Construction and road workers need to appear visible to passing motorists. Safety vests for these occupations need to be brightly colored and have reflective strips. A safety vest can comply with ANSI Class 2 standards for more reflective and safety properties or, if it doesn’t comply with ANSI Class 2 standards, the vest simply stands out but doesn’t offer as much protection and visibility. Depending upon the work environment depends upon what type of vest should be used.

Mesh is the common material for most safety vests. Although the mesh material may be yellow or orange, the safety vests should have two-tone Scotchlite reflective tape on the outside.

A safety vest designed like a t-shirt, such as the Wicking T-shirt, is designed to reduce less layering and to replace safety vests over clothes. The Wicking T-shirt is made from polyester treated with Whisk-It to reduce perspiration. For environments requiring more visibility than just your torso, we carry ANSI safety vest-like garments for the legs, such as the Hi-Viz Safety Shin Reflectors that fit over the knee and provide the lower legs with reflective tape.

When an outdoor work environment becomes too hot, a cooling vest can make the day more bearable. One of our designs maintains a temperature of 65 for two to three hours and can be work under Hazmat suits against the body. Similarly, Miracool has a cooling vest which, after soaking in water from 10 to 20 minutes, will stay hydrated for several days. The vest does not require any freezing or ice.

However, industries like construction, railroad work, and directing traffic need safety vests but the vests do not need to be ANSI Class 2.