High-visibility clothing

"Yellow vests" redirects here. For the movement originating in France, see Yellow vests protests.
For the band, see High Vis.
Fluorescent green safety vest. Retroreflective stripes are optional for low-light conditions, but do not define the meaning of hi-viz clothing.

High-visibility clothing, sometimes shortened to hi vis or hi viz, is any clothing worn that is highly luminescent in its natural matt property or a color that is easily discernible from any background. It is most commonly worn on the torso and arm area of the body. Health and safety regulations often require the use of high visibility clothing as it is a form of personal protective equipment.[1][2][3] Many colors of high visibility vests are available, with yellow and orange being the most common examples. Colors other than yellow or orange may not provide adequate luminescence for conformity to standards such as ISO 20471.

As a form of personal protective equipment, high-visibility clothing is worn to increase a person's visibility and therefore prevent accidents caused by persons not being seen. As a result, it is often worn in occupations where hazardous situations are created by moving vehicles or low lighting conditions. These occupations include railway and road workers, airport workers and emergency services. Cyclists and motorcyclists may also use high-visibility clothing to increase their visibility when operating amongst motor traffic.[4] Hunters may be required to wear designated high-visibility clothing to prevent accidental shooting.

  1. ^ "Vehicles at work - High visibility clothing". www.hse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  2. ^ "Fact Sheet: High-visibility Safety Apparel - Unraveled" (PDF). Oregon OSHA.
  3. ^ "High Visibility Clothing for Heavy & Highway Construction" (PDF). American Road and Transportation Builders Association.
  4. ^ "Rules for cyclists (59 to 82) - The Highway Code - Guidance - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-03.