A look at EN ISO 20471:13

This safety rating was released in 2013 replacing existing standard EN 471 specifying requirements for high visibility clothing.

High visibility workwear provides visibility to the wearer when working in varying light conditions, when viewed by operators of any mechanical equipment in daylight or in illumination of headlights at any angle. Requirements within this rating refer to variables such as base fabric colour, minimum areas for reflectivity and placement of tape.

Mirroring EN 471 this new standard is divided into 3 classes in accordance with the risk zone the worker is in. In turn, this correlates to the amount of reflective tape and fluorescent material required.

• Class 3: Highest level of visibility
  • Minimum background fabric 0.8m²
  • Minimum Retro-reflective material 0.2m²
  • Items that will commonly meet these standards include Hi-Vis Jackets and long sleeved vests

• Class 2: Intermediate level of visibility
  • Minimum background material 0.5m²
  • Minimum Retro-reflective material 0.13²
  • Items that will commonly meet these standards include Hi-Vis sleeveless Vests

• Class 1: Lowest level of visibility
  • Minimum background material 0.14m²
  • Minimum Retro-reflective material 0.10²
  • Items that will commonly meet these standards include Hi-Vis trousers when worn separately from other garments

Class 3 can be attained in two ways, firstly by wearing a garment rated as class 3 individually or by combining jointly certified products that together are class 3 rated. You can identify if products are jointly certified by looking on the inner label where the joint articles will be stated.

Can I still wear my EN 471 certified garments?

As long as the certificate is still valid you can. At the latest certificates will expire in 2018, and then all garments will have to be certified under the new EN ISO 20471:13.

Key Changes

Whilst there are many changes that have been made, key updates include:

• Class 3 garments must now cover the torso and either comprise of full length trousers or sleeves
• If a sleeve obscures part of a reflective band on the torso of a garment, a band must be added to the sleeves
• The tensile and busting strength for fabrications has been reduced
• Colour fastness has been upgraded to grade 4 minimum
• The logo has been updated to be more clear, with just the one figure next to the vest illustration

Applying Branding

Clad Safety can still effectively apply your brand logo or any other information to Hi-Vis garments. To keep the EN ISO 20471:13 rating and maintain safety in the work place, the minimum requirements of fabrication as listed above must still be intact.

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