Safety vests are crucial for all work sites. Whether you’re in the business of construction, warehousing, or manufacturing, you can’t do without safety vests for the following reasons:
T-Safety supply professional and honest service.
When customized, safety vests also serve many other purposes, including:
Today, we’ll go over some useful tips to ensure you get the most out of your custom safety vests.
The ANSI/ISEA 107- is a compliance standard that regulates high visibility clothing for workers. It sets clear parameters such as the print area, type of material to be used, or size of reflectors. These parameters should be followed when making custom safety vests.
The standard itself is voluntary, but following it can improve your worksite by:
In addition, it goes hand-in-hand with the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Note: Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Administration says that employers must provide workers with a work environment that’s free from any recognized hazards which are likely to cause harm or death.
ANSI/ISEA 107- focuses on the following parameters:
Your custom safety vests should be made out of highly visible fabric with bright fluorescent colors that stand out against any surrounding background or lighting conditions.
Fluorescent-colored fabrics have special pigments to soak up and reflect ultraviolet (UV) light, which makes them glow and appear bright even at night or in dim light.
The best color options according to OSHA guidelines are:
The custom safety vests must have strategically placed strips of reflective tape to increase their visibility in low-lit conditions. These reflectors work by bouncing light off themselves to make the entire vest appear much brighter.
This is especially useful during nighttime, as the reflectors are clearly visible when drivers are shining their headlights on the road.
The table below details the safety accreditations you should look for.
Safety Class Features Class 1Choose the safety vest class that works best for your needs. The more exposure to hazards your employees face, the higher the safety class you should get.
Remember: Safety vests are sold according to their classifications, so as an employer, it’s your responsibility to pick the right one.
There are numerous printing options available for logos, printed text, or both, including:
Choose a print that contrasts perfectly with your safety vest’s color.
Solid color black prints are the most legible and most suitable for maximum visibility. They’re also the easiest way to maintain compliance with ANSI standards.
Even if your line of work doesn't necessarily require ANSI compliance, following the ANSI standards is a reliable way to ensure your workers stay visible, which can help prevent accidents.
However, the point is for workers to stand out even in dim conditions. Therefore, the printed area must not cover a large block of high visibility material. As a result, your logo and print details must not exceed 72 square inches—according to section 7.2 of the ANSI 107 standards.
You can split the 72 square inches however you like, as long as you are within the parameters. For instance, you can print the logo on the pockets with the printed text on the back.
The same section of the ANSI compliance document also specifies that your printed text and logo should be less than 22 square inches on the retroreflective strips.
It’s also important to maintain the “balance of design” as specified by section 6.3.5 of ANSI standards. You need as much unprinted material as possible on either side of the vest, which means you can’t use all the allowable 72 square inches on one part of the vest.
For instance, you can’t have both a large size logo and print on the back—you have to distribute it so that the vest remains clearly visible from either side.
Since you can’t cover the entire vest for safety reasons, you need to be strategic about where you place the logo. You want to put it where it’s clearly visible to market your company without compromising the vest’s safety features.
The best places to print your logo include:
You can use a larger logo on the vest’s back and a smaller one on the chest, or pocket.
Regardless of the position you choose, ensure that the size of the logo matches the chosen portion as well as the text you want to include. Make it too big and you’ll be outside the parameters of ANSI regulations, make it too small and no one will see it.
Place your logo no less than an inch from any major features such as seams, zippers, or pockets. This will distort its shape.
Additionally, stick to simple single or two-tone logos in dark colors that are legible against the bright contrast of the vest or result in an uneven print.
Expert Tip: Choose a logo and print design that works on your other custom apparel (such as hoodies and t-shirts). Maintaining the same design will reduce the time it takes to get your orders produced and cut down on screen printing costs.
In addition, it will help you maintain a consistent brand identity that can help boost your business.
Your custom safety vests should be functional and include user-friendly features such as:
Vests fitted with a breakaway system are designed in such a way that when they are pulled with excessive force they break away from the body.
They help prevent accidents if one gets caught or entangled in the moving parts of machines and heavy equipment.
Pockets are handy for keeping small tools and other useful items such as notepads and calculators. Look for a vest design that comes with multiple pockets for increased functionality.
Pro Tip: Multiple pockets will also give you more printable space to display your logo.
Flame-resistant vests are designed with self-extinguishing capabilities so they don’t catch fire when exposed to flames.
If your employees work in areas where they may be exposed to sources of extreme temperatures, get heat-resistant vests to increase their safety.
Are you interested in learning more about wholesale safety vest? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Color coding your safety vests makes it easy to identify and distinguish workers doing different jobs or within different departments. This can help you implement a more coordinated incident response system in the event of accidents.
Custom safety vests are worthwhile for added safety and compliance in your worksite.
That said, fading, unclear prints, or lopsided logos won’t do your business any good. You don’t want to pay to replace your vests frequently or portray a negative image that can cost you contracts.
Jupmode can help you get it right the first time.
We offer top-notch printing for your safety vests and other custom safety clothing.
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*Disclaimer*
The information contained on this page is for promotional and informational purposes only. All equipment should be used by trained professional tradesmen who have been trained how to use the equipment described on this page, and understand the risks of their work. PowerPak assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the use or misuse of any product purchased. In no event shall PowerPak be liable for any direct, special, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other torts, arising out of or in connection with the use of this information or the contents of this page. PowerPak reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents on this page at any time without prior notice.
If you know what you need, safety vests are very straightforward, but without all the information, you’ll pay for the wrong vest. They may seem all the same, but Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) enforcement will tell you otherwise. ANSI (American National Standards Institute) breaks down safety vests into types and classes to help narrow your search (ANSI/ISEA 107-). PowerPak has the vests you need for your jobsites. Check out our selection of safety vests.
There are three different classes of safety vest, each geared towards specific situations. As with almost every safety situation, there is nothing wrong with opting for a vest that is a higher class than the minimum requirements for the work zone.
Safety vests are categorized into 3 “types,” and each type splits into 3 “classes.”
For this article, we will mainly focus on Type O and Type R safety vests. This “type and class” system is not just for vests but for all HVSA (High Visibility Safety Apparel) such as hi-vis pants, hi-vis jumpsuits, jackets, etc.
ANSI updated its documentation defining all things safety apparel in (ANSI/ISEA 107-)
This one is simple. Class 1 is the only HVSA Type O safety vest and has the lowest required amount of high-visibility material.
Class 1 Safety Vests are for the lowest-risk areas. It could be situations where you are working a safe distance from the active roadway, but there is still potential for an incident. They have a safety yellow or safety orange background, and a minimum of 155 square inches of reflective strips. They are lightweight and sleeveless.
Class 1 safety vests are for work conditions without vehicles traveling at highway speeds. It could be where traffic is traveling no faster than 25 miles per hour. The ANSI documentation also states that the background of the worksite should not be visually complex.
Class 2 (Type R) HSVA safety vests have bumped up requirements. Like Class 1 (Type O), these vests are usually sleeveless.
The industry rule of thumb is to require these vests on worksites where traffic flow is 25mph – 50mph. These safety vests are more noticeable during the day or night at greater distances when compared to class 1 safety vests.
Class 2 Safety Vests are larger than Class 1 vests, Class 2 vests incorporate a specific amount of background material into the mix. To be a Class 2 vest, it must have no less than 775 square inches of safety yellow or safety orange background material to it. There must also be no less than 201 square inches of reflective (Reflective or Combined-Performance Materials) striping across the vest. These are required for roadway and traffic zones where traffic is moving no faster than 50 miles per hour.
PowerPak offers many options for those in need of class 2 safety vests.
Class 3 (Type R) HSVA safety vests have the highest material requirements compared to Class 1 and 2. The industry rule of thumb is worksites with traffic traveling over 50 mph should require Class 3 safety vests.
Class 3 Safety Vests are for the most hazardous environments where visibility is paramount. Class 3 vest provides the most background material and the most retroreflective striping. In many cases, these vests have sleeves. These vests must have, at minimum, 1,240 square inches of safety yellow or safety orange background, and at least 310 square inches of reflective striping.
If you’re in need of class 3 safety vests quickly, PowerPak offers a wide range of options.
As mentioned, all ANSI classes of safety vests must have minimum amounts of TWO types of material. Background material and retroreflective material/combined performance material.
Background material and retroreflective material/combined performance material. Background material is fluorescent colored fabric, usually safety orange or safety yellow. It’s the brightly colored mesh or fabric you think of when thinking of safety vests. This material is highly visible during the day.
Retro reflective material is the striping you see on safety vests. People often confuse the term retro reflective and reflective, but they are different, and they perform differently.
When light hits something reflective, like a mirror, at an angle, that light bounces off in the opposite direction. Retroreflective reflects the light directly back towards the light source. This material is highly visible at night with direction lights, such as car headlights. You’ll often find retroreflective tape in silver, white, and gray.
All these materials are required to meet various ANSI standards.
A vest may have Combined-Performance material in place of retroreflective tape. Combined-performance materials/tapes have retroreflective properties and meet the fluorescent requirements of background material. Some vests have combined-performance striping that matches the background material giving the best daytime visibility without sacrificing nighttime visibility.
Although OSHA has no specific guidelines on vest colors, some colors work better in certain environments than others. Orange vests are ideal for settings with a lot of vegetation, a blue sky or yellow sunlight. Orange-colored vests also work well in wide-open areas, particularly in the daytime.
Yellow safety vests are perfect for night work when sunlight is minimal because fluorescent yellow is more noticeable from a distance against a dark background. Yellow vests are common among construction workers, emergency responders and utility repair people.
The general rule of thumb is to choose the most noticeable color for each specific environment. Learn more about safety vest colors here.
Depending on the supplier, vests can range anywhere from a few dollars for simple designs to several hundred dollars for products with reflective tape and multiple features. Because they have the fewest amount of safety material, Class 1 vests are typically the least expensive. As the material requirements increase, the prices generally become more expensive.
Flame and tear-resistant vests usually cost much more than those without extra durability features.
Safety vests of any class or type can come with several features, and many worksites will require some of these options. Flame-Resistance: ANSI offers manufacturers the option of six different flame-resistant standards for rating safety vests. The test method is on the vest label.
Understanding the classes is one thing, but you’ll also need to consider the specifics of your worksite when it comes to choosing the best class-rated vest for your team members. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with going with a Class 3 Vest for every site – greater visibility is never a bad thing.
Consider the general visibility at your work site, how far from high-speed traffic your workers will be, and if there are physical barriers between the workers and traffic. A Class 2 vest is perfect for utility operations and volunteer work, but not good enough for flagging operations. A Class 3 vest is necessary for incident response, particularly at night, but is overkill for a landscaper. A Class 1 vest is never good enough to be worn within the right-of-way of a high-speed highway.
You should also opt for color that differentiates the worker from the environment. Safety yellow isn’t going to stick out against a bright yellow or light green environment, just as safety orange won’t stick out as much in a sand or desert environment.
One thing to note, as with all personal protective equipment, proper maintenance is important. The reflective qualities of the vests can diminish over time — sun can fade them, they can get dirty, and the reflective material can rub away through heavy use. Most daily-wear vests have a service life of six months or so, while moderate use could last up to three years. If a vest is torn, dirty, soiled, worn or faded, it must be replaced before going on-site.
While the appropriate class-rated vests are a great start for visibility on the work site, and cover the individual, there is so much more you can do to protect your workers in traffic-heavy work zones.
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