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Archive for January, 2010The laws and regulations revolving around safety items such as a Hi Vis Jacket or other Hi Vis Recovery Wear is going to depend on what Country you live in, and in some areas you have different variations from State to State. There are many factors to take into consideration for the laws, but the goals all remain the same which are to make sure the correct clothing is suitable for the tasks of the individuals who are required to wear these items. Factors you want to take into consideration, is the clothing suitable for:
Risk Assessment When it comes to risk assessment, is there adequate artificial and ambient lighting at the job site or work place? Do the conditions at the workplace include additional risk like snow or fog? Not all jobs require the same amount of hi viz clothing, in some cases all you may need is a high vis waistcoat. More hazardous jobs may require full body hi viz clothing, generally maintenance workers who are particularly at risk encounter these types of requirements. The hi viz clothing should provide the protection needed both during the day as well as at night, in addition to the different conditions weather can bring. As a general rule of thumb, if the work environment or job site is has very little or no lighting conditions then more hi viz clothing is going to be required. The more effective hi viz clothing is going to include colors that cause the wearer to stand out against different backgrounds located at the job site. After doing some case studies, the better colors to achieve this impact are going to be based on day-glo or the fluorescent colors like yellow. To make the wearer stand out even more, adding retro reflective material to these hi viz clothing items will help increase visibility in headlights when the lighting conditions are poor or during the darkness. Suitable For Job Sites Jobs often require people to change responsibilities, which can happen over the course of a job or many times during the day. Is the hi viz clothing for the job sight suitable for the conditions? There are 2 main conditions you will want to take into consideration, first is to evaluate the equipment at the job site. Would it be possible to snag loose fitting clothing on machinery parts that may be moving? The second condition to consider is the circulation of the hi viz clothing, during summer months you don’t want workers to be over heated. For the hot summer months consider waistcoats or overalls that meet the required hi viz clothing standards for the job. The hi viz clothing must be suitable for the job site and the work performed, as those duties change then you may need to check laws and regulations to make sure your company or department is compliant. Suitable for the Wearer The hi viz clothing should fit each person comfortably, and have little to no impairment on movement and restrictions. Compatibility When mixing different forms of Personal Protection Equipment, there should be no interference with any of the equipment being used. As an example, protective clothing used in chemical spills should also contain enough visibility to meet required standards at the same time. For harsher weather conditions, the clothing worn in such environments should be compliant with suitable hi viz clothing standards. If the protective clothing worn in these situations don’t meet the standards, they should be work under hi viz garments. Clothing Requirement Standards The British standards for high visibility warning clothing is referenced as BS EN 471. This legal requirement allows for European standards to keep Personal Protection Equipment in mind. In July of 1995, new clothing must now be marked with ‘CE’ to identify the item as meeting new European rules. Keep in mind that all marks are just to identify the items as meeting certain standards, and may not meet the actual use conditions suitable for each job. The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has national standards you may want to research in your effort to meet compliance.
There are many activities that children are involved in where a hi vis jacket would be highly recommended for safety, one classification is bicycling. A nice new shiny bike, training wheels finally come off and the world is theirs for the taking! Children are often inspired by what they are exposed to, in regards to bicycling this could include competitions watched on television or special events at the local parks where structures have been put in place for bicycle enthusiasts. When special events are going on you can often find the coordinators wearing a hi vis jacket to help direct participants, this ensures nobody gets lost and the children know who to approach should they need help. Once children leave these events, the next direction they usually take is to recreate these wonderful environments in their own setting. Children have the most creative minds and during these moments are when they are the most vulnerable. A child riding around on their bicycle at any hour without a hi vis jacket is just an accident waiting to happen, so try to introduce wearing safety gear at an early age. There are no federal laws in the U.S. requiring bicycle helmets, but most States and localities began adopting laws in 1987. Most of the laws in place today target children under 18, however some States only target children under the age of 15-17 while others have targeted children of all ages. The safety factor applies to people of all ages, but studies have shown that the highest rate of bike-related head injuries come from boys who are the ages of 10-14. It’s a good idea to include a hi vis jacket and helmets for cyclist of all ages and genders. For more information about wearing a Hi Vis Jacket, check out more tips and information at the http://www.hivisjacket.net web site.
When looking for clothing needs that fall into one of these categories you may find this gear and equipment listed under personal protective equipment (PPE). Hi viz clothing is designed to help easily distinguish the person wearing the items from any background, usually enhanced by highly reflective strips on various parts of the garment or item. A common example might be the yellow waistcoats, generally worn by the crew of an emergency service team. The key goal behind these garments are to provide the greatest visibility during the day time as well as night time. Weather conditions change all the time, people work in hazardous occupations, unexpected emergencies might put someone at risk if they’re not ready for such occasions. To help enhance the night time visibility, clothing items are commonly outfitted with retro reflective stripes. The retro reflective stripes help the wearer become visible when near a light source, such as a car with headlights that are on. Due to the amount of items that are reflective, the patterns found on clothing items help distinguish people from any objects that might reflect light. If it’s during the day time, the best solution for hi viz clothing are items enhanced with very bright colors. Bright colors on garments are commonly found amplified by fluorescent based materials, this allows others to see people from a further distance wearing hi viz clothing compared to someone who may not be wearing it. In addition to the hi viz clothing, if a person is going to be working in a dangerous environment where they need to maximize visual awareness then an item such as head gear with mounted mirrors may be warranted. This type of gear should reveal any potential dangers in an environment where safety is a bigger factor. In November of 2008 the United States put a law into effect that requires all personnel working on highways that are eligible for federal funds to be wearing a high visibility vest. Unless you’re a Fire Fighter, hi viz clothing must be worn at all times. Fire Fighters are exempt from this requirement only when involved in a hazardous materials situation or when they’re on site actively executing activities related to fire fighting. Do company or government safety standards require you to wear a hi vis jacket? There are some important things you need to know before you begin questioning why you would be required to meet these standards. People who work in outdoor environments are more likely to be exposed to dangerous situations, where accidents and injuries can be avoided simply by wearing the appropriate apparel. If we could control the weather then some situations could be made safer, but we haven’t been able to achieve this yet! Consider while you’re working outdoors the weather begins to change, perhaps it begins to rain, snow or the clouds roll in and turn day light into darkness. Your visibility to others drops in half, possibly to a non-existent status. If your duties require you to provide road side assistance, drivers may not see you until it’s too late. A simple hi vis jacket could make the difference between a safe work environment and one that is extremely hazardous. When driving at night you may notice some roads have reflectors built into the ground, these serve as a guide to make sure you and your passengers stay safe. A similar benefit can be found by a person wearing a hi vis jacket, increasing their chances on staying safe and avoiding injuries. If your vehicle blows a tire and you have to change the tire, you want to maximize your exposure to other drivers to make sure you get to your destination. You may want to consider tossing a hi vis jacket in your trunk, should such an occasion arise. Crew members who work on oil rigs or fishing boats often face the risks of being swept into the ocean, when storm waves come crashing down onto the deck or platforms. In an effort to make it safer for all crew members, not just the captain, wearing a hi vis jacket in these scenarios could mean the difference between life and death. Crew members who are washed overboard often carry light beacons they can activate to help search and recovery efforts. When you’re waiting to be rescued in extremely ice cold water, you want every angle working for you to make sure you can escape those dangerous times. The hi vis jackets can act as another source of light the beacons can flash and light up, increasing the odds that a crew member can be located. At big events you will often see parking staff or police directing traffic. Coordinators working in these events help the efforts by wearing a hi vis jacket, making it safer to avoid injuries and helps direct the drivers by finding where they need to go. As a Fire Fighter you want to make sure you’re seen, as you work with others in a heavily smoked forest or home. With all the dangerous equipment used to fight fires, being visible to all people at the scene is extremely important. If a tree falls on a Fire Fighter, or a structure collapses, having a hi vis jacket will help others find you or possibly guide others in escape efforts. At the end of the day, we all would like to return to our destinations safe. Safety standards and guidelines that require wearing a hi vis jacket will help make this world a better place! |
Children wearing a 
There are generally 2 core reasons for hi viz clothing needs, the first being the need to be seen in poor weather conditions or less than normal lighting conditions and the second being the need to be seen in an environment where you can find a lot of heavy equipment and machinery moving around.