High Fashion: Everything You Should Know About High Visibility Safety Apparel
High-visibility safety clothing has helped workers remain more visible around vehicle traffic, heavy equipment, and hazardous worksites for decades. Today it plays an important role in construction, utilities, road maintenance, warehousing, manufacturing, and many other industries.
According to the ANSI Blog, high-visibility safety apparel has continued to evolve as safety standards improve and workplaces become more demanding.
- Your work environment.
- Traffic speed and equipment hazards.
- Daytime or nighttime visibility.
- Weather conditions.
- Required ANSI performance class.
How to Choose High-Visibility Clothing
The most recognizable features of high-visibility apparel are fluorescent background materials and retroreflective tape. Together they help workers remain visible during daylight, low-light conditions, and at night when illuminated by vehicle headlights.
Always choose garments that meet current ANSI requirements for your work environment. Quality manufacturers clearly identify the garment's performance class and intended use on the label.
If you're comparing brands, explore our selection of RadWear high-visibility clothing, designed for demanding industrial and construction environments.
When Should You Wear High-Visibility Clothing?
High-visibility apparel should be worn whenever workers are exposed to moving vehicles, heavy equipment, low-light conditions, or other struck-by hazards.
Construction crews, utility workers, surveyors, roadside maintenance personnel, warehouse employees, airport workers, and flaggers commonly wear high-visibility clothing to improve worker recognition.
High-visibility apparel is only one part of a complete personal protective equipment program. Depending on the task, workers may also need hard hats, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, and other PPE. Princeton University's PPE guidance provides a helpful overview of workplace protective equipment.
Proper Training Matters
Employees should receive training on when high-visibility apparel is required, how it should fit, how to inspect it for damage, and how to properly clean and store it.
Supervisors should also encourage workers to replace garments that become excessively faded, damaged, or no longer provide adequate visibility.
Choosing the Right Color
Fluorescent yellow-green and fluorescent orange-red remain the most common colors because they provide excellent contrast in most outdoor work environments.
The appropriate color often depends on the surrounding environment, customer requirements, and applicable safety standards. Company logos and custom printing should never interfere with the garment's required reflective material.
Understanding ANSI Performance Classes
High-visibility garments are generally available in three ANSI performance classes.
- Class 1 garments are intended for lower-risk work environments.
- Class 2 garments provide increased visibility for many construction, utility, warehouse, and roadside applications.
- Class 3 garments offer the highest level of visibility and are commonly selected for workers exposed to high-speed traffic, nighttime work, or complex jobsite conditions.
If maximum visibility is required, browse our selection of ANSI Class 3 safety apparel.
Stay Visible and Stay Safe
Choosing the right high-visibility clothing starts with understanding your work environment, the hazards employees face, and the level of visibility required for the job.
Quality garments, proper training, and consistent use all contribute to a safer workplace while helping workers remain visible throughout the day.
Need help selecting high-visibility clothing?
Contact our team for assistance choosing the right safety apparel for your crew.