
Breaking Down Hi-Vis Clothing: Everything You Should Know Before Buying It
Hi-Vis clothing is of critical importance for any construction worker, police officer, or anyone who works in the outdoors. Hi-Vis clothes are not just to make you more visible; they also help protect you from accidents and injuries that can come about due to your visibility being impaired. This safety clothing is essential not just for you but for everyone around you too. However, there a lot of things that you must know before buying it.
In this article, we’ll break down all the things you should know about Hi-Vis clothing.
What is High Visibility Clothing & How Does it Work?
Hi-Vis clothing is designed with bright colors and reflective materials to make the wearer more visible in low light or nighttime conditions. Hi-Vis safety gear helps protect workers from accidents that might otherwise go unnoticed, providing a critical first line of defense when working outdoors. These garments also serve as effective tools for maintaining safety during construction projects, traffic incidents, public events like parades, protests, and sporting activities.
Hi-Vis clothes are usually made of fluorescent colors or reflective materials that stand out against backgrounds, making them easier for others to see. The main purpose of Hi-Vis Clothing is simply to make the wearer visible. The brighter you can appear from all angles, the greater your chances will be spotted before something happens, causing an accident or injury.
Safety Benefits and Features of High Visibility Clothing
The most significant benefits & features of high visibility clothing are:
- Hi-Vis clothing is highly functional and used in a variety of industries for different purposes. Some examples where this safety clothing is used are firefighting, construction work, highway maintenance, and traffic control. Hi-Vis garments often show up on the job sites as they offer important safety features that protect employees from injury due to falls, slips, or collisions with other objects;
- Hi-visibility garments also help workers to be seen by others in their environment, which can avoid accidents involving pedestrians on foot or those using vehicles such as cars and trucks;
- Hi-Vis Clothing offers protection against heat stress through its ability to reflect sunlight off the material onto the wearer’s skin, so s/he does not get burnt. This type of garment may also have air vents within it designed to release heat and sweat from the body and have moisture-wicking capabilities, which can help maintain a comfortable skin temperature. Hi-Vis Clothing has been shown to significantly improve visibility in certain environments such as nighttime construction work or roadwork zones.
What Must be Kept in Mind While Buying Hi-Vis Clothing?
Key factors that you must keep in mind while buying HI-Vis clothing are:
- The material used for Hi-Vis clothing
- Hi-Vis rating (signifies the level of visibility)
- Type & size (with regard to comfort, convenience, etc.)
One of the first things to consider when buying Hi-Vis Clothing is what type of garment is suited for your needs. Hi-Vis Jackets are perfect if you want protection from rain, snow, and wind, while Hi-Vis work trousers or Hi-vis shorts provide optimal visibility in work environments such as road construction zones where traffic may be moving at high speeds. Hi-Vis Vests which come with a reflective strip around the stomach and chest area, offer an excellent alternative to jackets, too, since they can keep your whole body warm in cold weather with their insulation properties.
Furthermore, hi-vis clothing is made from a number of materials, including nylon, polyester, or cotton, with reflective strips sewn into it, which makes it more visible when worn during daytime hours. It also comes in different types, such as workwear that can be dressier and tailored or casual wear that might have elastic at the waistband, so they don’t need a belt. These days hi-vis is even seen on t-shirts! Hi-vis clothes come in various sizes too – small/medium /large/extra-large.
Ending Note
Hi-vis clothing is a crucial safety measure for those who work in high-risk occupations. It should be worn by workers who are on the road, at construction sites, and even those who work indoors near machinery or chemicals that could cause harm if not seen properly. All of these environments require different qualities for hi-vis garments, so it’s important you know the risk involved in your job and the type you need before making the final choice of any high visibility clothing.