Why high-vis clothing matters and what to buy

Construction & Safety Wear
Why high-vis clothing matters and what to buy

As the nights will start drawing in at the end of summer, now is the perfect time to think about high-vis clothing – for employees, cyclists, motorcyclists, runners and schoolchildren. We supply branded high-vis clothing for the workplace, and children’s items for schools and children’s groups. We also have promotional high-vis items that are ideal for giveaways and outdoor events.

High-vis clothing – what are the legal requirements?

High-vis clothing is a legal requirement for certain jobs such as construction, traffic management and crowd control. High-vis clothing must be worn in any construction zones that vehicles operate in, which includes drivers once they leave their vehicles.

Employers are required to provide adequate high-vis clothing to employees who are exposed to significant risks, and in turn employees are obliged to wear it and maintain it.

BS EN 471 governs high-vis clothing, and this British Standard is harmonised with European legislation. It states that this type of safety workwear must be conspicuous in appearance and reflective. All new clothing must be marked with the CE kite mark, which indicates that stringent quality control standards have been met.

At a minimum, employees would usually need a reflective over-vest or jacket, but for some roles a higher degree of visibility is needed. This would usually be high-vis trousers and a high-vis jacket.

Construction workers working in public areas need a higher level of visibility, because the public may not be expecting construction in the area. The same applies to people in traffic management roles because due to quicker-moving traffic, drivers need to be able to see them from further away.

Who else can benefit from high-vis clothing?

Within the construction industry, site visitors are often requested to wear reflective jackets to maintain visibility and safety. High-vis clothing can also be used as a form of uniform to help identify staff and authorised personnel in restricted areas.

High-vis clothing is also highly recommended for runners, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorcycle couriers, to prevent accidents and potentially life-threatening injuries.

And finally, high-vis clothing helps schoolchildren stay safe when walking to school, on school trips, or taking part in outdoor activities.

High-vis clothing for daytime and night-time

In the daytime, fluorescent clothing is sufficient to ensure visibility. However at night, fluorescent clothing does not show up particularly well or glow in the dark. Instead, retro-reflective materials are used to bounce light back from a light source such as car headlights.

Fluorescent Day-Glo yellow is usually the best choice of colour for high-vis clothing, but if this would not provide the best contrast against the background then fluorescent orange or green can be used instead.

Our range of high-vis clothing

Our range of high-vis clothing starts with the essential high-vis safety vest. We have a promotional high-vis professional safety vest and promotional high-vis professional safety vest in pouch, both of which can be branded with your logo.

For additional visibility, we have a promotional LED light safety armband which can be adjusted to display a fast blinking, slow blinking or steady light.

Children and schools

Our promotional child’s high-vis safety tabard vest is ideal for schools and children’s groups. We also have a promotional child’s high-vis five-piece safety set which contains a safety vest, monkey sticker, reflective bear with strap, armband and rucksack.

The promotional premium reflective drawstring backpack is ideal for schools and children’s groups, as well as cyclists and commuters.

Perfect for promotions

High-vis items go beyond workwear and schoolchildren, and can also be used in promotional giveaways. Items incorporating a light are ideal to give out at outdoor events where they can be used at night.

The promotional LED light-up backpack is perfect for promotional giveaways and outdoor events. It’s also ideal for schools, colleges and sports clubs – and can be used by commuters.

Our promotional LED beanie hat, a double-layered beanie with a removable and rechargeable headlight, is ideal if you want a smaller giveaway item.

Turnaround, 3D visuals and how to find out more

A fast turnaround is available in as little as 5-12 working days, depending on the item. We can create high-quality 3D visuals of your high-vis clothing – meaning guaranteed print quality, no wait for your artwork and as many revisions as you need.

To find out more about our range of promotional high-vis clothing, get in touch with one of our Promotional Merchandise Consultants who will be happy to talk you through the options. You can reach us on [email protected] or 0208 318 9603.