Understanding Hi Vis Clothing Regulations: EN ISO 2471
When working in poor lighting conditions, during night shifts or near traffic, it is essential to provide your employees with adequate Hi-Vis clothing to keep them always visible and safe. To reduce the risk of accidents, you have to make sure the garments they wear comply with Hi Vis Clothing Regulations (EN ISO 2471).
As we have already seen with Safety Footwear codes and abbreviations, understanding European Standards can seem difficult, but it is actually quite easy. Keep reading to find out all you need to know about EN ISO 2471, the international standard setting safety requirements for Hi-Vis workwear.
1) The components of Hi-Vis Clothing
The three main components of Hi-Vis Clothing are the fluorescent material, reflective strips and contrast material. The fluorescent material improves visibility during daytime, while the reflective strips are essential when working at night as they create a retro-reflective effect when they meet a light source. The contrast material, instead, is a darker-coloured fabric that is used where the piece of clothing is most exposed to dirt, such as ankles and sleeves ends.
2) Hi Vis Clothing Regulations & Key requirements
EN ISO 2471 sets out key requirements covering the minimum areas for reflectivity, the approved fabric colours, and the placement of materials.
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The requirement for the minimum areas for reflectivity restricts the freedom to adjust garments. In fact, the wearer must not wear a non-hi-vis jacket or shorten trousers if it will obscure or reduce the fluorescent and reflective material.
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The three approved colours for the background material are fluorescent yellow, orange and red. This requirement also includes colour measurement after the maximum number of cleaning cycles stated by the manufacturer (when not stated, the maximum number is 5).
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The requirement for the placement of materials refers to the position of the stripes, fluorescent and contrast material to make sure that the reflectiveness and fluorescence are not affected by the darker colours.
3) Hi-Vis Classes
EN ISO 2471 hi vis regulations introduce a three-class system for hi-vis clothing. These classes are based on the amount of Hi-Vis material used.
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Class 1 defines the lowest level of visibility and include only one piece of hi-vis clothing worn with other non-hi-vis garments. Trousers usually follow under this category.
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Class 2 defines the intermediate level of visibility, and it requires moderate body coverage. An example of Class 2 garment is hi-vis vests.
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Class 3 identifies the highest level of visibility and it requires the greatest body coverage. This performance class can be met by wearing Class 3 items (such as long-sleeve vests) or by combining items belonging to Class 2 to meet the minimum total area of reflective and fluorescent material.
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