Construction site on a road in the forest. A yellow barrier marks the construction site. In the bottom right of the picture you can see the Portwest logo in blue and orange on a white background. There is a link that leads to our road construction protective clothing department.

Working in road construction entails numerous dangers. To avoid accidents and ensure the safety of workers, wearing high-visibility clothing is essential. These special items of clothing not only serve to improve visibility, but also offer protection against various mechanical and thermal hazards. In this blog post, we take a look at the various uses of protective clothing in road construction and explain the European standard EN ISO 20471.

Image of the high-visibility T-shirt GO/RT RT23 in orange with a link to the article.Image of the high-visibility long-sleeved T-shirt S178 in yellow with a link to the article page.

High-visibility clothing is part of personal protective equipment (PPE) and must be provided by the employer. It ensures that workers are clearly visible in dangerous situations and thus accidents are avoided. The EN ISO 20471 standard defines the requirements for such clothing, which is divided into three classes.

Table that explains the individual protection classes.

These classes offer different levels of conspicuity. The higher the high-visibility class, the larger the minimum area of ​​fluorescent background material and retroreflective material. In the highest class 3, at least 0.8 square meters of background material in a luminous color and 0.2 square meters of reflective material must be used.

Image of the long GO/RT RT20 high-visibility vest in orange with a link that leads to the article page.Image of the light contrast traffic jacket S166 in yellow with a link that leads to the article page.

What you need to pay attention to when buying and using protective clothing for road construction:

  • Depending on the area of ​​application, a specific risk assessment must be drawn up by the employer and you must check which other legal regulations apply. In addition to visibility, the clothing must fulfill additional protective functions in some areas. This can be, for example, cut protection when working with chainsaws, arc protection when working on electrical systems or heat and flame protection when working with natural gas and welding.
  • Shorts are not recommended in road construction because they do not offer sufficient protection. Even if they comply with the standard, it is advisable to use long trousers. These not only protect against mechanical, chemical and thermal effects, but also against solar radiation, ticks and insect bites.
  • Caring for high-visibility clothing is very important. Regular wear requires several sets per employee to enable cleaning and drying. Incorrect washing can destroy the reflective and luminous effect of the clothing. Therefore, the manufacturer's care instructions must be followed.
  • Employers who place PPE on the market must have a declaration of conformity and ensure that the basic safety and health requirements are met. In addition, an information brochure with information on the use, storage, cleaning and maintenance of the PPE should be provided in order to promote a long service life of the items.
  • When selecting high-visibility clothing, care should be taken to ensure that the clothing is suitable for industrial washing. Protective clothing is often not washed privately, but subjected to professional cleaning and reprocessing. This clothing must withstand high mechanical and chemical stress while retaining its protective function.

Image of the GO/RT RT45 high-visibility trousers in orange with a link to the article page.Image of the GO/RT high-visibility overalls RT42 in orange with a link to the article.

 For more information and to order, visit our product pages. Stay safe and well protected on the construction site!

 

Orange button that leads to the selection of protective clothing for road construction.