Safety Vests Remind America To Be Safe And Cautious
Those bright neon green and orange vests have undoubtedly been seen as you drive by schools, construction sites or at the occasional fender bender. High visibility vests made their appearance as they became a statement for safe drivers to be cautious around road workers. Their fluorescent and reflective appearance is designed for anyone to see, especially on the roads and highways.
Hunters are also required by law to wear the blaze orange gear, such as orange t-shirts, when game hunting inside dense woods. The color has become successful at alerting other sportsmen to their fellow hunters where visibility is low. This has proven successful at preventing accidents during game season.
A sports enthusiast who walks, runs or hikes is obliged to wear the protective sleeveless waistcoat. Safety risks are substantially lowered by the increased visibility of people who enjoy the sports along or across highways. The retro-reflective gear better ensures safety for runners in marathons and cyclists on rides along the open highways.
The media workers have also been included and required to wear the neon colored vests. The federal act was legislated in 2008 and media workers around federal right-of-ways and on highways also have to don the highly visible neon colors. The decrease in driving related injuries encouraged the government to protect these workers on and around the federal highways.
Proof for the value of the safety vest is found in its use for Police Officers. The number of Policemen killed by firearms was the most devastating statistic. In 2009, that changed for on duty Police Officers. Three-thousand of America's finest were saved by wearing the specially designed protective vest colored blue with retro-reflectors.
In American cities the paramedics, school crossing guards, highway workers, and construction site employees are all identified with colors that have strong visibility. The people being protected by the neon orange, yellow, and green include everyday workers and young children as they cross the roads to school. Marketing masterminds did not need to create a campaign to alert drivers to heed the neon gear. Drivers became more aware as the colors were always displayed with signs carried or posted by workers around highways. The lesson was innately learned to be "alert" and "cautious."
The color of the neon vest is determined by its owner's exposure to slow traffic and this requires a Class One vest which is approved for low visibility. Class Two visibilities are at an intermediate level for workers who are exposed to traffic traveling 25 miles per hour or less. Finally, Class Three vests are used by road workers who need the most visibility while working on the country's federal and state highways.
In conclusion, safety vests and safety t shirts are popular in work and recreation places all over cities in the US and other countries. The idea was a great one that came from a nonprofit organization, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) that sets standards for the US and influences the world. Legislation did not have to pass laws to require their use till 2008. Until then, they were widely worn by most industry workers which adopted the ANSI standards.
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