Tagged with 'safety apparel'

Most of us know the drill. ANSI-rated garments meet a specific requirement that's been put in place to enhance visibility in hazardous, busy, and often chaotic work environments. But what about the work environments where ANSI Class safety gear actually lowers our visibility?
 
It may sound odd, but it's a totally valid question. Generally speaking, it's the bright colors and mandatory reflectivity of an ANSI Class garment that allows us to be seen. However, in some circumstances we must consider that these qualities are useless from a safety perspective and that Non-ASNI apparel - although considered "less safe" - could be more beneficial to the wearer. It might even save lives.
 
Imagine working in forestry during the prime months of fall when tree's leaves are changing colors and display vibrant hues of yellow and orange. Imagine working road repair on a heavily wooded and curvy 2-lane backroad during the same season. Imagine the lack of color contrast when a firefighter sporting yellow hi-vis gear battles wildfires among a blazing landscape of yellowish-orange flames. In all of these situations - especially during the daylight hours - the reflectivity of ANSI gear becomes somewhat irrelevant and the bright colors may actually work against their original intentions. What was meant to help you stand out from your surroundings is now doing the opposite. This is how Non-ANSI apparel could save your life.
 
By definition and specifications, all ANSI gear requires a specific surface area (usually measured in square inches) of bright colored fabric and a specific surface area of reflective material. Regardless of how much reflective material a garment has, if the material isn't bright yellow or orange, it doesn't meet ANSI standards. This is why you'll see black safety vests with ANSI Class 3 reflectivity levels that are labeled as Non-ANSI. The black material itself fails to meet ANSI requirements.
 
While "black-bottom" ANSI gear has exploded into the market in recent years, it still doesn't offer the level of contrast that a black safety gear might offer in these rare but very real environments mentioned above. So what is one to do?
 
If your job has an ANSI standard, it needs to be adhered to. However, if you're wearing your ANSI 3 vest to improve your visibility in an environment where ANSI 3 is not technically required, you might want to rethink your actions. There are a lot of us who wear garments that carry a higher ANSI rating than our job or task requires, and we do this to improve our own safety. However, we could be unintentionally increasing the risk of accidents or even death without even realizing it. Before you make the decision to throw on your ANSI-rated safety vest, ask yourself if it's the most beneficial protection for the tasks at hand. Could a black, red, or even blue non-ANSI vest improve your ability to be seen by motorists, co-workers or equipment operators? It's something we deserve to consider.
 
 

If you work in a dangerous or risky environment, you're probably no stranger to high visibility gear. At the very least (and depending on your job requirements), you probably don a simple safety vest on the job. Alternatively, if you're working with certain chemicals or in hazardous environments, you might be required to wear non-ANSI protective gear.
 
Regardless of what you're protecting yourself from on the job, there's always certain standard requirements that must be met. This could be reflectivity, chemical resistance or fire retardant properties - and along with these requirements comes different levels of protection (depending on the work environment) and therefor different standards that are required to maintain compliance.
 
As an example, ANSI Class 2 requires a certain level of reflectivity which is rated by the actual amount of reflective material the garment contains. ANSI Class 3 uses the same principal, yet requires a higher amount of reflectivity meaning an increased amount of reflective material is required to meet compliance.
 
The concept is pretty easy to understand, especially if you've been working in your field for a while and are familiar with the specific safety requirements of your job. But what about when those requirements change?
 
In some fields, there are multiple standards of compliance depending on the duty being performed. Many times these are ignored or met with confusion and while it may not be intentional, many workers risk their safety each day without actually realizing it.
 
A common situation is when certain areas of a job site require a lower standard of protection than other areas, yet there are many workers who travel throughout the site performing different duties. They might be required to wear high visibility or non-ANSI safety vests in one area, while workers in higher traffic areas require ANSI Class 2 gear to meet compliance standards. The misconception in this situation is that workers from the lower traffic areas might assume they're protected for their specific job description, but their safety gear doesn't actually meet the requirements for the higher traffic area of the job site, regardless of the duty they're performing. While this sort of scenario might not seem to be a big deal, it puts the workers at greater risk by decreasing their safety and increasing the chances of an accident.
 
Road workers are another one of the many professionals whose safety requirements change on the job. If they're working long hours into the night, they're going to have to meet the ANSI requirements for night time road work, regardless of whether or not they normally work at night. So in a situation where construction is running behind and long hours or overnight shifts are required, you might have workers out there who aren't used to wiring after dark and aren't equipped with gear that meets the minimal safety standards.
 
What about your job? Are there certain times when your duties, even if rarely, require a different level of safety than the typical or most commonly performed duties that you partake in? Are there times when even if for a shirt period, you're in a situation where your safety gear doesn't meet the standards for that particular task or environment? If so, you're only putting yourself at risk.
 
Think about it, and think about the importance of safety on the job. After all, it's a job. Do you really want to risk serious injury or death while at work? The whole point of work is to be able to support yourself so you can enjoy life, and neglecting safety on the job is like neglecting the importance of your life.
 
If you work in changing environments, consider picking up the extra gear to ensure that you can always meet the minimal safety standards. If possible, consider purchasing gear that meets the highest requirements available or gear that's a level above what's required to ensure that you're always meeting and exceeding the standards instead of occasionally falling below them.
 
HiVis Supply carries a complete line of high visibility safety gear and apparel from the top brand names to meet any level of compliance necessary. From safety vests, hard hats and gloves to rain gear, winter gear and more. We have the top quality products you need to remain visible, safe and comfortable on the job, including all classes of ANSI/ISEA 107 compliant gear. Visit our website now to check out our massive inventory and save with our guaranteed everyday low prices. Your safety can't afford to wait, it should always be the top priority.
 

At work, high visibility gear protects you from many common dangers while greatly increasing your visibility. Day in and day out, it assists you in the prevention of accidents, injury and even death in the workplace. It's a part of your job, a requirement, and a measure that's been put into place not only to protect you, but your co-workers as well.
 
We notice that many times, in many situations, workers are equipped with old, outdated or worn out safety vests and gear that are not nearly as capable of accident and injury prevention as it originally was. This can be due to several factors such as extremely rough, rugged or dirty work environments, inattentive employers, budget cuts and more. Regardless, safety should always come first.
 
Whether safety gear is provided by employers or the responsibility of each worker to provide their own, nobody should have to cut corners or choose a less than desirable option for financial reasons.
 
While many people see high visibility gear as nothing more than a requirement, others take workplace safety very seriously. While we understand the points of view from both sides, there's one thing we can definitely assure you - quality gear from a quality brand will outlast and outperform similar safety garments of lesser quality.
 
Generally speaking, the safety gear that costs more is going to be a higher quality product. Unlike designer shoes or clothing, you're not just paying for a name or a logo, you're paying for quality. Since ANSI class apparel has to meet certain requirements, you can rest assured that a vest with a higher price tag will lend better abrasion resistance, a nicer fit and of course more reliable reflectivity - all which helps to increase your safety and performance on the job.
 
While we don't want to sound contradictory to ourselves, hi vis apparel is one case where the brand name DOES matter. Companies who consistently produce gear at the lowest cost possible will likely barely meet ANSI safety requirements, which remember, are the MINIMUM requirements. On the other hand, a company who produces a piece of quality manufactured safety gear likely has a significant amount of time, research, and money invested into creating products that are highly effective. These quality made products are easily going to outperform the cheaper alternatives in nearly every aspect, which overall actually makes them more economical in the long run.
 
Instead of buying the cheapest gear you can find, take a minute to think about your safety, the safety of your co-workers or the safety of your employees. It only takes a single accident to change things forever. Are you willing to risk your safety, your life, or the safety of others just to save a few dollars? Once that cheap gear wears out it's not only ineffective but it means that it needs to be replaced because it no longer meets the specifications for complying with ANSI requirements.
 
The next time you need to purchase safety gear, look at your options. Look at the new technology that's available including the strong, puncture resistant ripstop materials, FR or fire resistant fabrics, and high tech reflective technology offered by certain brand name innovators. Get the gear that will protect you at your specific job in the best way possible and don't be tempted to cut corners because it could cost you your life.
 
HiVis Supply carries an immense inventory of high visibility safety gear and apparel from the top, most trusted brand names as well as up and coming smaller companies who put a genuine focus on quality and performance. Shop our inventory today and save with the lowest prices available on the best gear offered anywhere.