High-Visibility Safety Apparel - Mass. · PDF fileANSI Standards on High-Visibility Clothing...

Commonwealth of MassachusettsExecutive Office of Labor and Workforce DevelopmentDepartment of Labor Standards

Commonwealth of MassachusettsExecutive Office of Labor and Workforce DevelopmentDepartment of Labor Standards 1001 Watertown Street, 2nd Floor West Newton, MA 02465

Rev 3-15

Things to Consider When Selecting High-Visibility Apparel

To determine if Class 2 or Class 3 garments, or Public Safety Vests are the most appropriate high-visibility clothing, an assessment should include:

• Typeofworkbeingdone(repaving,maintenance, police detail)

• Workingconditions:timeofday,temperature,weather

• Typeofroadway,trafficpattern,congestionandspeed• CompliancewithANSI/ISEA107-2004or2010and

ANSI207-2006• Stateandlocalstandardsandguidelines

When Should High-Visibility Safety Apparel Be Replaced?

High-visibility clothing does not last forever. Poor colorcontrast,lowornoreflectivity,anddeterioratingreflectivestripswouldrenderahigh-visibilitysafetygarment unacceptable for use. High-visibility safety apparelshouldbereplacedwhenitbecomesfaded,torn,dirty,soiled,worn,defaced,orifitisnotvisibleat1,000feetdayornight.Theservicelifeofhigh-visibilityappareldependsonthetypeofworkanindividualperformswhilewearingthegarment.Ifyouthinkyoursafety apparel is questionable, you should replace it.Apparelthatiswornonadailybasishasaservicelifeexpectancyofapproximately6months,althoughapparelthatisnotwornonadailybasismayhaveauseful service life of up to 3 years.

Factorsthatmaycauseappareltowearoutmorequickly,depending on the amount of use, include increased exposure to sunlight, heat, and more strenuous jobs likelytoleadtosoilingortears.Inaddition,toprolongthelifeofthegarment,youmustfollowmanufacturers’instructions for laundering and storage.

Oldapparelshouldbecutinhalfsothatitcan’t be reused.

What Regulations and Standards Apply to Public and Private Sector Workers?

WhileprivatesectoremployeesarecoveredbyFederal OSHA,publicsectoremployeesinMassachusettsarenot.TheMassachusettsDepartmentofLaborStandards(DLS),inaccordancewithChapter149section6,ischargedwithinspectingpublicsectorworkplacesinMassachusettsanddeterminingwhatproceduresandpracticesarerequiredtoprotectworkers.Asamatterofpolicy,DLSreferencesOSHAStandardsaswellasotherconsensusstandardsindeterminingwhetherproperproceduresarebeingfollowedtoprotectworkers.SincetherearenospecificOSHAstandardsforhigh-visibilityapparel,DLSrecommendsthatallpublicsectoragenciesfollowFederalHighwayAdministrationsManualonUniformTrafficControlDevices(MUTCD)aswellastheANSIStandardsonHigh-VisibilityClothing(ANSI/ISEA107and207).ComplyingwiththesestandardswillinsurecompliancewiththeprovisionsofMassachusettsGeneralLawChapter149.

Where Can I Get More Information?www.atssa.com

www.labsafety.com

www.mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/ publications.htm

http://www.workzonesafety.org/fhwa_wz_grant/atssa/atssa_high_visibility

http://www.ehow.com/about_5590056_national-visibility-public-safety-vests.html

High- Visibility Safety A pparel For Public Employers and Employees In Massachusetts

617-969-7177www.mass.gov/dols

Classes of ApparelTherearethreeclassesofgarmentsbasedonthewearer’sactivities. The classes are differentiated by the amounts ofretroreflectivematerial,theplacementofthematerial,and the design and color of the vest used.

Class 1 - This apparel provides a minimal amount of retroreflectivematerial,andisunacceptableforanyworkdoneinarightofwayaccordingtotheMUTCD.Class1clothingtendstoblendinwiththeworkenvironment insteadofdrawingattentiontoworkers.

Aharnessthatcriss-crossesthebodyisnotanadequatehigh-visibilitygarment,asitdoesn’tmeettheminimum ANSIrequirementsfortheamountofbackgroundmaterialandretroreflectivematerial.

Class 2 -ThistypeofgarmenthaslessbackgroundandretroreflectivematerialsthanClass3garments.Theyare appropriateformostdaytimeactivities,workingofftheroadway,wherethereisaphysicalbarrierbetweenthe workerandtraffic,onlower-speed,lower-volumeroads, and secondary-road environments. These garments are requiredasaminimumwheretrafficexceeds25mph.Wearersinclude:

• Roadconstructionworkerswheretrafficisbetween 25-50mph

• Schoolcrossingguards• Parkingandtollgatepersonnel• Roadsigninstallationpersonnel• Lawenforcementpersonneldirectingtraffic

Class 3 - This type of garment offers the greatest visibility. Itallowsworkerstobeseenataminimumof1/4mile (1,280feet).Thesegarmentshavesleevesandpantsandthereforehavealargeramountofbothbackgroundandretroreflectivematerials.Class3garmentsareusedinhigh-riskenvironments,suchashigh-speedroadways(inexcessof50mph),highly-congestedareas,complexlaneshifts,awiderangeofweatherconditions,and/orcomplexworkzones.Class3garmentsarerecommendedfornightwork,whenthereisnophysicalbarrierbetweentheworkerandtraffic,workingontheroadway,urbanareas, and high-crash areas.

AClass3shirtmusthavesleeves,withretroreflectivematerialbetweentheshoulderandelbow.AClass2shirtcanbe used in a Class 3 setting if retroreflectivepantsareworntogetherwiththeClass2shirt.This is referred to as a Class 3 ensemble(ClassE).NotethatthepantscannotbewornwithoutaClass2or3shirt.

Introduction Workingneartrafficandaroundconstructionequipmentexposesmillionsofworkersacrossthecountrytostruck-by,runoverandbackoverhazards.Workerswhoareatriskincludehighwayconstructionandmaintenanceworkers,surveycrews,crossingguards,emergencyincidentresponders,andpoliceofficers.Anyworkerexposedtotherisksofmovingroadwaytrafficorconstructionequipmentmustwearhigh-visibilitysafetyapparel.Theuseofhigh-visibilitysafetyapparelallowsmotoristsandequipmentoperatorstoseeworkersdistinctly,reducingtheriskofworkerfatalityorinjury.

What is High-Visibility Safety Apparel? Thepurposeofhigh-visibilitysafetyapparelistomakeworkersstandoutfromtheirbackground,todifferentiate thewearerasaperson,andtoprovidegreatervisibilityduringnighttimework.Theworkersshouldbevisiblewhentheyarestanding,walking,bending,squatting,andturningsideways.Theworkershouldbeidentifiableasapersonbyamotoristapproachingfromthefront,back orside.Theworkershouldbevisibleduringdayandnightwork.

High-visibilityapparelconsistsofafluorescent-coloredbaseasbackgroundmaterialthatisintendedtobehighlyvisible.Thecolorofthebackgroundmaterialcaneitherbefluorescentyellow-greenorfluorescentorange-red.Theretroreflectivematerialisthebandofmaterialplacedoverthebackground,intendedtoreflectlightbacktothesourcewhenlightshinesontheapparel.

How do I choose the correct apparel?Therearetwostandardsthatapplytohigh-visibilityapparel. One is a general standard and one standard appliestopublicsafetyworkers.TheANSI/ISEA107-2004Standardisageneralworkerstandardthatspecifiesdifferent classes of high-visibility safety garments based onwearer’sactivities.ThisstandardwasrevisedandupdatedinJanuary2010,asANSI/ISEA107-2010.ThereisalsoaSECONDstandard,ANSI/ISEA207-2006StandardforHigh-VisibilityPublicSafetyVests,whichestablishesdesign, performance specifications, and use criteria forhighlyvisibleveststhatareusedspecificallybylawenforcement,emergencyresponders,fireofficials,andDepartmentofTransportation(DOT)personnel.

You can choose various colors and classes of garments dependingontheworkbeingdoneandtimeofday.

Who must wear High-Visibility Apparel? TheFederalHighwayAdministrationrequirescompliancewiththeManualonUniformTrafficControlDevices(MUTCD).MUTCD requires all persons within the right-of-way who are exposed either to traffic or to work vehicles and construction equipment to wear high-visibility safety apparel that meets the ANSI 107 or 207 standard. This includes crossing guards, police officers,publicworksemployees,andanyoneworkinginaroadway.AClass2orClass3garmentisrequiredasaminimumdependingontheworkbeingdoneandthetimeofday.OSHArequiresconstructionworkersinhighway/roadconstructionworkzonestowearhigh-visibilityretroreflectiveANSI107Class2orClass3garmentsaswell.(LetterofInterpretation8/5/2009)

Apparel Colors

TheANSI107standardgivesachoiceofclothingcolors: orange,yellow-green,orfluorescentversionsofthesecolorsfordaytimework.Inchoosingclothingcolorskeepin mind:

• Workersshouldnotbethesamecolorastrafficbarrelsandtrafficcones.

• Workersshouldnotbethesamecolorasconstructionvehicles.

• Workersshouldnotbethesamecolorasemergencyvehicles.

• Workersshouldbeidentifiabletobothmotoristsandconstruction vehicle operators.

• Motoristsshouldbeabletoidentifyaworkerbeforetheygetwithin1,000feetoftheworker.

• Contrastagainstbackgroundisimportant.Forexample,orangevestsmaybebestagainstwooded,greenbackgroundswhilegreenvestsmaybebesttocontrastwithorangebarrelsandcones.

Fornightwork,thesegarmentsmustalsobe retroreflective.Theretroreflectivematerialshallbeorange,yellow,white,silver,strongyellow-green,orafluorescentversionofoneofthesecolorsandshallbevisibleataminimumdistanceof1,000feet.

Workactivitiesrequiringaminimumofclass3 apparel include:

• Trafficmovingfasterthan50mph.• Nightworkonanyroadway,regardlessoftrafficspeed• Whenthereisnophysicalbarrierbetweentheworker

andtraffic• Urbanareasandhigh-crashareas• Flaggingoperations• Temporarytrafficcontrolsetupandremoval• Setupandremovalofworkzones• Constructionlaborersandvehicleoperators• Surveycrews• Incidentresponse,particularlyatnight• Emergencyutilitycrewsdispatchedatnight

Public Safety Vests

TheANSI/ISEA207-2006StandardforHigh-VisibilityPublic Safety Vests establishes design, performance specifications, and use criteria for highly-visible vests that areusedbylawenforcement,emergencyresponders,fireofficials,andDOTpersonnel.TheprimarydistinctionofANSI207versusANSI107liesintheamountoffluorescentbackgroundmaterial.ThesevestsfallsomewherebetweenaClass1andClass2garmentforamountofbackgroundfluorescentmaterial;however,theamountofretroreflectivematerialremainsthesameas a Class 2 garment.

Publicsafetyofficersshouldwearnothinglessthanthistypeofhigh-visibilitygarment.Darkshirtswithasmallamountoffluorescentmaterialattheshouldersdonot offerthevisibilityneededbypoliceofficersstandinginaroadway.OlderstyleraincoatswithasinglereflectivestripearenotANSI207compliant.Safetyharnessesofany color are not acceptable under any circumstances.

Special features of public safety vests include specific vest dimensionsanddesignfeaturestoallowpublicsafetyworkerstoaccessbeltmountedequipment(gun,radio, CPRbarriermask)and/ortheabilityfortheveststotearawayfromthebodyattheshouldersifthewearerisstuck.Thedifferenceinfluorescentmaterialallowfordesignaccommodationofequipmentbeltsandforflexibilitytoincorporate color panels, such as blue for police and red for fire, to enhance easy, on-scene identificationofwearers.Thesegarments are not intended to replace, or be interchangeable with,theANSI107apparelusedbyconstructionworkers.