Disclaimer: This publication is intended only as a general guide to certification and not as a detailed analysis. It should not be used as a substitute for professional advice.
Introduction
Personal Protective Equipment (commonly referred to as “PPE”) is any device or appliance designed to be worn or held by an individual for protection against one or more health and safety hazards.
High visibility clothing falls within the definition of PPE, and is designed and manufactured in order to signal the wearer’s presence by day and by night.
Any role, which requires an individual to be seen in poor light or weather conditions or necessitates the working in an environment where there is moving machinery and worker safety, will require the wearing of high visibility clothing.
The main wearers of high-visibility clothing include (but are not limited to) people working in the following industries/categories:
- Construction workers
- Emergency Response staff (Fire-fighters/Paramedics/Police)
- Utility Workers
- Survey Crews
- Transport (Motor/Railway/Ferry)
- Airport Baggage Handlers
- Accident Site Investigators
- etc.
In order to be classed as high visibility clothing, the garment must comprise of minimum areas of conspicuous materials, consisting of background and retroreflective materials, which meet defined performance and design requirements.
- Background Material consists of coloured fluorescent material (i.e. high visibility/fluorescent yellow), which enhances daytime visibility, especially during dusk and dawn.
- Retroreflective Material consists of material that acts as a retroreflector; higher levels of retroreflection provide greater contrast and visibility of warning clothing when seen in headlights during darkness.
High-visibility clothing is heavily regulated globally in order to ensure user protection, especially in the context of health and safety for professional use.
Brandvis is a specialist in the design and manufacture of high visibility workwear, working with leading workwear brands in Europe, the US and Canada, to produce the highest quality high visibility clothing that meets the protective clothing requirements in each jurisdiction in which it is sold. Brandvis works closely with international accredited laboratories and notified bodies for the purposes of certifying its garments to the applicable national standards.
Hereinbelow is a summary on the High Visibility Clothing requirements in Europe, the US and Canada.
Europe
Europe has been at the forefront in terms of legislating PPE, with the introduction of the Council Directive 89/686/EEC (the PPE Directive) in 1989 which consolidated the laws of the European member states relating to personal protective equipment, and defines the basic requirements to be satisfied by PPE.
Harmonised standards were developed on foot of the PPE Directive and specify the design, manufacturing and testing requirements applicable to each type of PPE.
Any PPE, which is placed on the market and conforms to the provisions of the PPE Directive (including the harmonised standards), must bear the CE Mark.
In Europe, high visibility has been divided as follows:
- EN471:2003+A1:2007 – High Visibility Warning Clothing for Professional Use (“EN471”)
- EN1150 1999 – Protective Clothing – Visibility Clothing for Non-Professional Use
High visibility clothing falls into Category II PPE under the PPE Directive, which means that it is subject to an EC-type examination by a notified body and an EC declaration of conformity, as the PPE is placed on the market. Brandvis works closely with internationally recognized notifying bodies with respect to EC type approval in accordance with the PPE Directive.
EN471 – Classification
High visibility clothing for professional use includes (but is not limited to): jackets, waistcoats/vests, coats, trousers.
Three classes of high visibility clothing are defined under EN471. The classes are differentiated in terms of the minimum required areas of visible:
- Background Material
- Retroreflective Material and
- Combined Performance Material (i.e. material that exhibits both background and retroreflective properties)
incorporated into the garment.
As per the table below, Class 3 clothing offers greater conspicuity than Class 2 clothing and Class 2 clothing offers greater conspicuity than Class 1 clothing.
Minimum Required Areas of Visible Material in m2
| Class 3 | Class 2 | Class 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background Material | 0.80 | 0.50 | 0.14 |
| Retroreflective Material | 0.20 | 0.13 | 0.10 |
| Combined Performance Material | - | - | 0.20 |
- Class 1 (the lowest visibility level) – e.g. high visibility waistband trousers. When the waistband trousers are worn with a Class 3 high visibility Jacket, the ensemble is classified as Class 3.
- Class 2 (intermediary visibility level) – e.g. waistcoats/vests.
- Class 3 (highest level of visibility) – e.g. jacket with long sleeves/jacket and trouser suit.
Furthermore, there are two separate performance levels attributed to retroreflective materials; Level 2 offering greater conspicuity than Level 1.
In short, EN471 is marked on/attached to the garment as follows:
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In addition to fabric and colour requirements, which involve colour performance, colourfastness, dimensional change, mechanical properties, and water vapour resistance tests, and photometric and physical performance requirements for retroreflective and combined performance materials, high visibility clothing is also subject to definitive design requirements.
EN471 – Design Requirements
- The Background Material must encircle the torso, and the bands of retroreflective material must not be less than 50mm wide.
- In the case of Jackets, vests and coats, the bands of retroreflective material must be placed in the following manner:
Two bands of retroreflective material (not less than 50mm apart) must encircle the torso. The bottom of the lower band must not be less than 50mm above the bottom edge of the garment … OR …
One band of retroreflective material must encircle the torso and bands of retroreflective material must join the torso band from the front to the back over each shoulder. The bottom of the torso band must not be less than 50mm from the bottom edge of the garment. … OR … a combination of the above.
- Where there are full length sleeves on the garment, the same must be encircled by background material and two bands of retroreflective material (not less than 50mm apart). The Bottom of the lower band must not be less than 50mm from the bottom of the sleeve
- in the case of waistband trousers, each leg must be encircled by background material and two bands of retroreflective material (not less than 50mm apart). The bottom of the lower band shall not be less than 50mm above the bottom of the trouser leg.
The testing in accordance with the design requirements is always completed on a sample garment in the smallest garment size available and fastened to the smallest configuration possible.
EN 343
Often, high visibility clothing is also required to be waterproof and breathable, and therefore satisfy EN343: 2003+A1:2007 – Protective Clothing – Protection against Rain (“EN343”).
EN343 involves the testing of the properties of materials and seams, which make up the protective clothing, i.e. in terms of the outershell material, the liner or thermal liner, and the lining. The tests are completed on a finished garment (as opposed to separate individual layers). There is a crossover between EN471 and EN343 in respect of certain tests, i.e. the water vapour resistance test on the outershell material, and others.
EN343 can also be applied to corporate clothing, and when used on its own is classed as Category I PPE, and is therefore not subject to an EC type examination by a notified body.
EN343 is marked on/attached to the garment as follows:
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EN340
Both EN471 and EN343 refer to EN340:2004 – Protective Clothing – General Requirements, which is a reference standard, covering the basic requirements for protective clothing, as outlined in the PPE Directive – in terms of:
- Sizing
- Marking and Care Labelling
- Information to be supplied by the manufacturer, and Other.
North America
Similar standards to EN471, although less onerous, have been introduced in North America: in 1999 (ANSI/ISEA 107) and in Canada in 2002 (CSA Z96).
While laboratory testing by an accredited body is required under both ANSI/ISEA 107 and CSA Z96 for fabrics and retroreflective material, self-certification is permissible in terms of the design requirements. Furthermore, there is no equivalent PPE Directive in either the USA or Canada, which requires the examination and approval of technical file by a notified body.
USA
ANSI/ISEA 107 is a voluntary industry consensus standard for High Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear. Before the first publication of this standard in 1999, there was no regulation or guideline for the design, performance or materials for high visibility clothing in the US. Since its introduction, the standard has been recognized by various federal, state and local authorities as well as private industry entities.
In December 2009, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) became the primary regulatory document mandating the use of high visibility clothing for all affected workers in the US. The 2009 MUTCD states that all workers, including emergency responders, within the right of way on public roads in the US are obligated to wear ANSI/ISEA 107 2004 Class 2 or Class 3 garments, or equivalent revisions. There is a grace period of 2 years, ending in December 2011 for implementation of this rule with regard to all public roads, which are not Federal-aid highways (the requirement re Federal-aid-highways was introduced by 23 CFR 634 in 2008).
Furthermore, the 2009 MUTCD introduces the use of the ANSI/ISEA 207 2006 public safety vest as an option for emergency and incident responders and law enforcement personnel as an alternative to ANSI/ISEA 107 2004.
Exemptions with regard to the high visibility rules include:
- Fire-fighters or other emergency responders working within the right-of-way and
engaged in emergency operations that directly expose them to flame, fire, heat, and/or hazardous materials. In this case, the fire-fighters or other emergency responders may wear retroreflective turnout gear that is specified and regulated by other organizations, such as the National Fire Protection Association; and - Law enforcement personnel when performing non-traffic related activities.
ANSI/ISEA 107-2010
The American National Standards Institute published its third edition of ANSI/ISEA 107 (American Standard for high visibility safety apparel and headwear) in 2010.
The ANSI/ISEA 107 standard is broadly similar to its European counterpart – it classifies its garments in terms of the minimum amount of visible background material, retroreflective or combined performance material used, but in addition refers to a separate Class E (for waistband trousers, bib overalls and shorts) and headwear. Similar performance requirements are also outlined in terms of colour, retroreflection and physical properties of background materials together with recommended configurations of the materials.
Differences between ANSI/ISEA 107 and EN471 include (but are not limited to):
- ANSI/ISEA 107 garments without reflective material encircling the arms, are required to have a minimum of 150cm2 of retroreflective/combined performance material in the shoulder area in order to provide 180° visibility of
the wearer. - ANSI/ISEA 107 allows for split-trim configurations.
- Flame resistance is provided as an optional feature of ANSI/ISEA 107, together
with water repellence, water resistance and/or waterproof.
ANSI/ISEA 207-2006
In 2006, ANSI released the 207-2006, or American National Standard for High-Visibility Public Safety Vests, on the understanding that competing hazards exist for public safety employees that also need high visibility garments. Public safety user groups successfully argued the need to differentiate between law enforcement/emergency personnel and the vests worn by construction workers.
The main difference between ANSI/ISEA 107 and ANSI/ISEA 207 is that the required fluorescent background material for the Public Safety Vest (0.29m2) falls between ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 1 (0.14m2) and ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 (0.50m2).
The lesser background material allows for design accommodation of equipment belts. The ANSI/ISEA 207 standard is also more flexible from a design point of view in that it also provides for optional design features, including: the incorporation of coloured panels for identification purposes, shoulder breakaways, loops, pockets, badge holders, and IP panels and/or trims.
The design options allow for the meeting of the wearers’ needs in terms of design functionality, while at the same time continuing to provide the protection, which high visibility clothing offers.
The retroreflective requirements are almost the same for ANSI/ISEA 207, as they are for ANSI/ISEA 107, except only Level 2 is provided for under ANSI/ISEA 207.
Canada
CSA-Z96
CSA-Z96 is the Canadian Standard for high visibility safety apparel.
The Canadian Standards Association ascertained that a broader standard would be necessary in Canada than in the US, covering a wider range of occupational applications. The aim was therefore to develop a minimum uniform standard, in harmony with ANSI/ISEA 107 and EN471, which would be appropriate for Canada.
Similarly to ANSI/ISEA 107 and EN471, CSA Z96 requires compliance with defined design requirements, background, combined performance and retroreflective material requirements, and care labelling, marking et al.
The main differences between CSA Z96, and ANSI/ISEA 107 and EN471, are:
- The symmetric X configuration of the bands on the back of a CSA Z96 garment,
which extends from the shoulders to the waist - Background Material under CSA Z96 can comprise of bright-coloured or
fluorescent material; and - The CSA classes specify body coverage rather than minimum areas.
Guidelines for Employers concerning High Visibility Clothing
- Employers should obtain professional advice in terms of their obligations under local Health & Safety and Labour laws regarding the safety of their employees.
- Selection and use of high-visibility clothing should be based on a risk assessment of the condition in which the warning clothing is to be used. This will involve consideration of the requirements necessary for a third party to understand that a wearer is present.
- High Visibility clothing required, in the course of employment, should be provided free of charge to such employees in order to ensure their safety.
- High Visibility clothing should be kept in a clean state, and should only be cleaned, in accordance with the care label instructions appended thereto. If permanently stained, high visibility clothing should be replaced.
- High Visibility clothing should be checked to ensure that it is in perfect working order and that it is the correct size for the designated employee, before being given to the said employee.
- Storage facilities for high visibility clothing should be provided for when the high visibility clothing is not in use – for example, in a dark and dry environment so as to avoid colour fading.
- Employees should be provided with adequate information, instruction and training so that the High Visibility clothing is always used correctly. This should include an explanation of the risks, why the clothing is needed, how and when it should be worn.
- High visibility clothing should not be modified from its original state nor should anything be added to or cover the high visibility garment, which could reduce its visible surface area of the coloured fluorescent and retroreflective materials.
