A little History on Hi-Vis
Have you ever wondered how HI VIS fabric originated?
The origin of HI VIS fabric is quite intriguing. I recently found myself pondering about its beginnings and decided to conduct some research on the topic. In the early 1900s, cyclists used to wear reflective sashes while riding at night. It wasn't until a few years later that the Hi-Viz gear was created in the United States. This gear was primarily used by railway workers who needed to be visible to oncoming trains.
Who invented the reflective vest?
In the 1930’s a man called Bob Switzer had an industrial accident, which swept away his dreams of becoming a doctor. During his recuperation, he came up with a solution to improve the safety of job sites and prevent unnecessary injuries as he had endured. He created the idea of using?fluorescent paint and then tried it on clothing. I’m sure that his wife was not impressed, when the fabric that he used, was her wedding dress!
Hi-Viz and World War II
During World War II, the U.S. started experimenting with using high-visibility garments to reduce friendly fire and to communicate between ground and air troops. High-viz buoys were also used to distinguish what parts of the sea had been searched for explosives.
Why do people wear Hi Vis vests?
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People wear Hi-vis vests, as a form of personal protective equipment, high-visibility clothing is worn?to increase a person's visibility and therefore prevent accidents caused by persons not being seen. As a result, it is often worn in occupations where hazardous situations are created by moving vehicles or low-lighting conditions. Information taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/
How does Hi-Vis fabric work?
High-visibility workwear is made from fluorescent material. Natural or artificial light reacts with the fluorescent colour, which makes the fabric appear to glow. The reflective strips on high-visibility workwear are to help with protection in the dark. Light Sources, such as cars or torches will cause the strips to glow. For protection in any environment, including wet weather, high-visibility workwear should have a mix of fluorescent colours and reflective strips. For more information see, https://www.phsbesafe.co.uk/
Hi-Vis colours for the industry, which ones?
According to this standard, there are three main colours permitted as background material:?fluorescent yellow, fluorescent orange, and in some cases fluorescent red. Wearing any other colour as background material would be non-compliant with the standard and should not technically even be called 'Hi-Vis'.