Hi-vis clothing is an important part of the complete workwear solution for any operative, team or organisation in the waste collection sector. 

The operatives need to be easily and clearly seen from a variety of different distances. 

The standard used throughout the industry for high visibility garments is EN ISO 20471:2013. 

Under this standard garments are given a class rating of 1, 2 or 3.  A rating of 1 denotes the least visibility and a rating of 3 indicates the most. 

Each rating has a minimum amount of fluorescent material and reflective material that must be on a single garment.  This applies to the whole range of sizes offered by the manufacturer (this is often why the smaller sizes in hi-vis product ranges can be slightly larger than expected). 

The fluorescent material can be coloured yellow, orange or red.  The colour of the material must meet several “colouring” criteria that focus on how the material interacts with light.  Similarly the reflective material (that makes the belts, braces and bands on hi-vis garments) must also meet a minimum standard of reflectivity. 

Under recent releases of the EN ISO 20471 standard users can also make of what is called a “system rating”.   

This is useful for workers who operate in areas where minimum ratings are required by either the company’s risk assessment or law. This includes highways workers who must wear class 3 rated clothing at all times. 

A system rating is calculated by adding together the ratings of different garments being worn (such as the rating of the operative’s t-shirt and trousers) to provide an overall rating of worker visibility.  

For instance the following calculations can be made: 

You cannot exceed a class 3 rating when using the system calculation. 

If you have any further questions about Hi-Vis clothing or the Hi-Vis safety standard, then get in touch with us on 01443 741999.