Benefits of Hi Vis Shirts and Vests | NationalSafetyGear

Who Should Be Wearing Hi-Vis Safety Shirts and Vests?

When you think about hi-vis shirts and vests, what comes to mind? Highway workers. Being highly visible is essential to keeping these workers safe on the job. The majority of drivers these days are distracted by phones, kids, GPS and more. This makes it even more important for highway workers to wear bright, clean, and reflective hi-vis shirts and vests when working day or night.

But what about other professions, and pedestrians for that matter? Who else can benefit from wearing hi-vis clothing?

OSHA Requirements for Hi-Vis Shirts and Vests

OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, set out requirements for who should be wearing high-visibility clothing on the job. According to the OSHA manual, daytime flaggers must wear a hi-vis vest, shirt or jacket colored orange, yellow or a bright yellow-green. Night flaggers must wear a hi-vis shirt or jacket that reflects headlight beams. The reflective hi-vis clothing must be orange, yellow, white, silver or bright yellow-green.

Basically, OSHA requires business owners to provide “employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.”

Under the “general duty clause” outlined above, employers must ensure their employees adhere to these visibility rules to any workers exposed to traffic or construction vehicles. This includes:

• Highway or road construction workers
• Heavy equipment operators
• Surveyors
• Landscapers
• Tower, utility or paving workers
• Firemen
• Emergency responders
• Tow truck drivers
• Crossing guards
• Parking attendants
• Tollbooth operators
• Airport ground crews
• Shopping cart retrievers
• Garbage and refuse workers

Voluntary Use of High Visibility Clothing

Outside of the regulatory standards set in place by OSHA, there are a variety of other people who can benefit from hi-vis safety shirts and vests. In many warehouses, processing plants and factories, high-visibility clothing has been widely adopted.

Even pedestrians can benefit from using protective hi-vis clothing. Joggers, especially at night, can use hi-vis vests or jackets to make themselves highly visible to traffic. With so many different clothing options available, including vests, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and more, there is no excuse not to take the extra precaution to stay safe.

When it comes to staying safe on the job or just in everyday life, turn to NationalSafetyGear. Our selection of reflective hi-vis clothing is intended to meet OSHA standards and keep you safe day after day.