Accidents in the workplace, although decreasing year on year, are very common and often associated with the absence of safety equipment and high visibility.
The EN ISO 20471 standard for high‐visibility professional clothing replaced the EN 471:2003 standard in 2013. Both standards specify the characteristics that a high‐visibility garment should have in order to visually signal the presence of the user in all light conditions, both day and night. However, while the previous standard focused essentially on the type of garment, the current standard attaches greater importance to the area of the body that is covered by the high‐visibility garment, namely, a) the torso only; b) torso and arms; c)legs; d) torso and legs; e)torso, arms and legs. In view of these changes, if you are responsible for your company’s high‐visibility professional clothing, make sure it complies with the current standard. Since 2013, all high‐visibility items that comply with the respective standard must be marked with CE signs.
High-visibility clothing consists mainly of three components:
Fluorescent elements made with special pigments that are brighter than normal colours. Fluorescent colours make the most of any existing sunlight and may be more visible in low light
conditions, such as dusk or on cloudier days. This type of clothing also provides a strong contrast against most backgrounds/environments.
Reflective tapes to increase visibility in the dark as they do not provide much contrast during daylight.
Contrast material designed in a darker fabric to highlight fluorescent elements and reflective tapes and strategically placed in places most prone to dust and dirt accumulation (cuffs, knees and trouser bottoms).
The current standard allows the use of 3 colours for the background material and combined effect, namely fluorescent yellow, fluorescent orange and fluorescent red.
High-visibility professional clothing is distributed on a scale of 1 to 3:
Class 1: lower degree of visibility (e.g. harness straps or high visibility trousers only)
Class 2: intermediate degree of visibility (e.g. waistcoats or capes)
Class 3: higher degree of visibility (e.g. long‐sleeved jackets or ensembles covering a large body area).
Taking into account the update of the standard, a higher class than the classification of an article can be achieved when grouping parts that may be of a lower class but cover an extended body area corresponding to the minimum requirements of a higher class. However, this higher class must be specified in the instructions for use and on the labelling of both garments.
Table 1 – Minimum required areas of visible material in m2.
| Material | Clothing Class 3 | Clothing Class 2 | Clothing Class 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background material | 0,80 | 0,50 | 0,14 |
| Retroreflective material | 0,20 | 0,13 | 0,10 |
| Combined effect material | not applicable | not applicable | 0,20 |
Source: NP, EN ISO 20471, 2015
This labelling corresponds to a high visibility garment of class 2 (number on the right).
Applications:
Workers in the gas and electricity industry and in the transport industry such as road, rail and airports. Construction workers, first responders and street and public cleaning workers also benefit from this increased visibility.
Subscribe to our UNIFARDAS® Newsletter to stay informed about the latest news, promotions, and exclusive updates.
UNIFARDAS® supports Espaço T, which is an inclusive organisation, of all and for all, and our common goal is to increase employment opportunities for young people with special needs and/or who, for some reason, have been excluded from the labour market.
We work hard to provide safe working conditions by going beyond the imposed and mandatory minimums.
We support, nurture and offer continuous training programmes aimed at improving skills.
At UNIFARDAS® we keep up to date with the latest technologies and innovations that can optimise our production process making it more efficient and close to zero waste.
UNIFARDAS® is a partner of Espaço T, an inclusive organisation, of all and for all, with the common goal of increasing employment opportunities for young people with special needs and/or who, for some reason, have been excluded from the labour market. In this organisation, immigrants will also find a support network in finding work and housing.
In addition to the sustainable path we have been taking throughout our production and supply chain, UNIFARDAS® participates, supports and organises a beach clean-up every year after the bathing season, in partnership with World Clean-up Day. We are also partners of Seaqual, an entity that, together with some other partners, promotes the collection of ocean waste and its transformation into upcycled marine plastic that will then be used in the production of fabric and other sustainable products.
In addition to the sustainable path we have been taking throughout our production and supply chain, UNIFARDAS® participates, supports and organises a beach clean-up every year after the bathing season, in partnership with World Clean-up Day. We are also partners of Seaqual, an entity that, together with some other partners, promotes the collection of ocean waste and its transformation into upcycled marine plastic that will then be used in the production of fabric and other sustainable products.
