Page 71 - Occupational Health & Safety, July 2018

fail to notice the signs or even check to see where the workers are. One of the easiest ways to keep workers safe is to make them visible. Low visibility is another danger on a job site with workers sometimes stand- ing less than 10 feet away from high-speed traffic while other workers are operating heavy equipment.
The ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Ac- cessories, along with the ANSI/ISEA 107- 2010 Standard for High Visibility Safety Apparel (HVSA) and the ANSI/ISEA 207-2011 American National Standard for High-Visibility Public Safety Vests, form a single comprehensive standard to help keep workers safe on the job. By combin- ing the standards, ANSI/ISEA added to its current Performance Class 1, 2, and 3 requirements by including three new gar- ment types for reflective options to see workers more clearly:
■ Type O (off-road) or Performance Class 1: non-roadway use where workers arenotexposedtohightrafficortempo- rary control zones.
■ Type R (roadway) or Performance Class 2 or 3: workers are exposed to traffic from public access highway rights-of-way or roadway temporary control zones.
■ Type P (public safety) or Perfor- mance Class 2 or 3: emergency and incident responders and law enforcement personnel who are exposed to struck-by hazards in roadway or off-road work environments.
Below are examples of occupational ac- tivities for each of the classifications:
■ Type O/Performance 1: parking at- tendants, shopping cart retrievers, ware- house workers with equipment traffic, sidewalk maintenance workers, or delivery vehicle drivers.
■ Type R/Performance 2 or 3: railway workers, forestry workers, school crossing guards, airport crews, law enforcement personnel directing traffic, and accident site investigators.
■ Type P/Performance 2 or 3: roadway construction personnel, utility workers, survey crews, emergency response person- nel, and flagging crews.
According to this standard, apparel worn by workers must provide 360-degree visibility during the day and night. A safety vest that provides reflectivity only on the back and torso does not meet the standard. Fluorescent garments that make a worker
highly visible during the day but nearly in- visible at dusk do not meet the standard.
Be aware that if your hard hat is a high-visibility color, prolonged daylightexposurecanfadethe cap’s color and thereby com- promise a worker’s visibility and safety. Ultraviolet rays degrade colorants, so hard hats should not be stored in direct sunlight when not in use.
High-Visibility Options
Head protection is not specifically covered by the standard, although hard hat manu- facturers offer several high-visibility op- tions for workers to choose. Workers can increase the visibility of their hard hat by choosing a high-visibility shell color. Yel- low is a common high-visibility color, as is green or orange.
Hard hats that meet the non-mandato- ry requirements for high visibility (ANSI/ ISEA Z89.1-2014) are marked “HV” by the manufacturer. Be aware that if your hard hat is a high-visibility color, prolonged day- light exposure can fade the cap’s color and thereby compromise a worker’s visibility and safety. Ultraviolet rays degrade colo- rants, so hard hats should not be stored in direct sunlight when not in use.
Striping on a hard hat is another way to increase a worker’s visibility. By using striping that is reflective and/or fluores-
cent in color, hard hats can provide en- hanced worker visibility. The same highly reflective striping that is applied to cloth- ing to meet the ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 standard also can be applied to hard hats. To achieve improved retroreflectance, use striping with a high CPL number. To achieve 360-degree reflectivity, add strip- ing all the way around the brim of your hard hat. Many hard hat manufacturers will custom decorate caps by applying striping as well as custom logos.
PPE must be worn to help avoid the hazards that we often don’t see. Those un- foreseen accidents that can happen in a blink of an eye can change our lives forever. Workers can avoid above and low-visibility hazards by wearing head protection. The hard hat, invented in 1919 to protect coal miners from fallen debris, is still the most important PPE available to protect workers’ heads while on the job. The next time you walk onto a job site, be sure you are wear- ing your hard hat. It’s too risky not to.
Stacey Simmons is the Product Manager for Industrial Head and Face Protection Prod- ucts at Bullard, a leading manufacturer of personal protective equipment and systems worldwide. Her product responsibilities in- clude Head and Face Protection and Body Temperature Management. Stacey also serves as the Product Chair of the Industrial Safety Equipment Association’s (ISEA) Head Protection Committee. ISEA is the leading association for personal protective equip- ment and technologies that enable people to work in hazardous environments.
www.ohsonline.com
JULY 2018 | Occupational Health & Safety 65
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