Have you ever wondered why it is necessary and crucial for some workers to use High Visibility colors? Well, yes, the workers have to wear these colors in order to be visible, but there’s much more to know about it. Keep reading this article to understand why its use is critical and in what circumstances you should wear them.
The High Visibility color, often known as hi-vis or hi-viz colors in the PPE industry, is any color highly luminescent both in light and dark to help workers stay visible in any background with any lighting condition. Phosphorescent yellow or lime and Orange are the most popular colors amount this industry, but they are not the only ones. In fact, there is a whole color palette to consider when it comes to choosing Hi-vis such as red, effulgent fuchsia, and effulgent green…indeed, almost any luminescent color could be considered a high visibility color.
But what makes these colors so vibrant? Well, these colors own their vibrance to the pigments. They reflect the ultraviolet rays of the sun as a bright light creating a visual distinction that attracts the human eye, making it easier to be seen.
In the PPE industry, the High Visibility colors are often combined with dark colors in the confection of the equipment, precisely to create this visual perception of contrast. The most common combinations are yellow-blue (navy blue), yellow-black and orange-blue. Likewise, reflective tape is almost always there to be joined with both items mentioned above, to assure the visibility of the subject. Regularly, it is placed in strategic sections to emphasize some parts of the body, such as the limbs: wrists and shins, shoulders and torso.
In which environments should these colors be used?
Nowadays, workers are either required or choose to wear high visibility equipment, to reduce the incidence of on-duty accidents and injuries. The OSHA standard (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requests the employee to wear hi-vis gear in two specific situations: "when they work as flaggers and when they are exposed to public vehicular traffic in the vicinity of excavations". Rather than these circumstances, workers can choose either to use it or not.
The importance of keeping you safe while developing the tasks mentioned above lies in wearing the correct garments for each specific situation. Whether it is mandatory or not, you should always take into consideration the following situations in order to know when to use Hi-vis:
While working in low light environments: it is crucial to be identified/easily located. Also, when in dark surroundings, you should wear reflective tape on your clothing items.
While working on roadways, highways
While working in construction
While working in a garbage truck or street cleaner
While working in mines
While working as a flagger
While working as a firefighter (in this particular case, there is a lot more to know about, clothing has to be red luminescent and most of the time it has reflective and hi-vis tape. It also has to strictly follow some certifications).
Types of Hi-Vis protection equipment (PPE):
Now that you know what Hi-Vis is, when and where to use it and why it is crucial to wear them, here you have a list of the types of garments you can wear in order to stay visible:
Clothing: In terms of clothing, every piece can be hi-vis, and, as mentioned above, brands regularly make up the combination to create contrast on the gear, such as hi-vis jacket, high vis pants, t-shirts, shorts, and even skirts!...
Footwear: When it comes to shoes, it is a plus that would make the difference in order to highlight and keep visible a crucial part of your body: your feet. At Dikamar we have The Dikamar Trace High Visibility, which will maintain your feet visible during developing tasks. This boot was designed especially for the construction and industry workers, as its bright color would make it easier to locate them and also due to its thermal insulation capacity of keeping your feet warm at even -40ºF or keeping them fresh in warm weather and, they also meet ASTM F 2413-18 standards. These specific characteristics make the Dikamar Trace High Visibility the perfect choice for workers in construction and industry.
Accessories: to increase the visibility some items will help you such as helmets, backpacks, clams, gloves and beanies…
These are the main reasons you should be aware of why wearing high visibility colors is crucial while performing the tasks mentioned above, so that accidents at work can be avoided and to keep the wearer safe and visible to work serenely.
Stay safe and visible!
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