Call for better quality hi-vis PPE

A PPE expert has urged organizations to purchase better quality hi-vis PPE (personal protective equipment).

Tom Gallant, a PPE product manager, says that many organizations whose workers need high-visibility PPE provide them with the cheapest type of hi-vis wear. This equipment tends to comply with safety regulations, but provides only basic protection. 

Tom Gallant argues that simply adding strips of reflective fluorescent mesh to a cheap thin vest is not good enough. Hi-vis PPE should not just be about being seen; it should have other functions. In the summer heat, PPE needs to be lightweight, and in winter, it can also keep wearers warm. In construction sites, hi-vis 

PPE jackets should be comfortable and practical to wear with a fall harness. In some hazardous workplaces, PPE needs to be fire and chemical resistant. PPE manufacturers are adding extra features to hi-vis wear such as coolant technology and tool tethering connection points. Jackets can have smart device attachment points. 

Tom Gallant says that many employers regard productivity and safety as being in opposition to each other, but this is not the case. Quality hi-vis wear offers solutions to both. PPE vests can have added productivity features such as extra pockets, tool attachment points, and microphone tabs, turning them into a combined safety and productivity garment. 

Hi-vis workwear should fit well, with separate designs for the female body. 

The cheapest hi-vis PPE may be compliant with safety regulations, but it is not the ideal solution to fit the highest safety and productivity standards for workers.