Federal Highway Administration High Visibility Law

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) the Work Zone Safety and Mobility law was first published in the Federal Register on Sept. 9, 2004. A federal standard for high visibility safety apparel was added to the Federal Register on Nov. 24, 2006.

Types

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) reports a standard for high visibility was developed to divide the construction of apparel into three basic types, dependent on the wearer's work environment. The standard represents workers in environments with traffic moving at less than 25 miles per hour (mph), more than 25 mph and more than 50 mph.

Testing

The FHA law requires all garments constructed for high-visibility use to be submitted to independent, third-party, laboratory testing. The standard covers high visibility vests, jackets, bibs, jumpsuits and head wear, according to ISEA.

Exemptions

According to the FHA, certain groups of emergency responders have been granted an exemption from the requirement to wear high-visibility clothing meeting the designated standard. Firefighters and other emergency responders working on a federal right of way are only required to wear reflective clothing authorized by other groups, such as the National Fire Protection Association.

References

• Federal Highway Administration: Regulation & Policy
• International Safety Equipment Association: American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel & Headwear
• Carolina Safety Sport: What is the ANSI 107-2004 Standard