By K C Pawling, Road Safety and Loss Prevention Specialist
I’ve had many conversations with NIRMA members lately about personal protective equipment (PPE). More specifically, safety vests. I’m often asked: “why do we have to wear them?” This leads to the next question: “who is going to pay for them?” Followed by the ever-familiar: “it’s just too hot to wear a vest during the summer.” So, let’s talk about some of these.
First, remember that the MUTCD has the force of law in Nebraska. And the MUTCD requires that road employees wear safety apparel that meets the performance class 2 requirements. The following is taken directly from the MUTCD, Section 6D.03:
Standard: 04 All workers, including emergency responders, within the right-of-way who are exposed either to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) or to work vehicles and construction equipment within the TTC zone shall wear high-visibility safety apparel that meets the Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of the ANSI/ISEA 107–2004 publication entitled “American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear” (see Section 1A.11), or equivalent revisions, and labeled as meeting the ANSI 107-2004 standard performance for Class 2 or 3 risk exposure, except as provided in Paragraph 5. A person designated by the employer to be responsible for worker safety shall make the selection of the appropriate class of garment.
The ANSI/ISEA 107 (American National Standards Institute/ International Safety Equipment Association) standard provides us the criteria for the materials used to make the safety apparel. It outlines the minimum areas, placement of materials, colors, and brightness of the garments. The intent of all this is to make us conspicuous in all light conditions, from day to night. The standard offers three class options for safety apparel use.
Now, let’s touch on the different classes of safety apparel. For Class 1 safety vests, federal law requires at least 155 square inches of reflective material and 217 square inches of background material. Class 2 requires reflective tape or material to cover a minimum of 201 square inches. Widths of either 1.38 inches or 2 inches are required, depending on your profession. This should include a horizontal band with two bands running vertically over the shoulders. Background material of either safety yellow or safety orange should cover a minimum of 775 square inches. Class 3 requires at least 310 square inches of reflective material. Background material should cover at least 1,240 square inches.
When choosing the color of apparel, consider selecting the highest contrasting color for the jobsite. A selection of an orange color could be more effective than one with yellow-green colors, on a jobsite surrounded by foliage which could blend into the surroundings. It could also be said that if you have a lot of safety orange on the jobsite that workers could blend in with all the safety devices, orange barrels or large 42” cones that are used in some construction projects. Consider all environments and make the most appropriate choice for your employees.
Replacement of your safety apparel should take place when its useful life has been exhausted. Now I know that most safety apparel has a specific number of wash cycles listed on the tag. This states how many times the garment can be washed before it should be replaced. This will need to be managed by the wearer. I will say that I cannot remember washing my vest even once before replacing it. When the vest got soiled and faded to the point the colors were not bright, I got a new vest. If you are someone that chooses to wash your vest, that is great too! The important thing is to keep it vibrant and bright.
Some counties choose to use shirts that meet the ANSI standard. This is a good option for those employees that do not want to wear multiple layers of clothing in the hot weather environment. If you use safety shirts, it is important to pay attention to wash cycles and the fading of your garments.
I would also like to encourage counties that are not providing their employees with the appropriate safety apparel for the job, to start doing so. Here are a few reasons for doing so. One, it is your responsibility as county managers and elected officials to make sure that your employees are safe in the environment in which they are working. Two, you can control the quality and effectiveness of apparel being worn. It will be easier to make sure that the apparel meets the required standard. Three, employees are more likely to wear apparel that is provided to them, than to purchase their own safety apparel.
As noted above, the MUTCD requires the use of safety apparel. OSHA also contains requirements that address the use of PPE that are not included here because they are not specifically applicable to counties, but these should still be considered from a risk management perspective. Take some time and look at the OSHA requirements on this subject, a quick search on the internet will give you all the results you will need.
It’s also a good time to mention that NIRMA offers members the opportunity to apply for ASSIST grant funds to help cover the cost of safety equipment. Applications are available on NIRMA’s website.
No one wants to see anyone injured or killed on the job, and working in traffic is extremely dangerous without the right PPE. Do your part to make sure that county employees make it home every night.
If you have any safety training needs or questions about this article or other road or work safety-related subjects, you can reach me at kcpawling@nirma.info or 402-310-4417. My office number is 402-742-9236.
