High Viz Safety Gear

[CM1995]

I know High Viz has been mentioned in a few threads but I would like to get some thoughts on its usage/effectiveness. Of course working around traffic and roadways is a given but what about in the middle of a jobsite? I don't specifically know the OSHA regulation for high viz. How many people here wear high viz and what kind of work are you involved in? Any thoughts?

[Grader4me]

We use the high vis safety vests as it is law and also our policy. Most of our work is out on the road(traffic) of course. On a job site the high vis will catch your eye quicker, thus perhaps making the ground people a little safer?

Probably if I was you, I would do a little search of the OHSA regulations for your area to see what is required by law on the job site. :)

[Squizzy246B]

100% Hi-Vis if you work for me...I try and keep the labourers in the orange as I find its easier to spot them in your peripheral vision when operating a machine. I wear the flouro yellow greeny colour. Our requirements on this are so broadly written such that it can be interpreted that you need Hi-Vis to take a crap. Its actually rare to see a non-longhaul truck driver these days without it. I think its a good thing but I'm going to be forking out for winter gear soon.

I have to wonder though, like reversing alarms, do we become complacent because there is so much of it around??..is that possible?, do you stop noticing hi-vis because there is so much Hi-Vis?..I'll leave that one to the experts.

Can't wait to get my Hi-Vis flouro pink hardhat too:rolleyes: :D

[CM1995]

We use the high vis safety vests as it is law and also our policy. Most of our work is out on the road(traffic) of course. On a job site the high vis will catch your eye quicker, thus perhaps making the ground people a little safer?

Probably if I was you, I would do a little search of the OHSA regulations for your area to see what is required by law on the job site. :)

If it keeps one guy from being run over or crushed the Hi-viz is worth it. Most of our guys are in machines and we have few laborers on the ground except for pipe crews. But the pipe crews are usually working by themselves away from the heavy iron. They do have their respective equipment they work with usually a hoe and a track loader or rubber tired hoe.

My state does not have a seperate OSHA department. We are governed by the Federal OSHA rules.

100% Hi-Vis if you work for me...I try and keep the labourers in the orange as I find its easier to spot them in your peripheral vision when operating a machine.

I have to wonder though, like reversing alarms, do we become complacent because there is so much of it around??..is that possible?, do you stop noticing hi-vis because there is so much Hi-Vis?..I'll leave that one to the experts.

Can't wait to get my Hi-Vis flouro pink hardhat too:rolleyes: :D

I agree with keeping your laborers visible to operators. I also have the same thought on the safety devices becoming common place and thus ignored(?). But in the same thought we still need all of them and I would not advocate going back to the "old days".

Thanks for the input. I appreciate your thoughts on this.

Squizzy- need to send some pics of your new duds when you get'um.:D

[digger242j]

I have to wonder though, like reversing alarms, do we become complacent because there is so much of it around??..is that possible?, do you stop noticing hi-vis because there is so much Hi-Vis?..I'll leave that one to the experts.

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have an opinion...

I think the backup alrams do tend to blend in with the background noise, because there's so much noise around, and you tend to tune most of it out. I don't think the same is true of the high-vis colors, because they tend to stand out from the visual background. You're tuning all the noise out, because your concentration is on what your eyes are looking at.

[Grader4me]

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have an opinion...

I think the backup alrams do tend to blend in with the background noise, because there's so much noise around, and you tend to tune most of it out. I don't think the same is true of the high-vis colors, because they tend to stand out from the visual background. You're tuning all the noise out, because your concentration is on what your eyes are looking at.


I agree that the backup alarms can become ineffective, especially on sites where there is a lot of machinery and noise.
I have been working around people that wear the high vis vests for 34 years and I can tell you that, Yes they stand out and yes they do "catch" the operators eye.

If it keeps one guy from being run over or crushed the Hi-viz is worth it.

Well said

[Squizzy246B]

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have an opinion...

I think the backup alrams do tend to blend in with the background noise, because there's so much noise around, and you tend to tune most of it out. I don't think the same is true of the high-vis colors, because they tend to stand out from the visual background. You're tuning all the noise out, because your concentration is on what your eyes are looking at.

I agree however, I'll stretch the long bow and put another issue to you...No doubt, you are well familiar with signs and visual warnings that tell you to slow down for roadworks...I'm cynical because just about everybody here speeds through these zones....I'm optimistic because if there is workers or a lollypop man in Hi-Vis people tend to slow down more (in the main). Hi-Vis works for machinery operators on site but I'm sure road repair crews can tell you horror storeys. Like I said..its drawing a long bow

[Grader4me]

I agree however, I'll stretch the long bow and put another issue to you...No doubt, you are well familiar with signs and visual warnings that tell you to slow down for roadworks...I'm cynical because just about everybody here speeds through these zones....I'm optimistic because if there is workers or a lollypop man in Hi-Vis people tend to slow down more (in the main). Hi-Vis works for machinery operators on site but I'm sure road repair crews can tell you horror storeys. Like I said..its drawing a long bow


It really doesn't matter to some drivers what you are wearing, they are going to speed through construction zones regardless. In this area everyone wears the hi-vis vests & hardhats, so keep in mind that to the motoring public here, this is a given.

The secret to slow them down is to have trained traffic control people, and proper warning signs out, and even then you still get the nuts, and yes I could tell you many horror stories.

A little good news is that anyone speeding through a construction site is breaking the law and if reported can/will be fined. Again these are the laws for my area.

I attached a link to the N.B. drivers handbook (part 7) scroll down (page 105) till you see the "men working sign" and read what it says. It's quite clear.

http://www.gnb.ca/0276/vehicle/english/part7_e.pdf

[PSDF350]

It really doesn't matter to some drivers what you are wearing, they are going to speed through construction zones regardless. In this area everyone wears the hi-vis vests & hardhats, so keep in mind that to the motoring public here, this is a given.

The secret to slow them down is to have trained traffic control people, and proper warning signs out, and even then you still get the nuts, and yes I could tell you many horror stories.

A little good news is that anyone speeding through a construction site is breaking the law and if reported can/will be fined. Again these are the laws for my area.

I attached a link to the N.B. drivers handbook (part 7) scroll down (page 105) till you see the "men working sign" and read what it says. It's quite clear.

http://www.gnb.ca/0276/vehicle/english/part7_e.pdf

Speeding through a construction site here fines double.

[Dozerboy]

We should ware our vest at all time but if I get hot it’s gone. IMO I don't need one I pay attention and keep eye contact with the operators around me. Now some guys would have been dead a long time ago without them like the laborer that ran right behind my loader today good thing it has mirrors or he would have been done for. Now would I of seen him without the vest I bet so I do look for colors I look for movement, but I'm glad I did have to find out.

[jazak]

I make my guys where a vest only if we're working by a high traffic area...but I do trees so it may be a little different.....

[Neil D]

We all wear high viz and I think its a good thing as to a lot of the other crap that goes on...well fer instance I hate to work with rotating beacons switched on. I find that they distract my attention and give me sore eyes.
I mean whats with the wearing of hard hats inside machines with erops?

The problem with H&S is that too many bosses and clients pay lip service to it so people get hurt and afterwards a lot of covering up takes place so then the goverment inspectors make recommendations to tighten up the regulations. An ever increasing spiral of more rules and regulations with the grunts at the bottom suffering as a result.

Sorry for the ranting but this stuff really winds me up
Regards
Neil

[Grader4me]

We all wear high viz and I think its a good thing as to a lot of the other crap that goes on...well fer instance I hate to work with rotating beacons switched on. I find that they distract my attention and give me sore eyes.
I mean whats with the wearing of hard hats inside machines with erops?

The problem with H&S is that too many bosses and clients pay lip service to it so people get hurt and afterwards a lot of covering up takes place so then the goverment inspectors make recommendations to tighten up the regulations. An ever increasing spiral of more rules and regulations with the grunts at the bottom suffering as a result.

Sorry for the ranting but this stuff really winds me up
Regards
Neil

So you guy's are required to wear hard hats inside your machine? Is this your companies policy or is it the law?

As for ranting...Relieves stress :)

[alco]

I am all for hi viz clothing, but I hate the vests with a passion. I can't count high enough (even if I take off my boots) to list all the times I have been hung up or caught on something while wearing a vest. For years I have worn coveralls with stripes on them, but where I am now, they don't want to pay for them for us. Everyone has at least a half dozen or so pairs of coveralls and most are Nomex at around $300 per pair. Count up the several thousand employees they would have to resupply and the cost would be astronomical...into the millions of dollars. We also run into the problem that the stripes on the coveralls would have to be Nomex as well, so that adds a fair bit to the cost. I don't agree with their mentality that we don't need them, but I can somewhat understand. I mean, if they were to do that, how would the management get their big bonuses each year.

Brian

[Dozerboy]

I guess Cal OSHA it trying to mandate hard hats in equipment. I’ve been on several jobs where I was spouse to wear one at all time, but I’m hard headed and they didn’t want to fight with me.

[surfer-joe]

I suppose that the bright color vests have saved some lives over the years, maybe resulting in near misses, but in my experience, I don't know that these lives would have been lost if they hadn't been wearing the vests or orange shirts, or even the Halliburton coveralls with the stripes and all. I've seen it go both ways.

People on the ground around heavy equipment have to be sharp as a tack. Same with workers in traffic. (A situation I personally really detest!) When I was working asphalt I wore out two cats worth of 9 lives dodging cars and such moving by. I won't do traffic jobs again, leave that for the young bucks that can hear, see, and jump. People driving thorough construction projects are all idiots and not to be trusted.

Operators that know there are folks on the ground in their vicinity need to be extra careful and be sure to look all around whenever and before a change in direction is made. But it's tough to do EVERY time when you are doing repetitive back and forths with a dozer or loader. Of course, surveyors, grade-checkers, and especially engineers, all are fair game!

The guy on the ground has to make eye contact with the operator and the operator has to do the same, with all concerned a safe distance from danger. I've lost two friends since 1991 on separate projects run over by backing dozers because they lost their train of thought and didn't do this simple thing. Obviously, the human is no match for a D9, so think it better for him to stay well away from machine till eye contact is made. As I say, in neither case here, would bright colors have made a difference. (Both were wearing them)

Many larger contractors now require hard hat wear in cabs all the time. Simple reason is that the operator won't forget to put the skid-lid on when he gets out to take a whiz or whatever. Gosh, for years I practically wore the dern things to bed, was almost the first thing I put on in the morning when I got up. I personally do not like wearing them in a cab.

I knew a kid what got hurt real bad running an old hard hitch 631A water wagon that reached for his hard hat as it was falling off his head going down the haul road. The 631 hit a bad stretch of bumpy road, veered right off the road, bounced 65 feet before hitting the ground again, and bashed this kids brains out against one of the ROPS uprights. He should have let the hat go, but people don't think when this happens, they just instinctively grab for the hat. If it had stayed on it wouldn't helped him, other than he likely would not have run off the road. If he's still alive today thirty years later, he has a fortune in silver plates and screws in the right side and top of his pulverized skull.

Back up alarms…. Well, what can I say? I'm like some other posters here, I tend to tune them out on a larger project because there are so many. But I will look for just the one if he is the only one within hearing range, even if I can't see him.

Ya just can't be an idiot or go to sleep on a fast paced job. Mental alertness has to be maintained, one of the reasons we do drug screens these days. Bright colors may help some, but they don't do any better if just one person dopes off.