The top priority for work safety rules is to ensure easy detection and tracking of workers in complex work environments. Wearing high-visibility clothing is necessary in various work environments to provide adequate conspicuity to users in hazardous situations, regardless of lighting conditions. According to the American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel(HVSA), there are three types of high-visibility safety apparel: Type O for potential hazards from moving vehicles and machinery, Type R for environments exposed to road traffic or construction equipment, and Type P for emergency and incident responders and law enforcement personnel.
The ISEA has also created three performance classes for HVSA, with a gradual increase in the minimum area of high-visibility materials required from Class 1 to Class 3. Customers can purchase different levels of high visibility clothes based on their expected risk environment. The design rules for HVSA are listed in the standard PDF section 6 on the ISEA website, including spacing between reflective bands, minimum width of reflective bands, number of reflective bands, and minimum areas of colored fluorescent material.
High-visibility apparel uses fluorescent materials and retroreflective materials to provide conspicuity during the daytime, dawn, dusk, and nighttime. The fluorescent materials react with the sun's rays and car headlights during the day and poor visibility conditions such as dawn or foggy weather to create a glow effect. The retroreflective materials reflect light and have a wider observation angle at night, allowing drivers to be notified of hazards ahead.
To be flame-resistant, high-visibility clothing must pass different standards depending on its use. NFPA 2112 is for industrial personnel exposed to short-duration thermal exposures from fire, NFPA 1977 is for wildland firefighting, ASTM F1506-19 is for arc flash and FR, ASTM F1891-19 is for arc flash and FR rainwear, ASTM F2733-17 is for FR rainwear, and ASTM F2302-19 is for labeling protective clothing that provides resistance to incidental exposures to heat or open flame.
Three performance classes are also made by ISEA to incorporate HVSA types mentioned above, requiring a gradual increase of minimum area of high-visibility materials from class 1. Customers can purchase different levels of high visibility clothes based on the expected risk environment. Various design options are available according to the different requirements at different classes and types. The design rules is in the standard PDF section 6 from ISEA website.
Table 1: . Minimum Areas of Visible Materials from ISEA
Garment Type | Performance Class | Background Material | Retroreflective or CombinedPerformance Materials | Minimum Width Retroreflective Material |
Type O | Class 1 | 217 in² | 155 in² | 1 in |
Type R | Class 2 | S size: 540 in² Other: 775 in² | 201 in² | 1 in (split-trim designs) 1.38 in |
| Class 3 | S size: 1000 in² Other: 1240 in² | 310 in² | 1 in (split-trim designs) 2 in |
Type P | Class 2 | 450 in² | 201 in² | 1 in (split-trim designs) 2 in |
| Class 3 | 775 in² | 310 in² | 1 in (split-trim designs) 2 in |
Supplemental Items.Pants, Overalls, Shorts, Rain Pants and Gaiters | Class E | 465 in² | 109 in² | 1 in (split-trim designs) 2 in |
How to make a high-visibility clothing?
To provide enough conspicuity during the daytime, dawn, dusk and nighttime, a high visibility apparels use both fluorescent materials and retroreflective materials. The fluorescent materials can react with sun's rays and car headlights during the day time and poor visibility conditions such as dawn or foggy weather to a glow effect. The retroreflective materials reflect the light and has a wider observation angles during the nighttime. Drivers can be notified a few seconds ahead to make proper reactions.
Numerous options of reflective bands are available in the market, including fluorescent color retroreflective tapes, reflective tapes with customized patterns, and flame-resistant reflective heat transfer tape. Many brands are available in the market as well, such as 3M, Siser, AmeriFLEX, or you can buy directly from manufacturers at cheap price.
Different classes have different design rules listed in the standard book. Generally, they specified the spacing between each reflective band, minimum width of reflective bands, number of reflective bands, and minimum areas of colored fluorescent material, including fluorescent yellow-green, fluorescent orange-red, and fluorescent red. Optional criteria are included as well including the position of pocket, and identification panels, lettering and logos.
Which standards of high-visibility clothing needs to pass to be flame-resistant?
Different standards are required depends on the use of the apparel, NFPA 2112 is for industrial personnel against short duration thermal exposures from fire, NFPA 1977 is for wildland firefighting, ASTM F1506-19 is for Arc flash and FR which normally indicated by CAT level or ATPV values, ASTM F1891-19 is arc flash and FR rainwear, ASTM F2733-17 is for FR rainwear, and ASTM F2302-19 is the standard performance specification for labeling protective clothing which provides resistance to incidental exposures to heat or open flame.
Baihoo specializes in making flame-retardant clothing, especially with high-visibility colors. As an OEM company, Baihoo offers various fabric solutions in visibility colors. Our CAT compliant garments are available in high-visibility colors ranging from CAT 1 to CAT 4.
Most of our fabrics are available in high-visibility colors. The high-visibility orange is offered in inherent FR woven fabrics:
Parvotex Air (various weights available, CAT 2, ATPV is 6.3 - 9.4 cal/cm2)
Parvotex Thermal (outer fabric is CAT 2, ATPV 15.9 cal/cm2, the final garment can reach CAT 4)
Parvotex Rainwear (CAT 3, ATPV 26.1 cal/cm2)
Parvotex Softshell (CAT 3, ATPV 29 cal/cm2)
The high-visibility orange is offered in FR-treated knit fabric:
Pique (CAT 2)
The high-visibility yellow is offered in inherent FR:
Parvotex Stretch (CAT2)
Parvotex Air (various weights available, CAT 2, ATPV is 6.3 - 10.3 cal/cm2)
Parvotex Thermal (outer fabric is CAT 2, ATPV 15.9 cal/cm2, final garment can reach CAT 4)
Parvotex Rainwear (CAT 3, ATPV 26.1 cal/cm2)
Parvotex Softshell (CAT 3, ATPV 29 cal/cm2)
Fleece (CAT 2, ATPV 21.2 cal/cm2)
Knit pique (CAT 1, ATPV 5.5 cal/cm2)
The high-visibility yellow is offered in FR-treated:
Twill (final garments can reach CAT 4)
Pique (CAT2)
The standards we complied to:
ANSI 107
CSA-Z96
RIS 3279
EN 20471
NFPA 2112
NFPA 70E
EN 11612
Our hi-vis products are durable against industrial washes and guarantee FR property for life. We are proud to say that our hi-vis products are more stretchable than other hi-vis garments in the market. Depending on the design from our clients, our final garments can reach a higher ATPV value. We customize our layer systems based on the design and offer suggestions based on our professional knowledge in FR fabrics.
Please contact us for more!