About Construction Safety Vests

One hundred workers die annually in road and highway construction zones, many as a result of passing cars and heavy equipment. Construction safety vests offer one way to help protect workers from such accidents.

Purpose

• Workers may sometimes be struck by heavy machinery used in the work zone.

  Construction safety vests serve to make workers highly visible to passing motorists and heavy equipment operators in construction zones. Requiring workers on foot, such as flaggers, to wear high visibility clothing may help them avoid being injured in an accident .

Types

• Safety vests may be designed for varying conditions and weather.

  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH, identifies three types of vests: Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3.

  Class 1 vests are used at work sites with traffic speeds of 25 miles per hour or less. Class 2 is for inclement weather and areas with traffic speeds above 25 miles per hour. Class 3 applies to work in areas with traffic speeds over 50 miles per hour with variable weather conditions.

Design

• Safety vests are designed in the colors fluorescent yellow-green, red orange or a mixture of the two. Reflective stripping is laid in stripes or an "X" shape on the back and front to maximize visibility. NIOSH recommends different designs on the front and the back for increased effectiveness.