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.

Black Series Windbreaker

The Black Series Windbreaker is the ML Kishigo new break out item for 2011. Never before has there been such a successful blend of work wear functionality with active wear style. Impressive features and attention to detail make this jacket a hit.




Hi-Vis Supply is proud to carry ML Kishigo products as well as other top hi-vis brands such as 3A Safety, Accuform Signs, Cornerstone, Cortina Safety Products Group, Flagstaff, Marpac Corporation, Safety Gear USA, Utility Pro Wear, Vinatronics and VIZ-Life.

About Hi-Visibility Clothing

Construction workers and emergency services personnel, along with cyclists and joggers most commonly wear high-visibility clothing. You can find high-visibility clothing in most stores and catalogs that sell work wear or bicycle equipment. Such hi-vis apparel enables people to see the wearer in poor lighting conditions or while on the job, to prevent accidents. One of the most traditional forms of this product, a fluorescent orange or yellow vest with reflective stripes, makes the wearer stand out at night.

ANSI Class 3 Lightweight Waterproof Rain Jackets

In the United States, high-visibility safety clothing must meet standards created by ANSI/ISEA, which mandate as of 2010 that "a garment's background material, and retro reflective or combined-performance material, must be tested and certified by an independent, accredited third-party laboratory." Makers of such clothing must verify and certify that the apparel meets the standards.

In the 1930's, 3M realized that spherical beads that made the silver screen silver could create a reflective strip of paint, and then tape. In 1968, brothers Hugh and Bill Rowland at the Reflexite company began processing reflective sheeting using small cube-cornered prisms, instead of spheres. Both shapes remain in use to this day.

The fluorescent color makes the wearer visible during the day, while the reflective strips make it more likely the motorists will see him at night, increasing his safety. A 2004 paper in the British Medical Journal showed that motorcyclists were 37% less likely to be in an accident when wearing fluorescent and reflective clothing. And, according to high-visibility vest seller ICU-UCMe, nighttime motorists see a vest wearer approximately three seconds earlier than they see someone not wearing a vest. Emergency services personnel wear high-visibility clothes to be clearly seen in dark or smoky conditions.

High-visibility clothing comes in three classes, determined by the American National Standards Institute and International Safety Equipment Association (ANSI/ISEA). Class I garments, typically worn by parking lot attendants, attract motorists' attention, while Class II garments meet higher visibility needs, with employers typically providing them for people such as airport baggage handlers. Class III, the most effective type, ranks as the highest visibility clothing, often used by emergency services.

Hi-Vis Supply can serve all of your hi-vis apparel needs including the Black Series Windbreaker by ML Kishigo.

This article came from Effectiveness of High Visibility Clothing by Ishbel Macleod, eHow Contributor updated: July 06, 2010 read more...

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.

HiVis for Wintry Weather

WorkSport 400 Jackets

The AccuWeather.com Chief Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi recently predicted that we’re nowhere close to done with the terrible weather of 2011. The cold weather is expected to hold through middle of February across much of the eastern two-thirds of the country. The chief also expects wintry events to last well into the spring, and says that this winter could end up being the coldest for the nation as a whole since the 1980s.

The ML Kishigo Black Bottom Bomber, 350 Pro Series Parka and the WorkSport 400 Jacket all keep you warm while maintaining flexibility in the winter. These coats are perfect for roadside construction, surveying, and just about any job that requires you to stay warm and stay visible at the same time. But they all have the versatility a worker needs when the weather changes, while staying compliant, and most of all – safe when it’s needed most. All three coats are ANSI Class III compliant, which means they’re all made with the mandatory retro-reflectivity, and state-of-the-art 2" 3M Scotchlite reflective material for excellent visibility in high-speed areas. Other areas where these jackets come in handy include the utilities department, sewer maintenance, electrical line construction and wind energy construction, just to name a few.

The HiVis knit beanie, also from ML Kishigo, also provides an added level of warmth for your head, where you’ll need maximum protection from the elements. These beanies are made from a soft, 100% polyester knit material. The two stripes of reflective thread are woven into the beanie - allowing for greater flexibility over the traditional sewn on reflective tape, and fit snugly to the head for added protection. Get one free when you purchase an ML Kishigo coat, for a limited time.

HiVis Supply is here to help you with all of your high visibility apparel needs including hi-vis coats, hi visibility clothing, parkas, safety and traffic vests and more. Visit Summit Sign and Safety, Hi Vis Supply or Summit Slope Signs today!

Hi-Vis for Low Light and Roadside Construction

Every year workers and employees sustain injuries and/or are killed working roadside including highway and pavement workers, construction crews, law enforcement and first responders, incident command - these people all run the risk of not being seen by motorists, careless and fast driving, fellow employees running big equipment and simply blending into their backgrounds. The use of high-visibility safety vests can save lives.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has established standards, ANSI/ISEA 107-2004, for hi-vis vests and other high visibility gear. Such high visibility clothing is available in many forms, the most common being a Class 1 safety vest, Class 2 safety vest or Class 3 safety vest. Otherwise known as a traffic vest or construction vest, this category also includes retro-reflective jackets, reflective sweatshirts and fluorescent T-shirts. 

For inclement weather, ANSI jackets, ANSI parkas, fleece-lined bombers and rain gear, or even reflective sweatshirts might do the trick. In warmer times of the year, reflective and fluorescent T-shirts may be more appropriate. Shown above is the Black Series Windbreaker.

ANSI hi-visibility clothing must be visible both by day and night and the ANSI standard sets the amount of reflective material the garment must have. Hi-vis clothing complying with the ANSI standards has become the status quo throughout industry as an effective way to protect workers by increasing their visibility. Also, workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway near traffic, light or heavy equipment or machinery within the work area are required to wear a ANSI approved reflective clothing such as an ANSI jacket or traffic vest, and possibly additional high visibility safety apparel. Additionally, those workers who would need hi vis clothing include highway workers and pavers, surveyors, equipment and truck drivers, construction and maintenance crews, inspectors, flaggers, incident command and first responders (EMS and firefighters).

Fleece and Teflon® for the Perfect Bomber!



HiVis Bomber with Zip-out Storm Fleece Liner
Fleece has a natural phobia for water and is inherently warmer than real wool. It's the perfect insulator even when wet (which is really hard to do), and it's breath-ability is almost a flaw since it doesn't stand up to wind too well. And that's where the outer shell comes in to play. Cover fleece with an outer treated with a Teflon® fabric protector and a barrier around each individual fiber is formed, lowering surface tension and allowing the bomber to repel most water- and oil-based liquids. Now the fabric has water and oil repellency without changing the color or feel of the garment. Liquids bead up on this bomber like car wax, and in tests, Teflon® tends to dry faster than untreated fabrics.

 Fleece has other important properties also. It's machine washable, dries quickly, a good alternative to natural wool (especially in the case of allergies and can be recycled from itself and even plastic bottles. DuPont™ Teflon® fabric protector products must pass stringent brand assurance criteria outlined in the DuPont Global Specifications and Quality Control Tests. This bomber is only available in hi vis lime in sizes M-5XL.

Additionally, the 350 Pro Series Parka has thermal insulation for added warmth and its seams are sealed. 3M brand two inch silver reflective tape makes these parkas ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 3 compliant. Plus, storm cuffs keep wind and snow out of critical areas in inclement weather. Adjustable cuffs and a hidden collar hood compliment two outside lower slash pockets with zippers and storm flaps; one outside upper radio pocket; one hidden inside wallet pocket with storm flap; and on inside general purpose pocket. The 350 Series Parkas are available in both high visibility lime and orange in sizes M-5XL.