High-visibility workwear is a special type of clothing made from fluorescent material with added reflective tape, used to make the wearer more visible to those around them. High-visibility workwear must be worn in any construction areas that vehicles operate in and have become a typical site for workers. But have you ever looked at a garment of hi-vis workwear and wondered, how does it actually work?
The Sun’s ultraviolet rays react with fluorescent colours which is what makes them appear to glow in the daylight. The glowing effect becomes stronger as the day draws into dusk and in poorer lighting conditions, such as fog. During the night, lights from other sources such as street lights and headlights, bounce off the reflective tape to increase visibility in the dark. Fluorescent colours work very well in poor weather such as rain and when daylight begins fading because of the way that they absorb and emit different kinds of light. Bad weather makes visibility difficult, so fluorescent workwear is the best option for improving workplace safety in these conditions.
Fluorescent colours on their own are not enough for all conditions though. They don’t show up in the dark so you need to add something reflective. Reflective materials work by bouncing back the light from a light source. Reflective materials can help you to be seen up to three seconds sooner in the dark. Similarly, although reflective tape does sometimes glint in the sunlight, reflective material on your clothing will not help you to be seen during the daytime unless the clothing is also fluorescent. In the workwear industry, both yellow and orange high-visibility clothing is often worn under health and safety laws
for quality standard EN20471.
