What are the Safety Vest Standards for Minnesota?

Driving along the highway, you may see work crews doing construction or picking up litter. Minnesota mandates the use of reflective vests to protect these individuals from harm. The state supplies strict guidelines in this effort.

The Vests

• For safety's sake, the state of Minnesota has its own specific vest which it mandates for its employees, prisoners and volunteers working in dangerous zones. The Minnesota vest is an extremely bright fluorescent yellow to which they add both horizontal and vertical bands. The bands are silver and made of "retro-reflective tape."

Oversight

• In compliance with federal safety organizations and entities, Minnesota's safety vests are in accordance with the provisions of ANSI / ISEA 107-2004. This is a set of regulations representing the "American National Standard for High-Visibility Apparel and Head-wear." Among other provisions, 107-2004 offers some essential outlines for the designs used in related garments and for the "minimum" quantities of retro-reflective materials to be used in production.

Who Is Required to Wear Them

• In Minnesota, anyone working along the highway or in danger of automobile contact has to wear the vest. There are no exceptions. This means city and state workers, litter crews sent from incarceration facilities, school crossing guards and volunteers like those who donate their time to the state's 'Adopt a Highway' program.