5 Benefits of High-Visibility Clothing

High visibility apparel helps employees stand out, reducing the risk of accidents in high-traffic areas such as roadsides, parking lots, construction sites, and low-light environments. The reflective tape and fluorescent materials used to make high-vis safety apparel improve visibility at all hours of the day, and help maintain compliance with ANSI safety standards. Customizing safety vests, tees, and sweats with your logo also spreads brand awareness, and gives your team a professional appearance. Here are the five benefits of high-visibility clothing. 

 

•  Improved Visibility

The most important benefit of high-visibility apparel is also the most obvious: bright, reflective clothing makes your employees easier to see. High-quality clothing can save lives in environments where employees work with or alongside machinery, heavy equipment, or oncoming traffic. 

High-visibility apparel helps employees or volunteers stand out in other situations. Outdoor event staff often wear high-viz safety tees or vests so event attendees can quickly distinguish between staff and fellow attendees. 

 

•  ANSI Safety Standard Compliance

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recommends using high-visibility apparel in certain situations. While ANSI is a private organization, OSHA enforces ANSI standards for safety apparel, including those that apply to employee visibility. Failure to meet ANSI standards can result in heavy OSHA fines, especially if an employee is injured while not wearing the proper personal protective equipment. 

ANSI visibility standards are divided into classes:

Class 1 ANSI safety vests are for worksites where traffic moves at 25 mph or less or when working a safe distance from a roadway or machinery. Examples of Class 1 safety apparel include the following: 

• The Quilted Safety Jacket by Tough Duck, an everyday work jacket for cold conditions. 
•  The Duck Safety Vest by Tough Duck, with ANSI-approved 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material with a 4-inch contrast backing
•  The EV Series® Enhanced Visibility Contrast Pocket Safety Tee by Kishigo, made from moisture-wicking materials for added comfort. 

Class 2 Safety Apparel is for areas of greater risk, such as roadways where traffic travels under 50 mph. Employees working as airport baggage handlers and school crossing guards should also wear Class 2 safety vests. Examples include: 

• The ANSI CLASS 2 Moisture Wicking Safety Tee with Pocket by CROWN, a soft, breathable tee with moisture-wicking properties. 
•  The High Visibility Value Mesh Safety Vest by OccuNomix, with two shoulder stripes and one 360° horizontal stripe of two-inch silver reflective tape. 
•  The Hi-Visibility Sight Coat by KEY, featuring a fluorescent yellow top, reflective tape, and black fabric at the bottom of the coat to hide dirt.

Class 3 High Visibility Apparel is required for roadways with vehicles traveling over 50 mph and is worn by construction crews, tow truck drivers, and emergency response teams. A Class 3 safety vest must have 310 square inches of reflective striping against a large fluorescent background. Possible Class 3 safety sweats, jackets, and shirts include the following: 

• The ANSI Class 3 Snap Front Windbreaker Jacket, a lightweight 100% polyester jacket with a brushed tricot lining for added warmth. 
•  The Hi-Visibility Ripstop Work Shirt , which combines 360° visibility and UPF 40 protection. 
•  The ANSI Class 3 Hi-Viz Pullover Hooded Safety Sweatshirt by CROWN, with two vertical and one horizontal reflective stripes on the body and reflective stripes down each arm.

 

•  Encourages a Culture of Safety

Employers and employees share responsibility for workplace safety. Highly visible work clothing helps employees remember to wear PPE and allows supervisors and coworkers to quickly identify employees who are not in compliance with workplace safety standards. By encouraging workplace safety, high-viz clothing improves employees' likelihood of using less obvious PPE, such as safety glasses and ear protection. 

 

•  Demonstrates Your Commitment to Safety

By providing high-visibility safety sweats and other apparel, you prove you care for your employees' well-being. Your employees will appreciate your concern, and passersby will also notice it. 

 

•  Creates a Professional Work Uniform

A work team outfitted in matching safety apparel looks more professional than a team wearing a mishmash of different garments. Branded high-visibility clothing reinforces your workers’ sense of belonging and teamwork, increasing morale and improving productivity. 

Custom safety apparel also generates brand impressions. The public learns to recognize your brand, associating your work uniforms with your company. A team outfitted in branded safety gear makes an excellent first impression and increases your brand reputation. 

Check out our wide selection of safety vests, high-viz jackets, safety tees, and safety sweats at Triple Crown Products, or browse our extensive collection of customizable personal protective equipment to outfit your team with the protection they deserve.