When implementing a personal protective equipment program, there are many factors to consider. What hazards exist on the job site? What specific tasks will be performed? How do each of these jobs present a hazard to workers? What type of industrialproducts can prevent or mitigate these hazards?
One essential factor in safety planning is the effect of visibility on transportation construction workers. Working alongside high speed traffic requires having all workers visible to passing motorists. With vehicles traveling at highway speeds, every second of reaction time is another 100 feet that a car or truck will travel. At night, a person wearing regular, brightly colored clothing is only visible to a motorist once they are about 200 feet away.
Therefore, transportation construction workers need high visibility industrial products in order to be seen by drivers with enough time for that driver to react if need be. This article will examine the essential pieces of industrial clothing and how they meet the American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) guidelines for worker safety.
High Visibility Industrial Clothing For Low-Light Situations
The foundations of effective PPE for low-light situations are retro-reflective strips and the high visibility safety vest. This special reflective material focuses light back to its source, meaning that when a headlight beam strikes a reflective strip, the light is sent directly back to the driver, increasing visibility up to a quarter mile. This reflective material is necessary for the visibility requirements of meeting ANSI standards and keeping road crews safe.
The high visibility safety vest is the basis for ANSI Class 1 visibility. They have evolved from simple orange vests to the current standard bearer for work at night or in any low-light situation. These vests are available in inexpensive, one-size-fits-all models with multiple pockets and zippers for comfort and utility. The reflective bands across the chest satisfy ANSI Class 1, which is when workers are well separated from traffic and passing motorists, and traffic that is present on the job site has to be traveling under 25 mph. Therefore, for workers on active roadways, a higher class of industrial clothing is required.
A vest is sufficient by itself for shopping cart retrievers and parking lot attendants, roadside and sidewalk maintenance workers, warehouse workers and delivery vehicle drivers.
Types Of High Visibility Industrial Clothing For Active Roadways
Construction and utility workers require Class 2 and Class 3 garments for proper safety. Class 2 is required for traffic between 25 mph and 50 mph, covering most roads. For highways and interstates, Class 3 is applicable for highway speed traffic in close proximity to a job site.
Class 2 industrial products add full sleeves and an additional reflective band at the waist. This can be achieved through full-sleeve jackets that have a reflective band on the sleeve, at the chest, and at waist level. Together, these bands help motorists distinguish a worker's shape from other reflective signs or cones. These items are suited for some EMTs, accident site investigators, airport ground crews and baggage handlers, school crossing guards and others such as roadway construction and utility workers.
The final class finishes the high visibility ensemble with trousers or coveralls that have bands running down the length of the leg. With this last piece of industrial clothing, workers are visible to passing motorists for nearly 1300 feet, allowing enough room for a vehicle to come to a complete stop from 60 mph.
Additional Considerations
When purchasing visibility related industrial products, make sure that the workers are also protected from job site hazards and not just passing motorists. Utilize contrasting colors from other work site equipment to allow forklift and construction vehicle drivers a better chance to avoid their fellow workers. For example, on a job site with orange construction vehicles, use florescent green colored industrial clothing.
Reflective industrial products can be added to nearly any piece of PPE. Adding a band or cap on top of a hardhat is another way to increase a worker's nighttime profile. Reflective strips can be affixed to equipment, materials, vehicles, highway dividers, or any other items that need to stand out.
The success of a personal protective equipment program for transportation construction workers is dependent on the rightindustrial clothing for added visibility at night and during dawn and dusk hours. By following ANSI standards and guidelines, any safety engineer or manager can implement a PPE system that allows every worker to go home at the end of their shift safe and secure.