The importance of High Vis clothing

High visibility clothing is required when working in environments where vehicles are operated, when lighting conditions are poor and environments where it can be hard for you to be seen (e.g. warehouses). It takes minimum requirements and efforts to make sure that a business enforces and takes seriously their health and safety of their employees. 

In hazardous working environment, workwear, high visibility clothing and PPE are paramount. Without the right equipment in the right environment it can cause numerous problems for the business and their employees. It’s important to keep everything updated with the health and safety regulations, meaning you should replace any workwear and PPE clothing when needed. However, many people are unsure of how often you should replace your workwear and PPE for your staff.

We spoke to Rhiannon who specializes in the Workwear and PPE department of ZenOffice Business Supplies.

Why is High Visibility clothing important for businesses? 

The main reason is that it maintains health and safety within the business and prevents accidents. Additionally, with workwear and PPE, it reduces the risk of accidents occurring as you can be seen up to 3 seconds faster than you would without it.

Why is High Visibility clothing mainly orange or yellow?

These are bright and fluorescent colours which are the best which helps a person stand out to vehicles or in the darkness.

How often would you need to replace your high visibility clothing?

This entirely depends on how often the clothing is worn. If it is worn on a daily basis you will need to replace it after approximately 6 months. However, if it isn’t worn that often it can last up to 3 years.

What are the consequences of not replacing high visibility clothing when needed? 

The garments will get dirty so you will lose the effectiveness of the clothing which could then mean it no longer meets the health and safety requirements of the business.

Apart from workplace accidents, what could happen if a business is found not to have workwear and PPE provided in a hazardous environment?

The worst case scenario is that the workplace could be sued/fined. If working with open flames you will need flame resistant garments, on railway you will need high vis orange GORT garments etc.

What are PPE employers supposed to provide for their employees?

To carry out a risk assessment of the work environment to decide what risk employees face so they can provide the correct standard of PPE. An employer should provide the PPE free of charge, keep the garments up to date and replaced when needed.

If you think that your workwear doesn’t meet the business’ health and safety regulations, contact your account manager for a quote on brand new workwear and PPE.