It goes without saying: greater visibility on the road and on the shop floor means fewer accidents. In this sense, clothing is a key element for worker safety.
High visibility clothing makes sure you are properly visible during the daytime (from a distance) as well as at night or when it is dark. This high visibility is created by fluorescent, reflective and photoluminescent sections on the clothes we wear.
But what exactly is the difference and which kind of clothing is best suited to your situation?
Discover all our high visibility clothing
Hi-Vis clothing
In the case of fluorescence, invisible UV light is transformed into visible light. This renders the colours all the more vibrant, which ensures proper visibility during the daytime and in rainy weather. As can be seen in the bright colours of a hi-vis jacket. The official colours that may be used in occupational settings are listed below (standard EN ISO 20471):
- Fluorescent yellow
- Fluorescent red
- Fluorescent orange-red
The colours green and blue are also on the market but may not be used in occupational settings, as the standard leaves users only with a choice between the three colours specified. However, green and blue may be used in private (e.g. joggers).
Reflective clothing
As the term itself says, the clothing reflects light. A reflector sees to it that the light is reflected in exactly the same direction as the light source, irrespective of the angle of incidence. This in turn ensures good visibility in the dark when light hits reflective sections. Examples include road signs that light up when they are hit by light when it is dark.
Reflective materials are increasingly seen to be making a comeback in a variety of different materials. The best known application are reflective stripes, as seen on hi-vis jackets. Nowadays, the effect is frequently applied as very subtle piping or a fine line or, to the contrary, as a very distinct full vest/ jacket in this material, although we should add this is permitted only for private use.
Please note: in the dark, you remain visible wearing reflective clothing at a 150-metre distance. Wearing light-coloured clothes, you are visible at 50 metres, whilst wearing dark-coloured clothes reduces this to just 20 metres.
Photo-luminescent clothing
In this case, energy from a light source (infra-red radiation, visible light or ultraviolet radiation) is absorbed and retained. This is referred to as photoluminescence, also known as phosphorescence. This creates an after-glow effect, which causes the object to light up in the dark. The photoluminescent sections are visible in the light and in the dark, even though the light intensity wanes over time. One requirement being that the object is repeatedly exposed to light for it to continue to give off light in the dark light afterwards, which produces a glow in the dark effect. One example are emergency exits.
Often you will find a combination of two or several of the above reflection types in one product. A hi-vis jacket is a good example of a combination between fluorescence and reflection: during the daytime, the fluorescent colour ensures good visibility whilst the reflective stripes take over in the dark .
Discover all our high visibility clothing
This short video shows the effect of wearing fluorescent or reflective clothing in the dark.
EN ISO 20471 standard
This standard covers high visibility clothing suited for use in occupational settings. Clothing items may be assigned to one of these three classes. Which class the item comes under depends on the minimum surface area of fluorescent and reflective materials.
| Class 3 | Class 2 | Class 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluorescent textiles | 0,80 m2 | 0,50 m2 | 0,14 m2 |
| Reflective tape | 0,20 m2 | 0,13 m2 | 0,10 m2 |
You can meet class three requirements by wearing one garment that is class three or by combining two pieces of clothing (e.g. a parka and a pair of trousers) which jointly reach the surface area required. However, this is only permitted when they are also approved together. Be careful with differently coloured sections, such as large lettering or a company logo for instance. These surfaces are deducted from the required surface area, which may cause a garment to no longer meet the requirements of class three.
There are various requirements to be taken into account when it comes to fluorescent materials and the fitting of reflective strips:
As stated above, not all colours are permitted when it comes to fluorescent clothing. Under EN ISO 20471, the colour is the protective factor, which means the colour is extensively tested.
In addition, the contrast materials (collar finish, lining, etc.) are tested to make sure they do not overly bleed onto the fluorescent colour to prevent the colour from turning dull. Think of a red sock that has inadvertently been included when you were washing your whites. In that case, there is every likelihood that the red will bleed into your white laundry. Visibility by way of fluorescent materials around the torso, sleeves and legs is essential. Fluorescent materials may be broken up by reflective stripes.
In the case of reflective stripes, the width needs to be at least 5 cm and the stripes need to be fitted correctly. If not, they do not count towards the surface area calculation. This means that the strap needs to be wrapped twice around the torso, the arms and legs (or once horizontally with vertical bands across the shoulder).
Photoluminescence has not been included in EN ISO 20471. This is likely to do with the way photoluminescence works, in that it depends on a light source.
What about maintenance?
It is very important to frequently check the quality of high visibility clothing to make sure they are not losing their protective property. Clothes may lose their protective properties if:
- They are dirty
- The reflective stripes are damaged
- They are (industrially) washed (too often)
The number of permissible washes (industrial washes) whereby conformity of the fluorescent section and the reflective stripes with the standard is guaranteed, is shown on the label of the garment. If you are unable to find any information on this topic, you should assume a maximum of five washes to continue to rely on guaranteed protection under the EN ISO 20471 standard.
