High Visibility Workwear – What Are They And Why Should You Care?

If you work in a particularly dangerous setting, like construction zones, warehouses, or generally anywhere near heavy machinery, then you need a good set of high visibility workwear. High visibility jackets, vests, hard hats, and other safety gear are now essential equipment for working in the field; but how did they even come into being and how exactly do they work? These questions and more will be answered here, and maybe after reading you may also want to purchase a couple for your own use.

Where Did They Come From?

The first time that workwear that are hi vis was way back in 1963 in Scotland. In preparation for the coming of their new electric rail line, the Scottish rail companies started giving out brightly-colored and reflective railroad safety gear to their people who maintain the rails. Since the newer trains will be much faster than the old ones, they gave out high visibility jackets and vests so that the train engineers will be able to see if there are any rail workers on the line from a distance away, giving them enough time to apply the brakes and slow down the massive machine.

Because the workwear that are hi vis were so successful in preventing accidents in the railways, they have become a staple in most other hazardous workplaces shortly afterwards.

How Do They Work?

The one thing that most people notice when they see a hivis vest or jacket is that they are brightly-colored, usually in loud neon tones. The reason is that these colors provide a stark contrast against most backgrounds, especially against earth tones. The common rule when choosing which color to use in any particular work environment, for instance in a construction zone, is to pick a color that gives good contrast with the color of the heavy machinery; so when the machines all over the site are mostly orange, then the workers on the ground need to wear neon green high visibility jackets or vests.

Another thing that makes hivis vests and other types of clothing special is that they also have a couple of strips of retroreflective material sewn into them. This material is very effective in reflecting back even the tiniest bit of light that hits them. These strips seem to light up even in the dark, thus making the wearer even more visible and easy to spot.

Who Else Uses Them?

Besides people who work in hazardous settings, even regular folks like you can actually benefit from high vis clothing. There are actually shirts that also contain some amount of retroreflective material integrated into the design of the shirt; these are usually used by bicyclists so that the cars and other vehicles that they share the road with can see them easily. It would also be a good idea to keep a hivis vest in the trunk of your car for you to wear in case you need to do some emergency roadside repairs.

Where To Buy Them?

When it comes to the best safety clothing in Sydney there are only a couple of companies that can hold a candle to what we have to offer. If you visit our website you will find a wide selection of workwear that are hi vis, we are practically a one-stop shop for everything related to high visibility and workplace safety. We are proud to say that all of our products are up to government standards and are guaranteed to last for a very long time.

So, if you decide that you actually need same railway workwear inspired gear, you should visit our website and place your orders. If you live in Sydney or in the nearby areas like Wollongong, Parramatta and others, we promise that your order will promptly get delivered right to your doorstep; we also promise that you will not regret your purchase.
 

 
 

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