All You Need to Know About High Visibility Workwear

by Peter McClure Corporate Clothing, Workwear PPE Equipment Supplie

Some workplaces are extremely hazardous and prone to life-threatening accidents. While workers were undervalued in the past as there were inadequate precautionary measures to save them from accidents, for modern industrialists, labor welfare is a prior concern. Moreover, the government has enforced strict rules to ensure the safety of workers at hazardous workplaces. While safety gear has been in use for a long time, the present-day equipment is far better in terms of quality and comfort. Among the various industrial workwear used these days, high visibility clothes have gained huge importance. These attires reduce the risks of accidents by making the worker visible in low-light conditions or dark rooms.

History- In the UK, high visibility clothing has been introduced in the mid-sixties for Scottish railway workers. With time, it gained importance in all the areas where workers required to work in a low-light condition. Moreover, it became a uniform for those employed in the emergency services, such as fire brigade and bomb squad forces. Today, high visibility clothing has become symbolic of jobs requiring extreme caution.

Where it is used?

At present, high visibility clothes are used in all industries where the workers' visibility is important for protection. For example, workers who deal with sharp machines have to wear high visibility sweatshirts to protect themselves from accidental bumping by others. If the worker does not wear them, he/she could lose a life on the job. Resultantly, the company has to suffer the angst of workman's family and other workers. Moreover, the government will hit back hard on the employer for not taking the right measures to keep the worker safe. Due to such accidents, a factory may face closure. Thus, safety gear is integral for hazardous workplaces. Here is a list of various jobs that require high-visibility clothes.

1. Medical industry

In this field, high-visibility clothes are worn by people recruited in emergency services like an ambulance. These clothes help the crowd at the accident spot to identify the medical team and give it passage. In operation theatres, high-visibility clothes allow the medical team to see each other while passing instruments.

2. Air traffic controllers

The traffic controllers working for the airline industry usually wear high-visibility clothes so that pilots are warned of their presence on the runway. These people have to guide the pilots while landing, takeoff, and handling the plane's cargo. So, their visibility is important, and to ensure the same, they wear high-visibility clothes.

3. Construction workers

These workers wear high-visibility vests to remain visible to the people driving on the road. These attires thus help them avoid road accidents. Similarly, the workers on high-rise buildings wear similar attire to carry out night-time construction work safely.

4. Security personnel

These people wear high-visibility clothes to easily spot each other and coordinate at the time of emergency. These clothes are especially mandatory when the security team has been employed at large crowded event grounds or assembly halls.

What are the distinctive features of hi-visibility clothes?

High visibility clothes are made of retroreflective materials and they are dyed with brilliant fire hues, like light yellowish-green, orange or red which are visible in dark. For extra visibility, these clothes possess intelligent stripes or emblem. There is a wide range of designs and styles available in these clothes. Lightweight options like sweatshirts and T-shirts are preferably worn during summer, while thicker and heavier ones are suitable for winter.