Some Facts About High Visibility Safety Products

By Minnie Whitley


Safety is important for everyone. It is even included in the hierarchy of the needs of man. It is the condition where one is protected from physical, psychological, occupational and other events that are considered by one to be undesirable. While there is no such thing as total safety against anything all at once, one can still control hazards to reach an acceptable level of risk. It is as they say, no pain means no gain.

Although one can not be fully protected, it does not mean that a person should not take precautionary measures to be able to avoid harm. People give their homes a certain level of protection through surveillance. People protect loved ones by looking after them in any way they possibly could. People protect property through insurance. People protect themselves from occupational hazard through the use of high visibility safety products.

These are usually pants, vests, bibs, jumpsuits, and even head gear that provide additional protection to the one wearing it. These are made of sturdy and low maintenance materials. One standout characteristic of these apparel is that they allow the wearer to be visible at all times, especially in dimly lit areas where it is hard for one to see clearly. They also have shiny silver strips that reflect light.

Usually, these high visibility clothing are used by traffic control officers, roadside construction workers, emergency response units, parking lot attendants, and the like. These people are working in high risk working conditions that may be poorly light or may be working during night time. They use such products so that they will be easily and clearly seen by others in the same environment.

Protective wear does not make use of any ordinary materials. Most of them are made using fluorescent materials. These soak up the UV rays from natural sunlight and bounces back brighter than anything in the surroundings. This makes the wearer easily visible especially when working in construction sites where the eyesight can be obstructed by dirt clouds.

To solve the problem, gears made from retro reflective materials are used for night shift laborers. This returns light in the direction of the source. For example, people working on road constructions after sunset are seen by drivers because the light from the headlights of the car will hit the retro reflective suit and will bounce back to the source of light. These are most suited for low light conditions.

With the help of progressing technology, safety apparel made out of combined fluorescent and retro reflective materials are already available. These can be used during both day and night, in both high and low light conditions. One would have to choose this carefully because not all reflective materials are fluorescent, and not all fluorescent are retro reflective.

When you are choosing which safety apparel to use, you should see to it that you take note of the size or the fit of the working gear. It should provide for maximum coverage with reflectors than can be seen at all angles. It should not be too bulky, especially when worn with ordinary work clothes underneath. It should also allow its wearer to move freely and comfortably.

All safety apparel are divided into three different strata. Class one is noted for low coverage. Class two guarantees medium coverage and fine visibility. Class three is extremely visible under all possible conditions and provides for total coverage.




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