High visibility workwear How to make a quality choice?

Jackets, vests, trousers, neon jumpsuits, the importance of the high visibility range

The high visibility range, recognizable by its fluorescent color, is the most innovative, technical and stylish on the market. The increased focus on global health and safety standards across multiple work environments has required a huge focus by companies on the use of high visibility workwear among employees. Providing its employees with high visibility standardized clothing certifies the safety of their signaling clothing regardless of their sector of activity and avoids any risk inherent in their profession.

Complies with stringent requirements both in design and construction, to satisfy the latest high visibility EN ISO 20471 norm. This new international standard for high visibility clothing was published in April 2013 and replaced the EN 471 standard.

Modifications of tests according to EN ISO 20471: 2013:

• The new standard requires that high visibility clothing be tested after washing. The number of washes (if more than five) should be indicated on the garment care label. This will increase safety and ensure that the high visibility level of the garment before washing is maintained even after it.
• All reflective tape must be of the highest standard, i.e. class 2. Class 1 d tape is no longer permitted.
• The retro-reflective tape must be tested after having been subjected to the maximum number of washing and drying cycles indicated by the manufacturer.
• Three high visibility fluorescent colors, yellow, orange and red, meet the strict requirements of EN ISO 20471. The contrast color can be any color as long as it passes the EN ISO 20471 stability test. This means that it does not hold or compromise the protection prevented by the high visibility fabric after washing.
• Tensile strength, burst strength, tear strength requirements have been reduced.
• The color fastness to the color bleeding requirement is increased to 4.
• Color fastness to washing / dry cleaning: the color fastness requirement has been reduced to 4 for non-fluorescent fabrics.
• Water vapor permeability requirements for fabrics (excluding EN 343 fabrics) have been changed.

EN ISO 20471: This international standard specifies requirements for high visibility clothing, which is capable of visually signaling the presence of the user.

High Visibility Workwear is intended to provide the wearer's visibility in all light conditions when seen by operators of vehicles or other mechanized equipment in daylight conditions and under headlight illumination in the dark.

The high visibility workwear has a fluorescent surface, combined with a reflective material that meets certification requirements in three different classes:

Regulation of high visibility PPE

As mentioned above, high-visibility work clothing is governed by the EN ISO 20471 standard, which certifies the safety of workers when wearing standardized clothing. There are three classes with specific characteristics for each type of high visibility clothing, here is an explanation of each of these classes.

Class 3: Maximum level: Highest level of protection required for anyone working on or near motorways or dual carriageways or airports. Must have a minimum of 0.80 m� of fluorescent base material and 0.20 m� of retro-reflective tape (4 meters of 5 cm wide reflective tape).

Class 2: Intermediate level: Required for anyone working on or near a road (class A and B), also for delivery drivers. It must include a minimum of 0.50 m� of fluorescent base material and 0.13 m� of retro-reflective tape (2.60 meters of 5 cm wide reflective tape).

Class 1: maximum level of protection required for anyone working on a private road to be used in conjunction with higher class clothing. It must have a minimum of 0.14 m� of fluorescent base material and 0.10 m� of retro-reflective tape (2 meters of 5 cm wide reflective tape).