Three great HiVis Products for End of Summer

Charger Safety Glasses

The Charger safety glasses, from Bobster, feature anti-fog, polycarbonate lenses and a clean wrap around design. The durable, high-gloss, black nylon frame fits securely and comfortably, even on smaller faces. The Charger safety glasses come with a microfiber pouch for easy cleaning and storage when not being worn. ANSI Z87.1 approved.

Black Series Windbreaker

The Black Series Windbreaker by ML Kishigo is activewear inspired high-vis apparel. The windbreaker is a lightweight and flexible design, that utilizes durable, black ripstop material in high wear areas along the sides and under the arms. It also features waist cinches hidden in the front pockets - keeping a clean look. Other features of the windbreaker include: adjustable cuffs, shoulder blade vents, two outside lower pockets with zippers, left chest vertical pocket with waterproof zipper and 2' wide VizLite reflective material. Available in high visibility Lime or Orange; M-5XL. ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 3 compliant.

Professional Surveyor's Vest

The Professional Surveyors vest, from ML Kishigo, is designed to exceed the demanding needs of a highly functional surveyors vest. It is constructed with a solid polyester front /Ultra-Cool mesh back; and features a 2" 3M Scotchlite reflective material laminated to 3" contrasting color – increasing daytime visibility. Other features of the vest include: left and right mic holders; zipper front closure; two lapel grommets; reinforced webbing at high stress points; and a plush neck liner for comfort. The pockets of this surveyors vest include: left chest 2-tier pocket with dual function flap that can be held open by Velcro; large right gusseted pocket; outside lower pockets with flaps; left and right stake pockets; left and right elastic spray can pockets; lower inside left and right full length zipper pockets with load bearing straps; and a hidden back pouch with left and right zipper access. Available in high visibility Lime and Orange; sizes M-5XL. Choose from both ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 compliant and ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 3 compliant vests.

HiVis Supply is proud to offer high visibility products for a variety of job duties like roadside construction, manufacturing, plant assembly, mining, surveying, forestry, power generator construction, shipyard construction, warehouse and facility maintenance, utilities department, sewer maintenance, electrical line construction, wind energy construction, ethanol and oil refinery and many others.

Flagging for Road and Bridge Construction

Per the Florida Department of Tranportation (FDOT) regulations on road and bridge construction, contractors must provide trained flaggers "...to direct traffic where one-way operation in a single lane is in effect and in other situations as required. The Worksite Traffic Supervisor or others as approved by the Department will provide training for flaggers."

Flaggers are often the first line of defense for roadside and highway crews (see poster). Basic skills include:

• The Right Signals for stopping, alerting and allowing traffic to proceed
• The Right Gear Class II or Class III high visibility vests, shirts and foul-weather gear
• The Right Sign Spacing stopping sight distances
• The Right Setup
• The Right Practices
• stand on shoulder in clear view
• always face traffic
• use clear hand signal
• stay alert
• always stand up
• use authorized communication devices
• The Right Training Per jurisdiction

Flaggers must be trained per the MUTCD Section 6E (Flagger Control), and Design Standards Index 600 (Flagging Operations and Night Time Flagging) and (General Information for Traffic Control through Work Zones). The field demonstration shall be a dexterity test using hand-signaling devices (STOP/SLOW paddle and flag) during flagging type operations and placement of traffic control devices.

Instructors may use training videos, handouts, computer based training, or other methods to ensure that the flagger has demonstrated knowledge and proficiency in flagging operations (per FDOT). No formal submittal of this course to the MOTC for review is required. No time requirement is set for the training, but the instructor will be required to keep a record of persons they have successfully trained and the date they were trained.

Go here to order your Know Flagging poster.

Go here to order paddles.

Go to the Workzonesafety.org website for more information including their brochures and fact sheets.

Intense Heat Plays a Part in Roadside Safety

Asphalt and concrete are tough materials to deal with, let along in the intense heat and overbearing sun. In the heat of the summer, roadside safety becomes more than just remaining visible to motor traffic - it's also about staying cool.

The season requires workers to consider two additional factors, sun and heat. The primary place to keep covered from the sun is the head and neck. For this HiVisSupply offers a variety of hats and neck shades. In the scorching heat even the layering of a high-vis vest atop a regular t-shirt can be oppressive. That’s why we recommend our moisture wicking microfiber t-shirts which keep you in compliance and considerably cooler. ML Kishigo, makes products that have you covered for any weather and any season.
In the video above, blog they briefly show the best products for optimizing comfort in the summer heat.

The HiVis shorts, from Vinatronics, are designed for both comfort and visibility. They are made from an all-season, breathable polyester with 2" 3M Scotchlite silver reflective material. Other features include: drawstring waist adjustment and two waist pocket openings. Combine these ANSI Class E shorts with an ANSI Class 2 vest for and ANSI Class 3 compliant ensemble. Available in high visibility Lime or Orange. Made in the USA. ANSI/ISEA Class E compliant.

Struck-by Accidents in Construction/Vehicle Back-Over

 The US Department of Labor (DOL) has produced a series of prevention videos regarding safety in industry and on the jobsite. To see the series, go here.

In the U.S., more than 800 construction workers die every year while on the job. Being struck by vehicles, heavy equipment, and other objects is the top cause of injuries and the second cause of death for construction workers, killing more than 150 workers in 2009. But these injuries and deaths can be prevented. 

Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace and required protective equipment. You'll see that taking the right protective steps saves lives. 

All scenes are based on true stories. A surveyor was spray painting the ground to outline the area for a new building pad. At the same time, the driver of a wheel tractor scraper was moving forward to get the ground ready for pad construction. There was no spotter at the site, and there was no internal traffic control plan in place. Before backing up to go over the ground again, the driver checked his rearview and side mirrors. He didn't see anyone in his mirrors, so he  up. The driver's back-up alarm didn't work, so the surveyor did not hear the scraper coming towards her. As the driver backed up, he ran over the surveyor. She died from the injuries.

Let's look at the events leading up to this tragic incident, and see how it could have been prevented. When a vehicle on a construction site has an obstructed view to the rear OSHA's standard requires employers to provide that vehicle with a working back-up alarm, or a spotter on site to tell the driver when it is safe to back up. Now let's see what happens when protective measures are in place. Although there is now a working back-up alarm, it is barely audible over the background noise, so as an added safety measure there is also a spotter on site wearing a reflective vest. There is also an internal traffic control plan in place. This plan helps protect workers because it tells the drivers of moving vehicles and equipment the safest way to move around the work site. So this time, before backing up, the scraper's driver waits for the spotter's signal so he knows the area is clear to enter. Now as the driver reverses, the back-up alarm can be heard and no workers are near the scraper.

This example shows the importance of employers following OSHA's vehicle safety standards for construction sites to ensure that workers are provided with a safe workplace.

These types of construction worker deaths are preventable.

The protection measures shown here save workers' lives. Please follow OSHA's safety standards at worksites: it could be the difference between life and death. If you would like more information, contact OSHA at www.osha.gov or 1-800-321-OSHA.

To view the video or get the transcript, go here.

Professional Surveyors Vest

The Professional Surveyors vest, from ML Kishigo, is designed to exceed the demanding needs of a highly functional surveyors vest. It is constructed with a solid polyester front /Ultra-Cool mesh back; and features a 2" 3M Scotchlite reflective material laminated to 3" contrasting color – increasing daytime visibility. Other features of the vest include: left and right mic holders; zipper front closure; two lapel grommets; reinforced webbing at high stress points; and a plush neck liner for comfort. The pockets of this surveyors vest include: left chest 2-tier pocket with dual function flap that can be held open by Velcro; large right gusseted pocket; outside lower pockets with flaps; left and right stake pockets; left and right elastic spray can pockets; lower inside left and right full length zipper pockets with load bearing straps; and a hidden back pouch with left and right zipper access. Available in high visibility Lime and Orange; sizes M-5XL. Choose from both ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 compliant and ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 3 compliant vests.

HiVis Supply is a reseller of high visibility apparel including hivis vests, ANSI Class 2 and ANSI Class 3 for a variety of job duties like construction, shipyard construction, and warehouse and facility maintenance.

 

Traffic, Roadway and More!

HiVis Supply proudly carries Accuform Traffic and Roadway products including "No Texting While Driving" signs and labels, collapsible cones, the Tilt-Adjust sign stand and numerous roll-up sign legends to go along with it.

But no facility traffic safety program is complete without paddle signs, wheel chocks, and barricades from other suppliers such as Cortina and ML Kishigo.

For the maintenance and road crews at your plant or facility, remember personal safety lights from Marpac and high visibility safety vests. HiVis carries Class 1, 2 and 3 safety and traffic vests depending on traffic density and posted speed limits.

Brilliant Series Class 2 Heavy Duty Vest

The Brilliant Series vests from ML Kishigo provides maximum visibility. In addition to the high visibility background material and the 2" wide VizLite reflective tape with contrasting color, the vest also utilizes Brilliant Trim reflective edging which considerably improves the vest's low light visibility. The vest is constructed of a durable and breathable 100% polyester mesh and the vest features include a zipper closure, mic tabs on chest, 2-tier pencil pocket, flapped radio pocket, inside patch pockets, outside cargo pockets with adjustable flaps, and reinforced webbing for added strength. The vest is available in both high visibility lime or orange. It's also ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 compliant.

By choosing a vest which is above what is generally necessary, you will ensure the safety of your employees and help to make them as secure in their job as possible. Even an ANSI class 3 surveyors vest can provide you with an abundance of visibility, typically with some additional options that will rate them for breakaway material.

The need for a safety ANSI class 2 vest for their job would include individuals who are working when the weather conditions are poor and visibility may be low. These are also generally preferred for when traffic near the worker will exceed 25 mph. Some of the most popular professions which use these types of vests would include airport ground workers, law enforcement officials, railroad workers and crossing guards.

Visit HiVis Supply for all of your high visibility apparel needs.

Mandating the MUTCD Final Rule for High Visibility

This excerpt comes from an article written on the ML Kishigo blog Understanding the MUTCD Final Rule.

Proper understanding of compliance issues is just as important to the smooth operation of companies that are mandated to comply, as it is to the safety of their employees. A clearer picture of the MUTCD regulations it defines is essential.

On December 16th 2009, the Federal Register Final Rule and the revised 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) were released. The ruling establishes the MUTCD as the primary regulatory document mandating the use of high-visibility apparel for all affected workers in the United States. The primary aspect of the ruling however, lies in the mandated class of garment and the environments in which affected workers are required to comply.

In October of 2008 the Federal Highway Administration, or FHWA, mandated the use of Class 2 and Class 3 high visibility garments on all Federal-Aid highways. The new MUTCD ruling solidifies the FHWA mandate, which took affect in 2008. Additionally, between the time of the October mandate and the publication of the MUTCD ruling, the FHWA expanded the mandate of the affected regulation areas from just Federal-aid highways to cover all roads which are open to public travel. Compliance to this amended regulation will be phased in until it takes full effect on December 31st, 2011. The one exclusion is private property in which you pass through a traffic control gate.
 
To read the article in its entirety, click here.

The 7-in-1 All Conditions Jacket from SafetyGear™ by PIP

The 7-in-1 All Conditions Jacket is made for cold weather jacket and its versatility remains unmatched. This high visibility - high safety - and very warm utility jacket offers many options for safety and warmth. Changeable to all seasons, the SafetyGear™ coat can be worn as an ANSI Class 3 jacket - or remove the liner and wear it as a reversible, stand alone ANSI Class 2 vest. It offers a breathable outer shell and removable hood with an external phone pocket, fleece-lined collar on outer garment, velcro adjustable cuffs, zipper closure with storm flap, hand warmer pockets, D-rings for attaching identity tags and reflective 3M tape. the 7-in 1 is available in high-visibility orange or lime and runs the same price for sizes medium through 5XL. Its reflectivity makes it ANSI Class 3 compliant.

Protective Industrial Products focused on expanding its scope beyond hand protection and eyewear this year by introducing some innovative selections to the safety marketplace. “We’re in the middle of a big initiative that will complement our existing apparel offerings,” says Robin Roberts, Vice President of Sales. “We’re expanding our scope beyond hand protection.”

Over the last few years, Roberts says PIP has also strengthened its position in the visibility apparel space, again based on the exposure that such products have achieved in the European market. The manufacturer plans to further leverage that exposure with its newest additions.

Read the rest of the article, The “Head to Toe” Approach here.

 

HiVis Supply is proud to offer unique and forward thinking products for the hi-vis and safety industries. Visit HiVis Supply for all of your high visibility and safety needs.