| There's a lot more planning and thinking that goes | | | | reflective belts. |
| into the manufacture and implementation of high | | | | Class 2: |
| visibility clothing than initially meets the eye (no | | | | These items are a little more visible than class 1 |
| pun intended). After doing a bit of research into | | | | garments and are worn in environments that |
| high visibility clothing in the UK, I came to realize | | | | require individuals to be clearly visible from near |
| that there are many regulatory standards that | | | | and far. The EN471:2003 states that clothes that |
| have to be met by workers wearing these | | | | fit into this class need to have at least 0.5 sqm of |
| eye-catching outfits. This article takes a look at | | | | fluorescent of material and 0.13 sqm of reflective |
| the main regulatory standards that different | | | | material. |
| types of reflective clothing have to meet before | | | | Examples: Short sleeved garments, sleeveless |
| being worn in certain situations. | | | | jackets, waistcoats, bibs. |
| In the UK, high vis clothing is separated into 3 | | | | Class 3: |
| different classes, each suitable for particular | | | | Class three items of high visibility clothing are used |
| working environments. The classes are stated in | | | | in the most dangerous environments such as |
| the national regulation document labeled | | | | working beside a road or rail track where high |
| EN471:2003. Class one is the simplest form of | | | | speeds are being reached by vehicles or in darker |
| reflective clothing and class three the most | | | | environments where visibility is essential. Class 3 |
| effective form of visible clothing. Let's take a | | | | items need to be made up of at least 0.8 sqm of |
| quick look at what characteristics differentiate | | | | fluorescent material and 0.2 sqm of |
| these classes from one another: | | | | retro-reflective materials. Another key |
| Class 1: | | | | characteristic of class 3 clothing is that garments |
| Class one items are very simple, minimally | | | | need to be similarly reflective from the front and |
| fluorescent items of clothing that can be worn in | | | | the back. |
| safer environments. By law, these items need to | | | | As you can see, there's a lot more thought and |
| have at least 0.14 sqm of fluorescent material | | | | regulation that goes into something as simple and |
| and a minimum of 0.10 sqm of reflective material. | | | | common as high visibility clothing. |
| Examples: work harnesses, over trousers, | | | | |