It is a requirement of law that workers engaged in specific kinds of jobs put on protective gear. One of them is class 2 safety vests. They increase visibility especially when weather conditions are unfavorable. They are worn when workers are in work site that are near traffic. Law enforcement officers, rail workers, school crossing guides, utility workers are among the workers that are required to have this class of vest on when working.

Standards

The body concerned with standards of other safety equipment in the US is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). They rate kits depending on background material, how much reflective material is used and where it is placed and their style.

Safety Vests

The ANSI stipulation for ANSI safety vests is that they should be sleeveless and they should be made with background material of 775 square inches while the bright visibility tape should be not less than 201 square inches. It is to be worn with those working near roads where vehicles are moving at speeds greater than 25 miles per hour and those working near heavy machinery. Forestry workers, toll gate workers and airport crew who handle baggage and work on the ground should also wear this vest.

Class 3

After this is the ANSI Class 3 vest. These come with sleeves and should have background material of 1240 square inches and 310 square inches of reflective material. They provide even more visibility than the class 2 vest and are worn by workers near traffic moving at speeds higher than 50 miles per hour. Emergency crews, rail worker, utility workers, flaggers and surveyors are required to wear this vest.

Product

Other workers who should have these on are firemen, emergency and rescue workers, the police and sheriffs. The ANSI 207-2006 vest is what they are mandated to wear. These can be coded by color or tailored depending on the industry. These ones should have 450 square inches of background material and 201 square of reflective material.

Requirements

Parking attendants, shopping cart collectors and delivery vehicle drivers are also required to have safety vests on. These workers work a good distance away from traffic and the speed limit of the traffic is 25 miles per hour. They also do jobs that let them monitor the traffic.

Design

They are sleeveless and they can have some reflective tape or none at all. They are commonly available in lime and orange which have high visibility. However, they can also be worn in others colors as long as they are also clearly visible.