High Visibility Clothing Regulations UK

You can tell a well run site from thirty paces. Not because the floor is spotless or the paperwork sits in neat binders, but because you can spot people clearly, moving with purpose, visible to each other and to the traffic that could hurt them. This is where high visibility clothing regulations stop being a dry rulebook and turn into something practical. Something that keeps everyone seen.

This guide is written for busy managers who need to get it right without turning it into a second job. We will cut through the standard numbers, explain what actually matters on the ground, and map the key choices to real tasks. I will also point you to where the law lives online, so you can show your homework when procurement or an auditor asks why you chose one vest over another. The aim is simple. Make compliance easy and comfort non negotiable.

First principles

High visibility clothing is classed as personal protective equipment, which means the usual duties apply. If a risk remains after you try to remove it with better design, better layout, better traffic management, then you provide suitable PPE free of charge, keep it clean and serviceable, and store it properly when not in use. That is straight from the Health and Safety Executive and has not changed in spirit for years. The HSE guidance also reminds employers to select clothing that is appropriate for the task and environment, and to train people to use it properly. Sensible, and frankly, the only way it works.

A quick update worth knowing. On 6 April 2022 the amended PPE at Work Regulations came into force. The change extended employer and worker duties to limb b workers, so not only traditional employees but certain contractors and casual workers as well. If you engage anyone who falls into that bucket, you owe them the same standard of PPE provision and maintenance. There is an HSE explainer and the statutory instrument if you prefer the legal text. Keep both handy.

The standard that does the heavy lifting

When people talk about high visibility standards in the UK they mean EN ISO 20471. It replaced the older EN 471 and sets out the test methods and the design requirements that make a garment genuinely conspicuous in daylight and in vehicle headlights at night. The standard uses three protection classes that scale with risk and exposure. Class one is the lowest, class three the highest, and the class is achieved by combining the fluorescent background area with the retro reflective tape in approved layouts. If you remember nothing else, remember this. Ask suppliers to confirm the class and the exact version of EN ISO 20471 the garment meets. It should be on the label and in the technical file.

You may still stumble across older web pages that reference EN 471 as the new British Standard. It is not. EN 471 has long been withdrawn and replaced by EN ISO 20471. If you see EN 471 on a current website, double check dates and ask the vendor for updated conformity information. The BSI and ISO entries confirm the current designation and scope.

A word on rail and that famous orange

Work on or near the railway is a special case. The rail industry requires orange high visibility clothing that complies with RIS 3279 TOM, on top of EN ISO 20471. That standard is owned by RSSB and specifies the colour, luminance and other details so track workers stand out against the lineside environment. In short, if your team set foot on the railway or the lineside, orange garments to RIS 3279 TOM are mandatory, typically at least class two. The RSSB page is the reference you want to bookmark.

So which class for which job

Let us make this practical. Before you race to buy anything, look properly at the work. Traffic speed, traffic density, background clutter, lighting, weather, and how long the person spends exposed. If you manage a busy yard with moving lift trucks and frequent pedestrian crossings, class two is the starting point for general circulation and class three for banksmen and anyone at greatest risk. If you run a quiet warehouse with slow moving order pickers and good segregation, class two may be enough for most tasks. Night work near traffic, poor weather, or work close to fast moving vehicles pushes you towards class three. The standard gives the numeric areas and the tape layouts but the choice is always anchored in the risk assessment. Keep that note with your purchase record.

Colour, tape and the little design choices that matter

For most UK scenarios the compliant colours are yellow and orange. Rail is orange for RIS reasons. Outside rail you can select either, but do not drift into fashion colours that are not compliant with EN ISO 20471. The fluorescent background is what makes you pop in daytime and in murky weather. The retro reflective tape does the work after dark. Tape placement is not arbitrary. The standard prescribes arrangements that give a human shape from a distance. Bands around the torso and across the shoulders help a driver realise they are looking at a person, not a cone.

Here is an on the floor tip. Choose soft handle fabrics and good collars, especially for polos worn all day. People keep these on for longer. For vests, check the fastening. Cheap hook and loop that loses grip in a week becomes a distraction and then a hazard. For jackets, look for storm flaps that do not cover the tape lines. Little choices add up to a garment that feels like part of the job rather than something bolted on.

If you are short of time and want proven options, start with these category pages and select garments that state the class and the standard on the product page.

Hi vis jackets for cold, wet or night work
Hi vis vests for visitors and general use in controlled areas
Hi vis polos when comfort and all day wearability are the priority

Labels, markings and what they should tell you

A compliant garment carries a pictogram label and markings that identify the standard, the class, the size and the care instructions. You should also see UKCA or CE conformity information depending on the route to market, plus the manufacturer details and a batch or model number. If you are ever unsure, ask the supplier for the Declaration of Conformity and the technical file. Reputable brands have this ready to send. The BSI knowledge page is helpful when you want to confirm you are looking at the correct standard and version.

Storage, cleaning and why visibility fades long before the fabric tears

Most sites replace garments when they rip. The problem is that visibility performance often degrades sooner. Fluorescent dyes fade with washing, sunlight and dirt. Retro reflective tape loses return if it is abraded or clogged. The HSE guidance is clear that employers must maintain high visibility clothing in a clean state and good working order. Build simple habits. Provide cleaning instructions with the first issue. Keep a few spare vests at the point of use. Set a visual check every month and swap out dull or damaged kit without drama. It is small money that buys peace of mind.

What about visitors and contractors

Treat them like your own people. Under the amended regulations, many contractors will count as limb b workers and fall within your duty to provide suitable PPE where risks remain. At the very least, do not rely on whatever they pull from a van. Keep a clean, clearly sized run of vests at reception and brief the environment they are walking into. Your traffic plan should make sense to a new pair of eyes, but the vest is your insurance while they adjust.

Rail specific note for mixed sites

Some logistics parks and civil projects straddle rail and non rail work. That is where mistakes creep in. Orange to RIS for anyone crossing the line or working near it. Yellow to EN ISO 20471 elsewhere, chosen by class to suit the risk. Mixing colours in one zone can reduce conspicuity, so agree a rule and stick to it. RSSB’s summary for issue two is short and readable if you need to persuade people that the rail rule is not optional.

Buying once, buying smart

There is a temptation to pick the cheapest vest and move on. But total cost is comfort times wear time times replacement cycle. A jacket that people keep zipped and wear happily through a night shift is cheaper than three vests that end up half open and grimy. My usual approach is to standardise by task. Class three jackets and coats for banksmen and night work. Class two polos for day work in yards and warehouses. Class two vests for supervised visitors and short duration tasks in low risk zones. Put it on a one page matrix with the job role, the exposure, the class and the model you have chosen.

Stock sizes properly. High visibility clothing that rides up or strains across the shoulders becomes a distraction and then it sits on the back of a chair. Include women’s fits where it improves comfort and range of movement. The regulations are silent on fashion, but they are loud on suitability.

Training that actually lands

You do not need a lecture. You need a five minute slot that explains why the tape pattern is where it is, why zipping a vest matters, and how to keep the garment clean enough to work. Do a quick demo under headlights if you have vehicles on site. People remember what they see. Update inductions to include the class rules for your zones, especially if you run mixed traffic or night operations.

Common pitfalls

Using non compliant colours because they look sharp in a brochure. They will not help under headlights and they will not pass an audit. Check the label against EN ISO 20471 and the class before you buy.

Wearing a branded tabard that covers or chops the tape pattern. The human outline matters. If you need large branding, integrate it at the manufacturing stage with a supplier who understands the standard.

Confusing rail rules with road rules. Rail is orange and RIS driven. Road and general workplace are EN ISO 20471. Keep them separate in your head and in your stores.

Letting garments age quietly. Faded fabric and abraded tape do not perform. Set a simple rotation and replace decisively. The HSE responsibility to maintain is not a suggestion.

Quick chooser

You are on the shop floor and someone asks what they should wear. Try this simple mental flow.

Is there moving traffic or plant. Yes.
Is it rail. If yes, orange to RIS 3279 TOM, at least class two.
If not rail, is it night work, bad weather or high speed traffic. If yes, class three.
If lower speed and controlled space, class two.
Visitors in controlled areas. Clean class two vest at a minimum.

Reference your chosen jackets, vests and polos and move on with the shift.