High-visibility safety apparel is personal protective safety clothing that is meant to make you more visible (conspicuous) during both daytime and nighttime use. High-visibility clothing is important because it gives the motorist a visual indication there is a person on or near their travel path, where under normal driving conditions people would not be on or near the roadway.
High-visibility vests and clothing must meet the Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) 107-2004.
All workers within the right-of-way of a federal-aid highway who are exposed either to traffic, or to construction equipment within the work area, shall wear high-visibility safety apparel.
Workers Affected by This Requirement Include:
- Highway construction and maintenance crews.
- Flaggers.
- Inspectors.
- Engineering personnel.
- Survey crews.
- Utility crews.
- Responders.
When Should High-Visibility Safety Apparel Be Replaced?
Your high-visibility safety vest and clothing should be replaced when it becomes faded, torn, dirty, soiled, worn or defaced, or if it is not visible at 1,000 feet, day or night. The typical useful service life of high-visibility safety clothing depends on the type of work a person does while wearing the clothing. High-visibility clothing that is worn daily has a typical service life of approximately six months.
Reasons that may cause your vest to wear out more quickly, depending on the amount of use, include:
- Job task that are dirtier or more demanding and could be more likely to lead to soiling or tears.
- Hotter climates.
- Repeated exposure to ultra-violet rays.
