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According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, "Work Zone Hazards Workbook," many injuries and fatalities occur as the result of vehicles striking workers. Some accidents involve the crews’ own motorized equipment. To help prevent injuries in work zones, OSHA compiled the "Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices," or MUTCD, which outlines specific procedures that crews should follow and details the types of gear, such as nighttime traffic control safety vests and safety vests with pockets, that workers should wear for function and protection.
Workers who are at risk of injury from traffic or equipment must wear high-visibility traffic control safety vests that meet or exceed the ANSI 107 guidelines. Depending on the degree of risk the workers face, the vests can be class one or two; vests are not included in the definition of class three garments. OSHA delegates the selection of the appropriate garment to a competent agent chosen by the employer. Employers must delegate at least one such person at each work site. The individual must be qualified to identify hazards, both present and potential, and must be authorized to take the measures necessary to correct inadequacies.
OSHA's MUTCD stipulates that ANSI 107 compliant vest must be highly visible and reflective. Others must be able to see the garment from a full 360 degrees even in low light conditions and inclement weather. Class one vests are worn when the worker can devote his complete attention to traffic, which will not approach at speeds in excess of 25 mph.
The background in front of which the worker is standing must not be very complex, and there must be adequate separation between the traffic and the worker. If traffic speeds are greater than 25 mph but less than 50 mph, or the background is more complex, workers should wear class two vests. This class is also needed if the worker cannot devote his full attention to the flow of traffic or must work in areas near moving traffic.
Night reflective vests must be made from a reflective material that is orange, white, bright yellow-green, yellow or silver. Fluorescent hues of the specified colors are permissible. The vest must be visible for a minimum of 1,000 feet. Safety clothing must allow others to recognize that they are seeing a person and it must remain visible regardless of the wearer’s body motions.
The standards also define the amount and placement of the reflective trim that should be used on safety vests. Class one vests must use either reflective trim that is one inch or wider or, if the trim is fluorescent as well as reflective, it should be 2 inches or wider. The vest must contain at least 2.15 yards of 2-inch trim, 3.1 yards if the trim measures 1.372 inches in width or 4.3 yards if 1-inch trim is used. Class two vests can only use reflective trim; 2.8 yards of 2-inch or 4 yards of 1.375-inch trim is required.
One or more bands of trim should appear at least 2 inches from the bottom of the vest and completely encircle the vest. At least 23.25 square inches of reflective trim must appear on both the front and back shoulder areas. If more than one band is used, each band must be separated by 2 inches or more.
The need to be seen is critical for worker safety. This is especially true for employees who work around moving vehicles or equipment. In an effort to prevent injuries and fatalities from “struck-by” hazards, workers wearing high-visibility garments help alert vehicle operators to their presence, especially in low-light environments. ANSI/ISEA 107-2020: American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety ApparelThe 2020 version of the American National Standards Institute (ANS) / International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) ANSI/ISEA 107 standard is the fifth edition of the voluntary industry consensus standard. Since its initial publication in 1999, this Standard has been the authoritative document on the design and performance requirements for high-visibility safety apparel. Performance requirements are included for color, retroreflection, physical properties and minimum areas of background, retroreflective and combined-performance materials, as well as the recommended configuration of the materials. It is codified into the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) regulations and incorporated by reference in other standards. Because there are many working environments where garments can become easily soiled, ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 now includes specific criteria for single-use disposable coveralls. These are designed to be worn over clothing and cover a minimum of the arms, legs, and torso. They must meet the minimum material amounts and requirements imposed on all compliant high-visibility safety apparel. ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 retains the Type-Performance Class designations of high-visibility apparel introduced in the 2015 revision. The expected use setting dictates the Type selected. The Performance Class identifies the amount of visible materials and design attributes incorporated into finished apparel. This provides a range of design options that correspond with the level of risk and the visual conspicuity needs of the wearer. The criteria for high-visibility accessories have been removed from the 2020 standard although users are encouraged to use high-visibility accessories such as gloves, hoods and head coverings to enhance their visibility. TypesThe standard establishes three types:
Type O is defined as apparel that “provides daytime and nighttime visual conspicuity enhancement for workers in occupational environments which pose struck-by hazards from moving vehicles, equipment and machinery, but which will not include exposure to traffic on public access highway rights-of-way or roadway temporary traffic control (TTC) zones.” Examples of those who may need Type O apparel include:
Type R apparel “provides daytime and nighttime visual conspicuity enhancement for workers in occupational environments which include exposure to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) from public access highway rights-of-way, or roadway TTC zones or from work vehicles and construction equipment within a roadway TTC zone.” Examples of workers who may need Type R apparel include:
Type P apparel “provides daytime and nighttime visual conspicuity enhancement for emergency and incident responders and law enforcement personnel in occupational environments which include exposure to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) from public access highway rights-of-way, or roadway TTC zones, or from work vehicles and construction equipment within a roadway TTC zone or from equipment and vehicles within the activity area.” Type P apparel provides additional options for emergency responders and law enforcement who may experience competing hazards or require access to special equipment. Examples of workers who may need Type P apparel include:
Performance ClassesANSI/ISEA 107-2020 contains four performance classes:
Each performance class has specific minimum design requirements regarding the background materials, retroreflective/combined performance materials and width of reflective materials used in the garments. Performance Class 1 offers the minimum amount of high-visibility materials to differentiate the wearer visually from non-complex work environments and is only appropriate for off-road (Type O) environments. Stepping up to Performance Class 2, these garments have additional amounts of high-visibility materials that allow for better definition of the human form. Performance Class 2 is considered the minimum level of protection for workers exposed to roadway rights-of-way and TTC zones, as required in the FHWA Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Performance Class 3 has an even a greater minimum level of high-visibility material the apparel must contain. This class provides more visibility to the wearer in both complex backgrounds and through a full range of movement by the required placement of background, retroreflective and combined performance materials on the sleeves and pant legs (if present). A garment or vest without sleeves worn alone is NOT considered Class 3 protection. ConfigurationsHigh-visibility safety apparel must incorporate the minimum areas of materials as shown in the table below. Both Performance Class 2 and Class 3 garments can be rated for either Type R or P environments. The distinction between a Type R or P rating lies under the required minimum levels for background material.
Supplemental Class E is comprised of high-visibility garments such as pants, bib overalls, shorts and gaiters. These items do not qualify as meeting the requirements of the standard when worn alone, but when a Class E item is worn with a Performance Class 2 or Class 3 garment, the overall classification of the ensemble is Performance Class 3. MarkingEach piece of apparel must be marked either on the product itself or on labels attached to the product. The marking must be permanently affixed so as to be visible and legible; and durable for the appropriate number of cleaning processes. The marking must include:
The following product information must also be supplied to customers:
Examples of acceptable labels: |
Always wearing bright, highly visible clothing when working near equipment is a method to avoid a
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