Know the Difference in Class (Safety Vests)

There are a lot of decisions that are made when working on a work site….regulation apparel should not be one of them. So, what is the difference between Class 2 and Class 3 safety vests, and why should it matter?

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) are the brains behind the classification. These are the ones who create the standards that are created for the safety vest industry. Some of the criteria for the compliance of safety vests include visibility, design, and performance specifications. There are other factors that are considered when a vest is undergoing inspection like flexibility, comfort and durability. However, the basics are pretty simple when they are broken down:

Class 3 (III) Safety Vests:

These vests provide the highest level of visibility for workers.

For workers with high task loads

Various Weather Conditions

When traffic exceeds 50 miles per hour

Requirements for the Class 3 vests include:

1. Sleeves with retroreflective material between the shoulders and the elbows

2. The width of the retroreflective material cannot be less than 50 mm. wide.

3. Please Note the ANSI standard requirements in the section below

Industries that Class 3 Vests are recommended are:

All roadway construction personnel, vehicle operators, utility workers, survey crews, emergency responders, railway workers, and accident site investigators.

Class III Safety Vests can be found in lime or orange and they come in various sizes to accommodate all employees.

Class 2 (II) Safety Vests:

·

High Visibility for workers

·

Workers who are near roadways

·

Where traffic exceeds 25 miles per hour

·

Inclement Weather Conditions

Requirements for the Class 2 vests include:

1.

Minimum width of retroreflective material cannot be less than 35mm.

Both Vest Classes have charts and standards in regards to the combinations of background, layout of the striping, and the colors that are acceptable. Lime and orange are the most popular colors because they are the most reflective at all times and during all weather conditions.

ANSI/ISEA Requirements for both Class II and Class III safety vests are:

·

Public safety workers need certain access to belt mounted equipment and there needs to be an ability for the vest to tear away from the body. The tear away vests fit this niche perfectly.

·

ANSI 207 requires a minimum of 450 in^2 (Class II = 775in^2)

·

The minimum amount of required retroreflective are is (207in^2)

For more information regarding safety vests www.ansi.org.