Personal safety vests – one of the most common items of personal protective equipment used by outdoor workers – are covered by the Australian Standard AS/NZS4602: 1999.
However, there may be some misinformation or lack of awareness about the Standard provisions – a situation which requires action by all employers.
The Standard determines that high visibility safety vests must be categorised as to suitability for daytime use only, night time use only or both day and night time use.
Alsafe Safety, Australia's largest privately owned specialist safety equipment distributor, points to the increasing trend for outdoor work to be undertaken on a round-the-clock basis to achieve maximum productivity and use of equipment.
"Safety officers and purchasing personnel need to be acutely aware of the possible legal consequences if an employee is accidentally injured or killed for instance, at night, wearing a safety vest which is not certified to the relevant Australian Standard now that such safety products are readily available," they say in the September issue of Quarry Magazine.
Alsafe Safety supplies the only high visibility vests which are approved by Standards Australia for both day and night time use under AS/NZS 4602: 1999. Their ‘Hi Vis’ vest range offers either red, lime or orange base colours and a choice of reflective tape combinations including hoops, shoulder, braces or tail strips to give a highly visible warning.
Safety Clothing
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