High-visibility safety apparel (HVSA) is clothing (e.g., vests, bibs, or coveralls) that workers can wear to improve how well other people "see" them (their visibility). Most often, high-visibility clothing is worn to alert drivers and other vehicle operators of a worker's presence, especially in low light and dark conditions. High-visibility headwear can also be worn to increase the visibility of the wearer in situations where part or all of the wearer's body could be obscured (e.g., leaves/trees, traffic barriers, construction materials, etc.).
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Design requirements for high-visibility safety clothing are generally found in the CSA Standard Z96-15 (R), High-Visibility Safety Apperal. In the United States, the design requirements are outlined in the ANSI/ISEA 107- American National Standard for High-visibility Safety Apparel and Accessories.
High-visibility safety apparel (HVSA) is needed if you work when there is low light and poor visibility, especially if you are working around moving vehicles (cars, trucks or other machinery traveling under their own power, such as , forklifts, backhoes, etc). High-visibility items allow you to be seen by the drivers of those vehicles from farther away so that they can respond accordingly, which increases your safety at work. The human eye responds best to large, contrasting, bright or moving objects. Worker visibility is enhanced by high colour contrast between clothing and the work environment against which it is seen.
Before selecting any high-visibility safety apparel, always confirm the legislative requirements for your jurisdiction. For example, certain tasks may require specific apparel.
The CSA Standard recommends that a hazard assessment be carried out on each job site to evaluate the workplace or work site for known or potential hazards a worker can encounter while performing a job or task. This assessment helps determine the risk to workers of being hit by moving vehicles and the environmental conditions under which work is performed. For more information about risk assessments, please see the OSH Answers document Risk Assessment.
When doing a hazard assessment where HVSA might be required, be sure to consider:
Once the hazards are identified, the employer can select appropriate controls. It is important to eliminate or reduce the hazards using engineering (e.g., physical barriers) and administrative controls (e.g., work during daylight hours). High-visibility apparel is considered to be personal protective equipment, and can be used in addition to other controls.
It depends. According to the CSA Standard, a non-retroreflective identification (ID) badge must be smaller than 105 cm2 and if it is on the front of the garment, can only cover 25 cm2 of either or both of the vertical striping. If the ID badge is on the back, it cannot cover any of the striping. If the ID badge is made of retroreflective striping that meets the requirements of the standard, then the badge can be up to 500 cm2 and be placed anywhere, but should not obscure the pattern of the retroreflective striping.
If the CSA Standard is not specifically referenced in the legislation that applies to your jurisdiction, it is recommended that you contact the government department responsible for occupational health and safety to confirm that alterations are acceptable.
Fluorescent material takes a portion of invisible ultraviolet light from sunlight, and through special pigments, sends it back to the viewer as more visible light. This material only functions where there is a source of natural sunlight. Fluorescent material will appear brighter than the same coloured non-fluorescent material, especially under low natural light (e.g., cloud cover, fog, dusk, dawn, etc.). This property offers daytime visibility enhancement that is not present with other colours. These materials enhance daytime visibility, especially at dawn and dusk. Fluorescent colours provide the greatest contrast against most backgrounds.
Retroreflective material is created to return light in the direction of the light's source. This property will let a driver or equipment operator see the light being reflected from the retroreflective material on a person's garment (as long as the person is standing in the light's beam). Retroreflective materials are most effective under low-light level conditions. While retroreflective materials can still reflect in the daylight, there is little difference between the light reflected from the garment's material and the surrounding environment. This lack of contrast makes retroreflective materials ineffective for enhanced visibility during (sunny) daytime conditions. There are two levels of retroreflective material.
In contrast, reflective materials bounce light off its surface. While the term "reflective" is not used in the CSA standard, it is typically defined as a material or object that has the ability to "throw back" light. Most surfaces are already light reflective.
Combined-performance retroreflective material is a retroreflective material that is also a fluorescent material. Not all retroreflective materials are fluorescent, nor all all fluorescent materials are retroreflective.
Coverage/Visibility:
Employers should select the colour and stripe combination that provides the preferred contrast, visual indication of movement, and direction of travel.
To comply with the CSA Standard, any high-visibility safety apparel must meet the following criteria for the stripes/bands:
For all classes, the CSA Z96-15 (R), High-Visibility Safety Apparel Standard specifies both the colour of the background and the stripes/bands. For example, class 1 apparel (e.g., harness style) must have a minimum of 0.14 metres squared of background material, while for class 2 and class 3 apparel, full coverage of background material is required. Background material can be fluorescent yellow-green, fluorescent orange-red, fluorescent red bright yellow-green, or bright orange-red.
Purchasers of high-visibility apparel should get proof that the materials used, and the design of the garment meet the requirements of the CSA Z96-15 Standard. Generally, the garments tag will state if it meets the requirements.
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The CSA Standard Z96-15, High-Visibility Safety Apparel sets out levels of retroreflective performance (i.e., the effectiveness of material in returning light to its source), the colours and luminosity of background materials, and how much of the body that should be covered by the high-visibility components. There are also special requirements for garments that also need to provide electrical flash and flame protection. Note that although specifications for apparel classes are similar to those in ANSI/ISEA 107, these CSA classes differ in that they specify body coverage rather than minimum areas.
CSA lists three classes of garments based on body coverage provided. Each class covers the torso (waist to neck) and limbs according to the minimum body coverage areas specified for each class.
Details for each of the classes are listed below. For more details on the exact specifications, please refer to the Standard. (Note: While the Standard does not set out the requirements for high-visibility apparel for specific jobs, it does provide some examples of jobs where the different classes may be appropriate.)
Low risk situations may include:
Examples of jobs include:
Figure 1
Example of Class 1 Apparel
Harness or Colour/Retroreflective Stripes on Other Clothing
NOTE: Other options are possible, including a shirt made of non-high-visibility material, but with high-visibility or retroreflective stripes/bands.
Medium risk situations may include:
Examples of jobs include:
Figure 2
Examples of Class 2 Apparel
Vests, Jackets and Bib overalls
NOTE: These examples are not the only options available and are shown for example purposes.
High risk situations may include:
Examples of jobs include:
Figure 3
Examples of Class 3 Apparel
Jackets and Overalls
NOTE: These examples are not the only options available and are shown for example purposes.
From CSA Standard Z96-15.
As with any personal protective equipment, workers must receive appropriate training in the use and care of the equipment. Workers wearing high-visibility apparel should know the following information:
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