this. 

Here at Enfield Safety, we also provide a women's hi-vis range – specially designed to provide a better fit for female personnel. These designs come in a wide choice of sizes, making sure that everyone has a comfortable, safe fit. 

 

Use High Vis on Head Protection

  

Worker visibility can be greatly improved with high visibility additions to head protection. The head is usually the most visible part of the body, yet it is often overlooked when it comes to high-vis. In addition to providing extra visibility at a highly visible point, our hi-vis solutions for hard hats have even stronger visibility credentials than reflective clothing.

One option is the VisiLite® helmet illumination system, developed as a method of increasing worker visibility without dazzling colleagues in close proximity. The VisiLite® system clips onto JSP Evo 2/3/4/5 safety helmets, allowing the fibre optic lights to illuminate workers for up to 50 metres. The system is highly durable, USB rechargeable and comes in with three lighting modes. It also withstands wet weather conditions and temperature ranges between -10 and +50C.”

Another option for hard hat visibility is the CR2™ Decal Kit, which allows you to easily and inexpensively add reflective strips to EVO®2/3 JSP hard hats. The easy-to-apply kits are highly reflective and offer on average 60% more reflectivity than standard reflective clothing material.

 

Keep High Vis Well Maintained

   

If high-visibility workwear becomes dirty or damaged, its effectiveness can be reduced. A regular inspection and cleaning schedule is essential. Remember not to use fabric softener or wash with abrasive items such as denim jeans as this can degrade high visibility material.

Over time, regular washing will also reduce effectiveness. As a rule of thumb, good quality high vis will keep its effectiveness for up to 25 standard washes. A well-organised storage space will help keep high vis in good condition.

To help you meet your duty of care, at Enfield Safety we stock a wide range of high vis clothing which is fully compliant with the specifications of EN ISO 20471. The range includes hi-vis jackets, coats and anoraks, hi-vis fleeces, hi-vis vests, hi-vis trousers, hi-vis hats, hi-vis rucksacks and hi-vis armbands. These come in a choice of classes suitable for a variety of settings. 

Looking for high-quality workwear at an exceptional value? Contact our safety champions today to talk through your high-vis workwear requirements: 0333 003 5710. You can also check out our latest high vis offers in our Autumn/Winter Essentials magazine.

Enfield Safety – no one works harder to bring you health, safety and welfare products at the right price, on time, every time.