Despite the technological advances and increased safety measures in many fields of work, there are many lines of work that still carry an increased safety risk. In 2015, 4,836 workers were killed on the job; an average of 13 deaths per day.
Experience can play a factor in workplace safety, but the reality is that any worker in a variety of jobs can be injured. According to the Institute for Work and Health in Canada, a new employee in their first month at work has more than three times the risk for lost-time injury than others.
Additionally, almost a third of nonfatal work injuries in 2013 that required time away were suffered by employees with less than a year of service. Furthermore, 16-to-19-year-olds missed an average of four days of work after an injury in 2014.
Among older employees, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that workers 65 and older experienced 94.2 injuries per 10,000 employees, less than any age group in 2014.
With an increased risk of workplace injuries, especially among younger members of the workforce, taking increased safety measures is important. One way to increase safety is to purchase high visibility or high vis clothing from safety clothing companies. From hi vis long sleeve shirts to hi vis coats and jackets to hi vis cargo pants, there are many types of high visibility clothing available from safety clothing companies to make sure you can be seen on the job.
Quite simply it comes down to this: the higher the visibility, the less risk there is of accidents happening.
Foremen on a construction site can outfit their team in high visibility safety apparel (HVSA), but there are several things to consider before you throw on hi vis long sleeve shirts or hoodies.
- No other articles of clothing should cover HVSA
- Choose a color or pattern that works best for the conditions you’re in. For example, red might be a bad choice for construction sites and yellow or green hi vis clothing may not work best on landscaping jobs. In both cases, workers may blend into their environment rather than being readily visible.
- Fluorescent clothing is best for working in daylight
- Color patterns or stripes on the arms and legs can make a moving worker more visible.
- Being covered head to toe in HVSA makes you more visible.
There are also many benefits to hi vis clothing as well:
- First and foremost, work place safety should increase since workers will be more visible.
- Workers will feel safer knowing they are more easily seen.
- Workers will also feel more valued by their company, knowing that the company makes employee safety a priority.
- A construction team or any group of employees needing hi vis clothing will feel like a team with hi vis clothing that bares their company logo.
Whether you’re working in a downpour and need a hi vis rain coat or you’re working in the sun and need a hi vis long sleeve shirt to cover your chest and arms, safety clothing companies have made many hi vis garments available for any and all kinds of needs. Hi Vis Supply and Safety Smart Gear are just two of the many safety clothing companies who offer a wide variety of hi vis gear to help increase workplace safety.