Tagged with 'traffic vests'

The Basics of Surveying



Surveying is defined as the art, science, and technology of detecting the relative position of points at, above, or below the surface of the earth; or establishing such points. Ultimately, a surveyor determines land boundaries. They also determine boundaries of roads to be built, help make sure skyscrapers are being erected vertically and measure airports so that the runways are perfectly aligned and smooth. Land surveying is commonly, and comically, referred to as the world's second-oldest profession.

Surveyors also map:

- topography of land for engineering design
- establish elevations of home sites for flood insurance
- perform title surveys for real estate transactions
- certify that structures are built according to design
- lay out buildings and subdivisions
- map river bottoms for dredging
- lay out photo control for aerial photography and photogrammetry
- write legal descriptions to describe pieces of property
- map and layout corridors for tunnels, roads, airports, pipelines, cellular networks and railroads




Being a surveyor means having a full understanding of the inexactness, uncertainty, and variable nature of measurement. This creates the professional attitude needed to constantly seek new evidence, and consequently a higher probability of approaching the truth or proving something with confidence. As an analyst of both measurement data and boundary location evidence, the surveyor is in a position to develop a keen sensitivity to the importance of finding and applying the truth.

HiVis Supply is a reseller of high visibility apparel including: ANSI approved clothing, safety vests, traffic vests, incident command vests, specialty vests, survey vests, high visibility t-shirts, high visibility jackets, sweatshirts, coats, windbreakers and rainwear.

School Crossing Guards



Safety is an important issue for everyone, but an often overlooked occupation where workers put their lives on the line every day - well, one every school day - is the often un-noticed, and under-appreciated, school crossing guard.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) defines a crossing guard as someone who directs traffic (both pedestrian and vehicular) on streets, at schools, and at railroad crossings and construction sites. In 2007, there were an estimated 70,000 school crossing guards employed nationally, and in the years between 1993 to 2006, there were 97 school crossing guard fatalities, or almost 7 a year. This may not seem like a lot of deaths, but these men and women put their lives on the line each day to keep our children safe.

Additionally, the state of Florida reports that in 2006, 39% of all 16 and under pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 and 7 pm. Of the 516 fatalities, 104, or (20%) were pedestrians - usually children. In an effort to lower these numbers, the state trains crossing guards to:
• Use proper crossing techniques consistently
• Encourage patterns of proper crossing behavior by students
• Deter students from committing unsafe/unlawful acts
• Recognize and report hazardous conditions
• Take proper actions in an emergency
• Know their responsibilities and limitations of authority
• Exhibit professionalism and instill confidence
• Earn students’ respect

In a New Jersey report, other factors attributing to motor-vehicle related injuries include among school crossing guards include:
• Unsafe driving
• Parents rushing to and through the school zone
• Distracted driving including cell phones, eating, drinking and smoking

As parents, let's respect school crossing guards, the men and women who serve our children every day and make sure they get to cross the street safely. As drivers, let's start paying attention to school zones, and wait to send that text message, or wait to eat the fast food when we get home.

At HiVis Supply, we are proud to resell high visibility apparel including incident command vests, safety vests, and traffic vests, as well as traffic safety accessories and ANSI compliant vests for crossing guards, pedestrian crossing and speed limit signs.

Hi-Vis for Low Light and Roadside Construction











Black Series Windbreaker

Every year workers and employees sustain injuries and/or are killed working roadside including highway and pavement workers, construction crews, law enforcement and first responders, incident command - these people all run the risk of not being seen by motorists, careless and fast driving, fellow employees running big equipment and simply blending into their backgrounds. The use of high-visibility safety vests can save lives.


The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has established standards, ANSI/ISEA 107-2004, for hi-vis vests and other high visibility gear. Such high visibility clothing is available in many forms, the most common being a Class 1 safety vest, Class 2 safety vest or Class 3 safety vest. Otherwise known as a traffic vest or construction vest, this category also includes retro-reflective jackets, reflective sweatshirts and fluorescent T-shirts.

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.
ANSI hi-visibility clothing must be visible both by day and night and the ANSI standard sets the amount of reflective material the garment must have. Hi-vis clothing complying with the ANSI standards has become the status quo throughout industry as an effective way to protect workers by increasing their visibility. Also, workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway near traffic, light or heavy equipment or machinery within the work area are required to wear a ANSI approved reflective clothing such as an ANSI jacket or traffic vest, and possibly additional high visibility safety apparel. Additionally, those workers who would need hi vis clothing include highway workers and pavers, surveyors, equipment and truck drivers, construction and maintenance crews, inspectors, flaggers, incident command and first responders (EMS and firefighters).

Minimum Sign Retroreflectivity Timeline


Deadlines were established in 2007 to implement minimum levels of retroreflectivity for signage per the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).


Maintaining Minimum Retroreflectivity


1. January 22, 2012: By this date, roadway owners must adopt a plan to ensure that their signs meet Minimum Levels of Retroreflectivity by the dates cited below. The FHWA lists 5 options, among which are simple visual inspection and blanket replacement of groups of signs at the end of their “useful life” as stated by the manufacturer.


2. January 22, 2015: Regulatory and Warning Signs and Post-Mounted Signs must meet retroreflectivity requirements.


3. January 22, 2018: Overhead and Street Name signs must meet retroreflectivity requirements. If street name signs meet retroreflectivity requirements and are all CAPITAL letters, they may remain in service for the remainder of their useful life. They never have to be changed out only because of the capital letter/mixed case issue.

FHWA estimated the cost for making these retroreflectivity improvements throughout the entire United States to be $37 million dollars over a 10 year period. The reason that this figure is lower than some estimates reported in the media is that the implementation timetable detailed above was designed to roughly coincide with the useful life of existing signs. Thus, it is likely that most of them would have been replaced anyway.

For more information, check out the Sign Retroreflectivity Toolkit.
Also, check out the FHWA Sign Visibility page.


Fleece Lined Bomber Jacket
The fleece lined bomber jacket from ML Kishigo is ANSI/ISEA Class 3 compliant, and features a durable, waterproof shell with a fleece liner and fleece lined hood. In addition to the high visibility color material, the jacket also utilizes black material in the areas which most commonly get dirty - helping the jacket maintain a bright and clean appearance. The fleece lined hood is both removable and can also be hidden. Also includes, 2" wide 3M Scotchlite reflective material, right chest wallet pocket, left chest radio pocket, zipper slash side pockets and drawstring hood. Available in high visibility Lime and Orange; sizes M-5XL.
HiVis Supply is a reseller of high visibility apparel including ANSI approved clothing, safety vests and traffic vests for a variety of job duties like roadside construction, manufacturing and plant assembly.
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