Be Seen and Be Safe

Wearing a Reflective Safety or Reflective Rain Gear Make Safety Sense

Be seen and be safe.  Everyone who works near moving traffic knows how important it is to be seen.  Construction workers, flaggers, equipment operators, etc., are all at risk of blending into their backgrounds and not being seen by motorists.  Wearing a high visibility safety vest or other reflective clothing is one of the best ways to increase worker visibility and can literally save your life.  The sooner a worker is seen, the more time the motorist has to avoid the accident. 

In an effort to reduce the number of accidents, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has established standards, ANSI/ISEA 107-2010, for high visibility vests and other high visibility clothing.  The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has ruled that all workers who are within the public right of way of a Federal Aid highway must wear ANSI 207-2010 Class 2 or Class 3 clothing. 

Such high visibility clothing is available in many forms, the most common being the reflective safety vest, also sometimes known as a traffic vest or construction vest.  

Additionally, in the reduced visibility of rain or fog, reflective clothing is even more crucial.  If you’re working in bad weather, reflective rain gear should be worn to increase your visibility.  ANSI approved rain jackets have a weatherproof outer shell to repel water, and a breathable inner layer to keep you dry and comfortable.  Along with the rain jacket you can wear reflective rain pants that usually have pockets.

An ANSI Class 2 or Class 3 reflective safety vest or reflective raingear will help you to be seen and be safe.