In almost all work environments today, employee safety has become a number one priority. Once workers feel safe, their morale starts to increase along with their productivity. This goes especially for industrial workspaces like construction, road works, warehouses and other mostly outdoor city jobs. One uniform piece that can help here is the reflective short sleeve shirt and the reasons why are many.
If you Can be Easily Noticed, your Safety is Ensured
When talking about the entire apparel, it is important to note that there are more parts that make it complete. Granted, the reflective short sleeve shirt may be the most important one for many, but high visibility safety apparel (HVSA) can also include coveralls, vests, jackets, pants, gloves and in some instances even headwear. These make you readily visible to operators of machinery you find yourself working in close proximity to, thus increasing your safety each and every day you are at work.
The clothing pieces that fall into this category of work uniforms are usually found in strong fluorescent colours like orange-red, red, or yellow-green. The choice of colour depends on the rest of the work environment, and it is recommended that you go for contrasts when deciding for the most suitable one. For instance, the yellow-green option may not be the best choice for rural areas as it can easily blend in and not help with the visibility factor at all.
Retroreflective and Fluorescent HVSA Materials Explained
As some of you may already know, fluorescent materials depend on a bright light in order to reach maximum visibility, and they function best if there is sunlight. That is why the fluorescent high visibility apparel pieces are mostly for outdoor use during the day or in bright light closed areas. Retroreflective material returns light back to the source that is shining on it and it works best in conditions that are low-light. Bright environments are not the best condition for this material because there is little contrast created and the visibility level is significantly reduced.
Important Features and Considerations Regarding High Visibility Apparel
As already stated above, you need to think about the time of day you are going to need safety clothes most. So, fluorescent for daylight, retroreflective for a lower light time of day. Besides a reflective short sleeve shirt, you may want to include a few more pieces in order to maximise your visibility. This mostly depends on the level of risks you face daily. If you do include pants, go for contrasting stripes on the arms and legs so that your movements can be visible. And finally, don’t use any garments that cover the high visibility apparel. For instance, if you do need a jacket for colder days, opt for one that falls into the same category, not a regular one.
