Part I—Regulations and Standards
- ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 Compliance
- Additional Agency Direction
- Options for Firefighters
- Options for Law Enforcement Personnel
Part I—Regulations and Standards
Federal regulations requiring high-visibility safety apparel are enacted to prevent injuries and fatalities. The latest regulation requires this safety apparel for workers exposed to public traffic, work vehicles, and construction equipment while working along roads open to public travel. This includes all Federal, State, county, city, and National Forest System Roads (NFSRs). Additional information is provided in the current edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The MUTCD is published by the FHWA under 23 CFR, Part 655, Subpart F.
Section 6D.03 of the MUTCD provides direction concerning worker safety and requires:
- All workers (including emergency responders)
within the right-of-way to wear high-visibility safety apparel
that meets the Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of the American National Standards Institue/International Safety Equipment Association
(ANSI/ISEA) 107-2004 "American National Standard for
High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear."
- A person designated by the employer to be responsible for worker safety. This person shall make the selection of the appropriate class of garment.
Section 6D.03 also provides options to this general requirement that will be explained later in this guide.
The high-visibility safety apparel requirement for most routine Forest Service work activities is met with a garment that complies with ANSI/ISEA 107-2004, Performance Class 2 or 3 (figure 1).
Figure 1—The most obvious difference between a Class 2 (left)
and a Class 3 garment (right) is that a sleeveless garment
cannot be
considered Performance Class 3.
Work supervisors need to help develop a general job hazard analysis (JHA) to determine the appropriate class of garment for specific work activities. Go with the higher level of protection if there is any doubt as to the appropriate class. Table 1 provides some guidelines for selecting a garment of the appropriate class.
Class 2 Garments The garment should:
Class 3 Garments The garment should:
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These guidelines are intended as an assessment tool only. Work activities and site specific conditions must be considered as part of the JHA/risk assessment process. Garment color should be selected to provide the greatest contrast between the worker and the work environment (figure 2).
Figure 2—Some vest colors provide better contrast to
surroundings
than others.
Be cautious when purchasing high-visibility safety apparel. Garments advertised as ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 "style" or "design" may not conform to the standard. Garments must contain a label clearly stating compliance with ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 (figure 3). Additionally, the label must include a pictogram showing performance class and photometric performance level (figure 4).
Figure 3—ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 compliance must be stated on the
garment label.
Figure 4—The required pictogram on the vest label shows where
the performance class (2 or 3) and the photometric performance
level (1 or 2) are located.
Safety apparel that complies with the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 standard is available from the General Services Administration (GSA) Advantage! Web site at <http://www.gsaadvantage.gov> and from other safety equipment stores.
High-visibility safety apparel should be replaced if it becomes faded, torn, dirty, soiled, worn or defaced, or if it is not visible during the day or night at 1,000 feet. The typical useful service life of high-visibility safety apparel depends on the type of work an individual performs while wearing it. According to the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), apparel worn on a daily basis has a service life expectancy of about 6 months. Apparel that is not worn on a daily basis may have a useful service life of up to 3 years. More service life information is available in "High-Visibility Safety Apparel In Highway Work Zones".
When high-visibility safety apparel is not in use, it should be stored in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight. Large resealable plastic bags are good for storing high-visibility apparel in vehicles. Follow the proper cleaning instructions found on the garment label.
In addition to the MUTCD requirements, the Forest Service Health and Safety Code Handbook (FSH 6709.11) identifies when a specified activity requires high-visibility vests as personal protective equipment (PPE). All work projects and activities should have an associated JHA that identifies PPE needs. Some work activities always require that high-visibility vests be provided for employees. For example, FSH 6709.11, Chapter 27.13b lists PPE required for surveying, which includes a high-visibility vest when on public roadways and during hunting season. It is recommended that every Forest Service vehicle carry at least two vests that comply with the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 Standard.
The 2009 MUTCD, Section 6D.03, (paragraph 05) provides the option for emergency and incident responders and law enforcement personnel within the temporary traffic control (TTC) zone to wear high-visibility safety apparel that meets the ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 "American National Standard for High-Visibility Public Safety Vests" performance requirements. This is used in lieu of ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 apparel. This option was included because this type of vest better meets the special needs of these employees. The ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 public safety vests can have a shorter body length than the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 vests (figure 5). This feature allows easier access to equipment worn on a belt, such as a radio or fire shelter (figure 6).
Figure 5—The ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 vest (left) has a shorter body
length than the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 vest (right).
Figure 6—The ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 vest allows the wearer easier
access to equipment worn on a waist belt.
Section 6D.03 (paragraph 08) of the MUTCD provides another option. Firefighters or other emergency responders working within the right-of-way and engaged in emergency operations that directly expose them to flame, fire, heat, and/or hazardous materials may wear firefighter clothing or retroreflective turnout gear. This gear is specified and regulated by other organizations, such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Clarification from FHWA verifies that this option applies to all firefighters performing firefighting duties. The high-visibility safety apparel requirements remain for firefighters working within rights-of-way who are not exposed to flame, fire, heat and/or hazardous materials. Additional clarification and guidance for firefighters is found in Part II of this guide.
Options for Law Enforcement Personnel
Requirements for law enforcement personnel are included in the MUTCD, Section 6D.03 (paragraph 05), which allows an ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 public safety vest to be worn when working within the TTC zone. As with firefighters, when law enforcement personnel are required to wear high-visibility safety apparel, their needs are better met with the shorter ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 vest.
When uniformed law enforcement personnel direct traffic; investigate crashes; or handle lane closures, obstructed roadways, and disasters; high-visibility safety apparel as described in the MUTCD, Section 6D.03 (paragraph 06), shall be worn. Law enforcement personnel engaged in activities other than those described above are exempt from the high-visibility safety apparel requirement. Law enforcement personnel often work in potentially adversarial or confrontational roles where high-visibility apparel could be a disadvantage. Additional clarification for law enforcement personnel is found in Part II of this guide.
