Tagged with 'high visibility safety vests'

You're driving down the highway and off to the side of the road you see workers. They might be building a new exit ramp, installing signage or even cleaning up trash along the roadside. One thing that's for sure is they'l be wearing a bright colored high visibility vest or clothing of some sort.
 
When we see those high visibility vests, often called hi vis vests, we naturally think of construction or road workers. While working on a high rise building or next to speeding traffic, we expect to see workers wearing them because they create awareness, raise visibility and improve safety - it's common sense. However, there are also a lot of other situations where hi vis vests are used on a daily basis for the same reasons. Behind the scenes, hundreds of thousands of workers each day are adorned in bright colored reflective safety apparel that helps them perform their job duties while putting them at a lower risk for accidents and injuries.
 
At first thought, you might not even be able to name a handful of jobs where hi vis vests and safety gear is used; and since there are so many, we've created a list to help you understand just how important their role is in protecting workers and preventing accidents. While there's too many to list entirely, here's a small sample of the various jobs where they're utilized.
 
warehouse workers
delivery truck drivers
roadway construction workers
utility workers
surveyors
emergency responders
flaggers
shopping cart retrieversrefinery personnel
messengers
utility workers
loggers
heavy equipment operators
general laborers
fisherman
offshore rig workers
oil workers
firefighters
miners
seamen
divers
ironworkers
railroad workers
emergency response personnel
rescue workers
geologists
policemen
hunters
shipbuilders
salvage workers
foundry workers
crossing guards
racetrack personnel
factory workers
hazardous material handlers
lifeguards
jockeys
security guards
firearms instructors
….and many, many more!
 
Any place where you can find a hazardous condition, heavy machinery, chemicals, dangerous landscapes, motorists, low-light conditions, extreme weather or moving parts, you can expect to see some sort of high visibility clothing on any workers who are in the area.
 
High visibility safety vests and apparel help to drastically reduce incidents, accidents and injuries that occur because of large objects, obstructed vision and other similar situations. The list above is only a small sample of occupations where hi vis gear is utilized, yet the uses are practically endless. Whether you're an employer or an employee, high visibility clothing and apparel could play a critical part in the well being of yourself or your business. If your workplace can benefit from mandating the use of high visibility apparel, consider adopting a plan that will be beneficial to everyone. Sit down with your employer, or call a meeting with your employees and discuss the safety benefits that hi vis clothing might be able to offer to individuals and your company.
 
For more information, product advice or to simply browse our inventory to familiarize yourself with the different types of high visibility safety gear, visit our website today at www.HiVisSupply.com

When it comes to hi visibility apparel, like high vis safety vests, beanies and high-vis jackets, other countries such as Australia, and especially The United Kingdom, are far more concerned with pedestrians staying safe than we are here in the United States. Fact of the matter is, they simply take to the streets on foot and bike more than we do. They have a culture that takes to walking and other modes of transportation, like bicycling, far more easier than we do. Which leads to the question: Do they simply lead more healthier lifestyes than Americans, or is it that gas prices have ben so high there for so long, or is it that their infrastructure is more designed to accomodate walkers and bikers with hi-vis vests and clothing?

Check out this article recently published in The Independent on the 10 Best High-Vis Gear for the U.K.

Pedestrians and bicyclists should consider the ML Kishigo P Series Mesh Vest. It's affordable and lightweight. This economy mesh vest features 3" Velcro front closure, comfortable cotton trim, and 3/4" elastic side closures for a universal one size fits most. Available with or without reflective tape.

Be seen to be safe is more than just a clever tagline - it is a proven fact. There are many work zone and roadside distractions which can draw a driver’s attention away from your presence. High visibility safety vests improve your ability to bee seen by bringing you back into the driver’s focus. Browse ANSI compliant vests suitable for use in daytime and low light conditions. Find a vest that is right for you - ANSI Class 2, ANSI Class 3, Public Safety, Flame Resistant, non-ANSI, Surveyors, and Incident Command. Choose Hi-Vis Supply for your hi-visibility vests and all of your hivis needs.

 

"It is an effective solution to reducing accidents. It's around about 30% or higher reduction in the number of children getting involved in a [road] accident.

"I think the visibility coats are a good idea because when it's dark and if you're coming home from school people will see you crossing the road and in the fog people will see you. So they're very useful. "And also they keep you warm in the snow," added Theo.

A Gloucestershire headline reads "Gloucestershire road safety figures lowest since 1974," and they're attributing these statistics to the increased use of hi-vis apparel along with "targeted road safety advice and training is working across the board," said Councillor Stan Waddington, cabinet member for road safety. Child safety is a leading issue in the US. - children wear safety helmets while riding bikes, so why not high visibility apparel to boot?

Well, at least at Halloween. The Maryland State Highway Administration made reflective safety vests available to parents and guardians of children to help prevent pedestrian accidents involving vehicles on Halloween, according to a news release from the agency. Representative Neil J. Pedersen said, “Unfortunately, on average, about 100 pedestrians are killed every year in traffic crashes in our state.”

Officers

During an inquest of a fatality of an officer in Auckland, the court was told that Mr. Wootton was not wearing a reflectorized safety jacket when he went to lay the spikes, most likely because he only had a matter of seconds to act. Although it was not known if a jacket would have changed the outcome for Mr Wootton, reports from the Department of Labour and the Independent Police Conduct Authority both recommended police review the policy for wearing the jackets.

The Department of Labour said it appeared that the requirement for the jackets to be worn was well known, but was not adhered to by all officers, with some saying they felt making themselves more visible might make them a target. However, Mr Smith said he did not believe there should be an option for officers not to wear them. "If an officer cannot safely wear a jacket and have time to deploy the road spikes safely, then they should simply abandon the exercise," he said.

For inclement weather, ANSI jackets, ANSI parkas, fleece-lined bombers and rain gear, or even reflective sweatshirts might do the trick. In warmer times of the year, reflective and fluorescent T-shirts may be more appropriate. Shown above is the Black Series Windbreaker.

4-Season Ultra-Cool Adjustable Mesh Vests

Reckless drivers can also easily hit a pedestrian even when they are on the pedestrian walk, so to avoid such accidents from happening, even pedestrians are encouraged to wear reflective clothing to make them more visible. As long as a person is wearing the clothing every driver that passes them will notice their presence. It is really hard for the item to blend into any surrounding so it will adequately serve its purpose.

But accidents are not restricted to the highway - employees also get injured at work, with the end result typically due to failure to adequately protect themselves. During construction, every person who is on site has to wear the reflective clothing. The piece of clothing is a major part of their equipment so it should never be ignored. Construction workers run the risk of being hit by drivers or being wounded at their place of work. This means that their employers need to make it their prime concern to keep them safe.


At HiVis Supply, you can choose from hundreds of safety vests - Class 1, 2 and 3, flame-resistant, mesh, sleeves and no sleeves - the choice is yours. Or choose a hi visibility hat or t-shirt depending on the climate and situation you find yourself in. Many employers will have you overprotected just in case, and some employers leave it up to their workers to decide which vest to choose. we just want you to make the right choice, and keep yourself safe while working hard out there.