Higher Traffic Vests Standards Secure Workers

For those who spend their working hours sequestered in a cubicle, there are few occupational hazards other than open file cabinet drawers. But if that desk were somehow transported to the side of a freeway filled with onrushing traffic, the real need for a highly visible traffic safety vest would quickly become obvious. For those who work in dangerous maintenance and service professions, those garments can mark the difference between a routine day and one that ends in injury or death.

Not Meant For Fashion

Although they rarely appear on high fashion magazine covers, these clothing items are uniquely functional. Safe and protective outerwear has not always been mandatory. When it first appeared around forty years ago, worker injuries due to highway accidents declined and as a result, today’s highway maintenance employees are required to wear them at all times. They are commonly constructed of a polyester/nylon blend fabric with reflective striping added for extra visibility.

Up To Standards

Two governmental bodies are largely responsible for creating and upholding the safety standards applied to these garments including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and a worldwide regulatory group called the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA). They have the job of revising old standards and creating new ones that include high water and fire resistance as well as excellent visibility.

Due to differing professional needs, there are a variety of designs available. Each item must meet certain quality benchmarks, including sturdy construction and durable fabric. Each must also pass a number of hurdles, including maximum brightness, resistance to color fading and a demonstrably long life. Even the reflective strips are evaluated critically by an objective third party before being approved.

Different ANSI Classes

There are actually three classes of work vests used in specific environments. Off-road maintenance workers and low-risk parking lot attendants often wear the Class 1 designated suit. Class 2 outfits are in the wardrobe of various control officers and crossing guards who routinely face cars and trucks traveling less than 25 miles per hour. The most hazardous jobs require Class 3 vests, worn in areas where vehicles move faster than 50 miles per hour.

Colors

The dyes used to color this protective clothing must be highly visible from a distance. They commonly include fluorescent tones of lime green, yellow and most commonly, orange. Emergency personnel often wear blue to make them easily discernible at the scene of an accident. Security workers, police officers and firefighters often have their professional title printed on the garment for quick job identification.

Which Do You Need?

Purchasing agents for many of these groups check often for changes in the expected governmental standards. New situations create new needs. For example, there are now specialized vests for those who respond to urban terrorist threats. Other regions require special designs able to withstand the weather extremes of hot and cold common in some areas.

When buying a high visibility safety vest for personal visibility when hunting or hiking, bear in mind that not all meet current ANSI standards. Avoid unscrupulous merchants who simply glue some reflective striping on an inferior quality item in order to make a sale. The best overall protection and the highest visibility is usually found in a traffic safety vest that conforms to standards and has been proven effective in daily use by real workers.

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