Importance of Certification

The introduction of two significant U.S. Federal Regulations in November 2008 makes non-compliance with safety standards while working on government projects a criminal offence. These regulations also directly bring compliance into conflict with corporate brand identity:

•  Federal Regulation 23 CRR 634 mandates that anyone in the right-of-way of a federally funded roadway be required to wear compliant high visibility clothing (effective Nov 2008); and
•  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (USA) employer mandate states that all employers purchasing PPE must purchase fully certified garments whilst ensuring the visibility of their brand or company logo (effective May 2008).

(Note: There have been a significant number of organizations that have already been cited under 29CFR 1910.132 for not having their workers wear clothing that ensured their visibility. In the citations, OSHA named compliance with the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 standard for high-visibility safety clothing as a method to ensure visibility of workers from all directions under adverse lighting conditions.)

An excellent article on the history of high visibility clothing  and the risks of uncertified high-visibility clothing   can be found in the February 2009 edition of the Health and Safety Bulletin.