Visibility Uniforms with Advantages You Can See
Worker visibility is critical to worker safety. Workers must be visible to vehicle operators in all lighting conditions and against complex environmental backgrounds. Enhanced-visibility and high-visibility (ANSI-compliant) uniforms offer increased visibility for workers who work in low-light or hazardous environments.
Enhanced-visibility garments are reflective uniforms with added retroreflective trim. There are no minimum reflective-material requirements and testing is not required. Enhanced-visibility garments are intended for workers who seek to improve their visibility in low-light conditions.
Enhanced-Visibility Work Shirt
High-Visibility (ANSI-compliant) Garments
High-visibility garments comply with the ANSI-107 consensus standard. (“ANSI” stands for the American National Standard Institute.) The ANSI-107 standard addresses worker visibility and specifies minimum amounts of background and retroreflective trim. Typically, a high-visibility garment is constructed of fluorescent yellow or fluorescent orange fabric that is 100% polyester (there are some exceptions for flame-resistant garments).
There are five classes of protection:
- Class 1: “Performance Class 1 provides the minimum amount of required material to differentiate the wearer from the work environment.”¹ Examples of garments in this class are vests, jackets, or shirts with a minimum amount of retroreflective and/or fluorescent background material.
- Class 2: “Performance Class 2 provides superior visibility for wearers by the additional coverage of the torso and is more conspicuous than Performance Class 1.”2 Examples of garments in this class are vests, shirts, jackets, and coveralls that meet the minimum specified requirements of retroreflective and background material for Performance Class 2.
- Class 3: “Performance Class 3 provides greater visibility to the wearer in both complex backgrounds and through a full range of body movements. Regardless of the area of materials used, a sleeveless garment or vest alone shall not be considered Performance Class 3.”3 Examples of garments in this class are vests, shirts, jackets, and coveralls that meet the minimum specified requirements of retroreflective and background material for Performance Class 3.
- Class E: “Waistband trousers, bib overalls, and shorts that meet all minimum requirements for retroreflective and background materials, except for minimum area and placement required for Performance Class 3, 2, or 1 shall be designated Class E. Class E apparel is not intended to be worn without Performance Class 2 or 3 apparel. When Class E trousers are worn with Performance Class 2 or Class 3 apparel, the overall classification for the ensemble shall be Performance Class 3.” 4
- Headwear: “Headwear is considered an important accessory and complements the overall visibility of the wearer. High-visibility headwear enhances visibility to the head of a moving worker in daylight and helps define the shape of the human form during nighttime exposure.”5
1-5Excerpted from the ANSI/ISEA 107-2010 “American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear” (section 5.1)
G&K Services offers rental work-wear garments in Class 2 and Class 3. While these products work well for a fully managed rental program, a selection of ANSI-compliant vests, shirts, and jackets is available for purchase at www.gkdirect.com.
High-Visibility Class 2 Work Shirt