Construction safety and Visibility

If vehicle safety practices are not observed at your site, you risk being pinned between construction vehicles and walls, struck by swinging backhoes, crushed beneath overturned vehicles, you risk being struck by trucks or cars. This tool box talk is not intended to discuss vehicle/equipment safe practices but is intended to be information regarding worker visibility:

  • Workers need to be seen during poor lighting or weather conditions, or when working in environments where there is a lot of moving vehicles or equipment.

  • All workers should wear high visibility apparel. Garments must be reflective.

  • Workers must be highly visible in all levels of light.

  • Worker visibility during dawn or dusk conditions may be enhanced by the use of fluorescent colored highvisibility apparel.

  • The use of colors such as yellowgreen for the worker apparel may help to differentiate the worker from the orange colored work vehicles, signs, drums, etc.

  • Spotters should always wear high visibility vests.

  • Workers exposed to vehicle hazards should be trained on working near traffic.

  • Workers responsible for temporary traffic control should be adequately trained.

  • High-visibility safety clothing should be replaced when it becomes faded, torn, dirty, soiled, worn, or defaced, or if it is not visible at 1,000 feet day or night.

Below are the classifications for High Visibility Vests. Always use high visibility garments in compliance with ANSI/ISEA 107-2010 & ANSI/ISEA 107-2004. Note how activities and job site conditions change the required garment class. 

Questions to start discussion:

  1) When are reflective garments supposed to be worn?

  2) What type of reflective clothing should you wear when on construction sites?

  3) When should reflective clothing be replaced?

Photo courtesy of: http://www.workzonesafety.org/fhwa_wz_grant/atssa/atssa_high_visibility_apparel