SAFETy

The Health and Safety Authority has recently published a new guidance document on the topic of using high visibility clothing for workers who regularly work with and around moving vehicles. Serious injuries or fatalities occur in workplaces because people are struck by vehicles such as cars, vans, trucks or buses, or mobile work equipment such as industrial trucks (e.g., forklifts or telehandlers). The most effective way to reduce the risk of a person being hit by moving vehicles is to have a system of work which effectively keeps pedestrians and vehicles apart, but in circumstances where people must work in areas with moving vehicles, or have to work close to moving vehicles, the risk may be further reduced by using high visibility clothing to signal their presence. It is hoped that this document will provide “best practice” information for persons whose responsibility it is to manage these risks, and increase the standard of use of high visibility personal protective equipment (PPE) in such circumstances.

The document points out that high visibility clothing is a vital and necessary requirement in any workplace where a significant proportion of the work occurs near, in, on and around moving vehicles. The main purpose of high visibility clothing is to make the wearer stand out from the background so they can be seen more easily, particularly by drivers of vehicles and mobile work equipment, in any light or weather conditions. This reduces the risk of incidents occurring in potentially dangerous situations. As high visibility clothing is a type of personal protective equipment (PPE), it should be

selected based on a risk assessment of the hazards in the workplace to identify the correct type to be provided and to make sure that it is appropriate to the risk. The level of risk must be assessed so that the performance required of the high visibility clothing can be determined. It should be made to a recognised standard, which in this case is IS EN ISO 20471:2013 & A1:2016, and it should be suitable for both the wearer and the circumstances in which it is to be worn.

The document is intended to be used by those who are responsible for the safety management of any environment where moving vehicles and work equipment pose a risk, as well by workers who work in such environments. The risk presented by moving vehicles exists across the whole gamut of industry sectors (e.g., manufacturing, construction, logistics, waste management, etc.), so it should have a broad application.

The document covers specific sub-topics such as: n PPE legislative requirements, CE marking and Standards n the concept of conspicuity n pointers for those carrying out a risk assessment n incorporating high visibility clothing into the regular wear of workers and layering garments to improve usage n optimising biomotion cues to attract visual attention, and n the importance of vehicle blind spot awareness training.

One example of a high risk situation affecting the driver themselves is when they get out of their vehicles. This regularly occurs in situations where there are other moving vehicles, for example in a transport yard or loading area. It is just as important that these drivers are seen by the drivers of the other moving vehicles, and one way to reduce the risk is to make sure that they are wearing high visibility clothing in these situations. Another category of user that is often forgotten is people who drive on business, whether or not they are in a company vehicle. Many firms now provide a high visibility vest which can be kept in a handy location in a car to be used in situations such as a breakdown. A simple way of achieving enhanced visibility for drivers who get out of their cab into a high risk environment on a more frequent basis might be to incorporate high visibility clothing into their regular wear rather that requiring the driver to do it as an “add-on” measure. Think of how often you have seen situations where a high visibility garment has been provided but it is left hanging over the back of the seat in the cab.

Sometimes, even when garments are put on, they are not worn correctly. For example, a vest or jacket that is not closed across the front of the torso does not afford any additional visibility when viewed from the front, such as when a pedestrian worker is facing a moving vehicle. This means that a vest or jacket must be worn closed so that it achieves 360o visibility to enhance the visibility of the wearer from all angles.

There are a lot of considerations when it comes to the provision of high visibility clothing as a measure to help reduce workplace risks, and this new document will help with those considerations. The document is available to download from the Health and Safety Authority’s website at: https://www.hsa. ie/eng/publications_and_forms/publications/work_related_vehicles/high_ visibility_clothing_for_use_around_ moving_vehicles.pdf