High Visibility Safety Apparel

High visibility safety apparel is now a requirement per Federal OSHA regulations, the MUTCD, and the Federal Highway Administration. The Federal Rule on "Worker Visibility" is found here and became effective on November 24, 2008.

It essentially says that all workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway who are exposed either to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) or to construction equipment within the work area shall wear high-visibility safety apparel. Firefighters or other emergency responders working within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway and engaged in emergency operations that directly expose them to flame, fire, heat,and/or hazardous materials may wear retroreflective turn-out gear that is specified and regulated by other organizations, such as the National Fire Protection Association. Firefighters or other emergency responders working within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway and engaged in any other types of operations shall wear high-visibility safety apparel.

"Workers" are defined as people on foot whose duties place them within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway, such as highway construction and maintenance forces; survey crews; utility crews; responders to incidents within the highway right-of-way; firefighters and other emergency responders when they are not directly exposed to flame, fire, heat, and/or hazardous materials; and law enforcement personnel when directing traffic, investigating crashes,and handling lane closures, obstructed roadways, and disasters within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway.

"High-visibility safety apparel" means personal protective safety clothing that is intended to provide conspicuity during both daytime and nighttime usage, and that meets the Class 2 or 3 requirements of the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 publication . "Federal-aid highway" means the Interstate system, the National Highway System, or an arterial or major collector highway. It does not include a highway classified as a local road or rural minor collector.

This page last updated 6/9/09