Australian standards expect and require workers to wear high-vis garments. This way, they will remain visible while on the road or near machinery. When it comes to Australian high visibility standards, it is important to understand the legislative requirements. It will help ensure that business owners know that the gear complies with these standards.
The Standards Explained
A common misconception is that bright yellow or orange shirt is enough to meet Australian standards. It is a false belief and should be corrected right away. High-vis gear often looks the same, but it is essential to wear OEM Hivis Workwear clothing that is compliant to the AS/NZS standards. There are a couple of main standards regarding high visibility garments. They are the following:
1. AS/NZ 4602.1 (Specifies the structure of the clothing to meet the standard for hi-visibility)
This standard refers to how a garment is made using fabrics compliant to 1906.4.
There has to be over 0.2m2 of unbroken floured fabric on both the front and back of a garment in the upper torso (this does not include the sleeves). The fluoro must not be broken with the non-fluoro fabric within the 0.2m2 area on both the front and back from the top of the shoulders to the waist and MUST encircle the body up to that measurement. So no full side panels up to the armpit level are permitted. This standard also explains the position of the reflective tapes on the garment and the width and quantity used. These tapes should not be less than the 0.2m2 measurement required.
This standard specifies the design of the garments used by employees who are exposed to hazards from moving vehicles, equipment, or other high-risk situations. In this standard, there are three classes:
- Class D for daytime use only: They provide the wearer with high visibility under daylight conditions but are generally ineffective in providing visibility in darker environments. An example is a navy or yellow polo that does not include tape.
- To meet the 4602.1 standards, a Class D compliant garment should be of the approved color (yellow, red, orange-red, and orange plus yellow), which must enclose the upper torso.
- The fluorescent fabric should cover at least 0.4m2 of the upper torso. If there is a logo, it should not be more significant than 10cm for both height and width.
- Class N for night-time use: a garment designed for night-time use only, comprising retroreflective elements on an unspecified background.
- Class D/N: a garment designed for both day and night use, comprising retroreflective elements on a fluorescent or other non-retroreflective high visibility background material. An example here is a yellow polo that comes with reflective tape.
2. AS/NZ 1906.4
This standard explains the use of high-visibility visibility fabrics for outdoor daytime use for road traffic control purposes. It is more in-depth than the other standard since 1906.4, It specifies the photometric, colorimetric, and physical properties for the various high visibility materials. It categorizes materials into three classes:
- Class F for fluorescent fabric that can only be used during the day (i.e. hi-vis yellows, oranges, etc.)
- Class R for reflective items that should be used at night (i.e. 3M reflective tape).
- Class FR for both day and night-time use
The standard also goes into detail about the impacts of washing, particularly with reflective materials. Businesses and workers should understand that most reflective tapes used in Australia only remain compliant for about 30 washes. Going over means, the item loses its integrity and should no longer be utilized.
