Tagged with 'high-visibility safety apparel'

Retro-Reflectors for Enhanced Hi-Vis

Nov 14, 2012

One of the most important aspects of high-visibility safety apparel is the “Retro-reflective” tape. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of Mythbusters define the difference between reflectivity and retro-reflectivity while also debunking the myth that the moon landing was staged.

Wikipedia describes it this way: A retro-reflector (sometimes called a retroflector or cataphote) is a device or surface that reflects light back to its source with a minimum scattering of light. An electromagnetic wave front is reflected back along a vector that is parallel to but opposite in direction from the wave's source. The device or surface's angle of incidence is greater than zero. This is unlike a planar mirror, which does this only if the mirror is exactly perpendicular to the wave front, having a zero angle of incidence.

other applications and/or places you'll find retro-reflectors include:

- cat's eyes

- bicycles reflectors

- raised pavement markers

- traffic signs

- safety and emergency apparel and gear including lifeboats

3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material is recognized as the leading high performance retro-reflective material for enhancing worker visibility. You can find more information about this material at 3M.

Visit Hi Vis Supply for all of your hi visibility needs including all classes of safety vests with retro-reflective tape for superior safety.

High-visibility Clothing for Highway Workers Mandatory by Dec. 31

Nov 14, 2012

photo by Earl Dotter

On December 16, 2009, The Federal Register Final Rule and revised document of the 2009 Manual on Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) was released, marking the final phase-in for compliance on all public roads that are not federal-aid highways by Dec. 31, 2011. The regulation for federal-aid highways has been in force since November 2008.

The purpose of the regulation is to decrease the likelihood of worker fatalities or injuries caused by motor vehicles and construction vehicles and equipment while working within the right-of-way on highways whether they’re federally aided or not. The definitions described are as follows:

Workers - people on foot whose duties place them within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway, such as highway construction and maintenance forces, survey crews, utility crews, responders to incidents within the highway right-of-way, and law enforcement personnel when directing traffic, investigating crashes, and handling lane closures, obstructed roadways, and disasters within the right-of-way of a Federal- aid highway.

Close proximity - within the highway right-of-way on Federal-aid highways.

High-visibility safety apparel - personal protective safety clothing that is intended to provide conspicuity during both daytime and nighttime usage, and that meets the Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of the ANSI/ ISEA 107–2004 publication entitled ‘‘American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear.’’ Go to the U.S. National Archives for more information.

The rule for federal aid highways states that “all workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway who are exposed either to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) or to construction equipment within the work area shall wear high-visibility safety apparel."

HiVis Supply is a reseller of high visibility apparel including ANSI approved clothing, safety vests, traffic vests, hivis vests, ANSI Class 2, ANSI Class 3, ANSI 107-2004, ANSI 207, ANSI Class E, public safety vests. Visit our store for all of your high visibility apparel needs