Hi-vis standards, in plain English.

Hi-vis is the one area of workwear where getting it wrong has consequences beyond appearance. The rules are simpler than they look.

What EN ISO 20471 covers

It is the European standard for high visibility clothing for professional use. It sets how much fluorescent background material and retroreflective tape a garment must carry, and how that material is arranged, so the wearer is conspicuous both in daylight and in headlights. A garment either meets a class or it does not.

The three classes

• Class 1. The least material. Suited to low-risk work away from traffic. A belt or basic vest often falls here.
• Class 2. The common site waistcoat. Appropriate for most construction and general roadside work.
• Class 3. The highest. Requires sleeves — a jacket or coverall — and is generally required near high-speed traffic.

Classes can be combined: Class 2 trousers worn with a Class 2 jacket can achieve Class 3 as an outfit, provided both are worn. That is a common and practical route, but it only counts while both garments are on.

Branding hi-vis without voiding it

You can absolutely put a logo on hi-vis, and most sites expect it. Two rules govern it. First, nothing may cover or interrupt the retroreflective tape. Second, the decoration must not reduce the certified fluorescent background area below the required minimum. In practice that means a chest logo and a modest back logo placed in the gap between bands.

Because the available area is smaller, back logos on hi-vis are usually smaller than on a plain jacket. A supplier who sizes your back logo the same on both is not thinking about compliance.

When to replace it

Hi-vis has a working life, not an expiry date. The label states a maximum number of wash cycles, and physical condition overrides that. Replace when the fluorescent colour has visibly dulled, the tape is cracking or lifting, or the garment is soiled enough to reduce visibility. A grubby faded vest is no longer doing the job it was certified for, whatever the label says.

Wash separately, without fabric softener or bleach, at the stated temperature. Softener coats the fibres and dulls fluorescence, which quietly shortens the life of every garment in the batch.

A note on other standards

EN 343 covers protection against rain — look for it if you need genuinely waterproof kit rather than shower resistance. Flame retardant and arc-rated garments are a separate specialist category, and must not be decorated with ordinary methods, which can compromise the protection. If you need those, say so before anyone quotes.