Tagged with 'Hi Vis clothing'

High Visibility Safety Vests - Not Just for Roadworkers

Jun 12, 2013

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

Hi-Vis for Low Light and Roadside Construction

Nov 14, 2012

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).

Hi Visibility Products for the Summer

Nov 14, 2012

Roadside safety is always a dangerous situation, but add the summer heat and you've now got another consideration to be made - not only being seen, but also staying cool in the summer sun. the body sweats in order to cool itself off, so wicking micro-fiber clothing helps keep you comfortable and compliant at the same time. Having lightweight hi-vis clothing helps protect your body and keeps you cool. Hi Vis Supply carries ML Kishigo products for roadside safety including summertime clothing as seen in the video above.

Below, the Ultra-Cool black bottom mesh vest is designed with the top features of today's ANSI Class 2 vest, but also includes the unique black bottom design. The solid black material is incorporated into the areas which most commonly get dirty - helping the vest to maintain a bright and clean appearance. Constructed from 100% Ultra-Cool polyester mesh material, the vest is durable and offers long-lasting brightness. Other features include a zipper closure, dual mic tabs, radio pocket, multi-tier pencil pocket, two lower patch pockets with flaps and two inside patch pockets. This vest is also ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 compliant.

Cool Black Bottom Mesh Vest

3 Ways to Prepare for Winter Drivers - Part 2 - The Pedestrians

Nov 14, 2012

In last week's installment, we talked about preparing for winter road conditions as a driver, including maintenance on your vehicle, and mental preparation for a hazardous environment.

We all know that driving in winter is challenging. But what can you do as a roadside worker, construction worker, flagger, crosswalk guard, bicyclist or pedestrian to keep yourself out of harm's way?

1. Cyclists - Make sure your bike head and seatlights are in working order. These lights must be working properly and cover north, south, east and western exposures, and bright enough to be seen in tough conditions. Get a mirror and reflectors, both are inexpensive and useful. Remember to ride against traffic so you can react to what's happening ahead of you, and most of all, always don hi-visibility gear such as safety vests, signal lights and armbands.

2. Pedestrians - Use sidewalks whenever possible and take off your earphones, or at least lower the volume so you can hear the ambient noise around you. Use crosswalks and wait for signal hands to change before entering the roadway. And, as with cyclists, walk towards oncoming traffic for the ability to make quick self-preservation decisions. If you walk regularly, there are hi-vis t-shirts and mesh safety vests for warmer weather, and fluorescent sweatshirts, even hivis parkas with retro-reflective material and reflective stripes for you die-hards who will walk and workout in the most extreme conditions.

3. Flaggers, Construction Workers and Roadside Workers - As we've said before, he key to staying safe is staying visible. Hi Vis clothing, hi-vis apparel, high-visibility jackets, pants and accessories are the absolute best way to keep safe during the winter months. Flaggers are your first line of defense if you're a part of of roadside construction crew, but who's going to defend the flaggers? By simply being on the road, you're at the mercy of vehicles, no matter how safe you act or work, but you absolutely must be seen in high visibility clothing and hi vis accessories. And, depending on the speed of the vehicles near or around you, you may need a different class of hi-vis safety vest, or high-vis jacket.

Check out safety vests, Hivis apparel, hi-vis accessories, and traffic safety apparatus at HiVis Supply. The holidays are here, and you need to stay safe while at work or out on the roadways.