What Occupations Require High Visibility Workwear?

High visibility clothing has become an important aspect of PPE for workers in a variety of industries. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 requires employers to ensure that personal protective equipment is provided to protect the wearer from any risks to their health and safety, but many other occupations promote and even supply their staff with high visibility workwear, even though it’s not legally required.

What Occupations Require High Visibility Workwear?

There are many jobs that require some form of high visibility workwear. Jobs that are performed near traffic or involving the use of heavy machinery or moving equipment can be particularly susceptible to injury and so safety clothing such as hi vis workwear helps avoid accidents and injuries to staff. Employers must provide PPE for their employees that are exposed to a risk to their health or safety, except where that risk has been adequately controlled.

Some occupations that require high visibility workwear include:

• Construction workers & road construction workers
• Rail workers
• Heavy equipment operators
• Engineering & utility workers
• Emergency responders
• Crossing & parking attendants
• Airport ground crews
• Road sweepers 
• Event security
• Rubbish collection workers

As an employer, to ensure that you are providing employees with the necessary high visibility workwear, it's important to evaluate other factors. The choice of high visibility clothing should take into account:

• Ambient and artificial lighting conditions at the workplace.
• The effect of conditions such as fog and snow. 
• Where necessary the clothing should also incorporate retroreflective material to make the wearer visible when seen in headlights in poor lighting conditions or during darkness.
• All high visibility workwear must be manufactured to the British Safety Standard for high visibility clothing (BS EN 471).

Employers must:

• Provide any high visibility clothing needed for the job free of charge to any employees who may be exposed to significant risks to their safety.
• Maintain high visibility clothing in a clean state and in good working order. It should be checked before being given to employees.
• Provide storage facilities for clothing when not in use.
• Provide adequate information, instruction and training to enable employees to use high visibility clothing correctly. This should include an explanation of the risks, why the clothing is needed, how and when it should be worn.
• Supervise employees to ensure that they wear the clothing correctly and whenever it is needed.

Work and Wear Direct stock a large range of high-visibility clothing from well known brands including Pulsar High-Visibility Workwear. Call us on 01702 553698 to find out more.