High-visibility Clothing for Highway Workers Mandatory by Dec. 31



photo by Earl Dotter

On December 16, 2009, The Federal Register Final Rule and revised document of the 2009 Manual on Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) was released, marking the final phase-in for compliance on all public roads that are not federal-aid highways by Dec. 31, 2011. The regulation for federal-aid highways has been in force since November 2008.

The purpose of the regulation is to decrease the likelihood of worker fatalities or injuries caused by motor vehicles and construction vehicles and equipment while working within the right-of-way on highways whether they’re federally aided or not. The definitions described are as follows:

Workers - people on foot whose duties place them within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway, such as highway construction and maintenance forces, survey crews, utility crews, responders to incidents within the highway right-of-way, and law enforcement personnel when directing traffic, investigating crashes, and handling lane closures, obstructed roadways, and disasters within the right-of-way of a Federal- aid highway.

Close proximity - within the highway right-of-way on Federal-aid highways.

High-visibility safety apparel - personal protective safety clothing that is intended to provide conspicuity during both daytime and nighttime usage, and that meets the Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of the ANSI/ ISEA 107–2004 publication entitled ‘‘American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear.’’ Go to the U.S. National Archives for more information.

The rule for federal aid highways states that “all workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway who are exposed either to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) or to construction equipment within the work area shall wear high-visibility safety apparel."

HiVis Supply is a reseller of high visibility apparel including ANSI approved clothing, safety vests, traffic vests, hivis vests, ANSI Class 2, ANSI Class 3, ANSI 107-2004, ANSI 207, ANSI Class E, public safety vests. Visit our store for all of your high visibility apparel needs, call or email.