By Scott A. Corrao, president of Reflective Apparel
Worker safety has increased as a result of high visibility (hi visibility) standards. However, these standards only regulate safety for a portion of workers while they are on the clock. Hi-visibility uniforms are not required by law for every worker, but that doesn’t mean some workers aren’t still at risk.
Organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Federal Highway Administration (FHA), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) have standards that define “hi visibility” clothing requirements.
Standards, such as ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), focus largely on protecting workers who are near moving vehicles and heavy equipment. This often includes professionals who work in construction, airports, warehouses and manufacturing. While these workers certainly need to be highly visible, workers in other professions benefit from enhanced visibility as well.
Reflective Apparel aims to make all workers visible by designing uniforms with reflective properties that are discrete in the daylight, but provide hi visibility retro-reflectivity in low-light situations. WildSpark™ performance apparel is designed to be used in situations where ANSI safety standards are not required, but visibility still needs to be a focus.
On-the-clock safety for all workers
Visibility is important in any environment where there is heavy equipment, moving vehicles or low visibility. Safety managers are helpful in assessing risk to ensure proper compliance. Risk assessments include an evaluation of the work environment, speed of traffic, complexity of the work environment and workers’ ability to focus. Many companies default to a Class 3 level of protection, which is the highest visibility standard, as a precaution.
But what happens when employees, who are not required to wear ANSI hi visibility safety apparel, still work in low-light situations? How do employers protect these people and keep them safe? Many of these workers; couriers, valet attendants, bellhops, event staff and delivery drivers to name just a few, work at night or near moving vehicles and should have a way to protect themselves while still maintaining a client-facing appearance.
While ANSI hi visibility apparel is regulated by strict standards, enhanced visibility garments are not. Enhanced safety often refers to a garment that has retro-reflective striping added for visibility. For some companies though, large strips of reflective tape across uniforms may not align with the company’s brand image. As a result, many uniforms lack reflective properties in an effort to maintain a desired brand image. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reflective Apparel has been able to design and create apparel that uses discrete visibility properties that allow the garment to aid in low light conditions. With retro-reflective properties integrated into the entire surface area of the fabric, WildSpark™ garments make wearers highly visible even in extremely low-light situations. WildSpark™ garments can be customized to look like traditional high quality uniforms, and the reflective properties are not apparent until they are needed. This means a uniform may look like a traditional athleisure or button down shirt, emblazoned with a company logo and still provide low-light visibility.
While enhanced visibility is not required for all employees, it can improve the safety of all workers. And not just on the clock, but off the clock as well.
Off-the-Clock Safety
Companies can do more to keep workers safe both on and off the clock. Companies are responsible for keeping workers safe on the job, but the new standard is enhanced uniforms that also protect employees after work.
Many workers wear their uniform off-the-clock as they walk to the bus stop, ride their bike home or walk their dog after work. Hi visibility clothing is important for everyone as they go about their daily lives. Employers can help increase the number of individuals who wear hi visibility clothing by providing them with comfortable attire that has discrete reflectivity.
Vulnerable road user fatalities have been increasing in the U.S. at an alarming rate. Vulnerable road users are defined as those who sustain a greater risk of injury in any collision with a vehicle and are in need of protection against such collisions. This may include pedestrians, roadway workers, people operating a wheelchair or other personal mobility device, motorcyclists and bicyclists. More than 7,000 pedestrians in the United States were killed in crashes involving a motor vehicle in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That equates to one death every 75 minutes.
Reflective uniforms can help reduce this number by making people more visible both on and off the clock. For instance, an event employee who works at a stadium benefits from a reflective uniform when navigating their departure from work through a parking lot with thousands of cars. With the added features of UPF50+, moisture wicking and anti-microbial technologies, WildSpark™ helps employees transition from work to personal activities without feeling like they are in workwear, so they continue to benefit from the uniform’s reflective properties. Employers often encourage employees to use hearing, eye and respiratory protection whenever it is needed, not just at work. Reflective attire should also be a priority. Safety awareness shouldn’t stop at the job site when it comes to visibility. Everyone should be visible and safe at all times, not just on the job.
Benefits of Increasing Worker Safety (On and Off the Clock)
Increasing workers’ visibility both on and off the clock does not have to be legally mandated to be important. Prioritizing worker safety, both on and off the clock, not only saves lives, but it also benefits businesses too.
Studies show multiple benefits of investing in worker safety, including:
- Increased retention
- Lower injury costs
- Reduced absenteeism
- Decreased turnover
- Increased productivity and quality
- Improved employee morale & loyalty
The reflective properties of WildSpark™ garments allow people to “Be Safe and Be Seen” while at work or play. Wildspark™ is available wholesale, through Reflective Apparel’s network of distributors. For more information, visit www.wildsparkapparel.com.
ABOUT
Scott A. Corrao is the president of Reflective Apparel, which manufacturers quality high visibility garments for public and private sector workers, including firefighters, police officers, railroad workers, Department of Transportation employees, construction workers and airport employees. Originally founded in 1989 to support the public safety market’s need for nighttime reflectivity, Reflective Apparel was at the forefront of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard for High Visibility Safety Apparel, having pioneered many of the ANSI garment solutions found today. Reflective Apparel’s warehouse and production facilities are located in Marietta, Georgia. For more information, visit www.reflectiveapparel.com
Also read: Research on Protective Clothing Could Keep Firefighters and Other Workers Safe
