Why Hi Vis

Employment can sometimes be a dangerous business, particularly in the construction and maintenance industries. As the employer of a team in a dangerous profession, it is ultimately your responsibility that the staff underneath you are kept healthy and safe. When working with machinery one important piece of equipment is the hi vis work wear of your employees, and if you choose to ignore this vital safety rule, it could end up costing your company a great deal more than a few months' sick pay. In this article we will look at the importance of hi vis clothing in industrial work environments, and how you can go about saving money on buying hi vis equipment for your workforce.

Hi vis, or high visibility clothing as it is known, is essential when working in dangerous conditions. Wherever machinery is concerned, or visibility may be an issue, it is important to make sure your employees have appropriate high visibility clothing to allow them to be seen as hazards by other employees and equipment operators. The reflective material and stand-out colour of hi vis clothing helps make sure employees don't get overseen when it matters most, and can be very useful in helping prevent accidents in the workplace. By making sure every worker stands out, you are minimising the risk of injury from other workers and machines, as well as enabling you to assess risky situations at a glance by locating the whereabouts of each employee.

Acquiring hi vis clothing on behalf of your employees is a great way to leverage your corporate buying power to the advantage of your staff. Whilst this can be a great way to boost morale, it can also help leave your workers feeling needed within your team, ultimately increasing loyalty to your business. And what's more, by keeping your staff safe and out of harms way, there are advantages all round to buying hi vis clothing for your team. On a more cynical note, it can also be better for avoiding legal action if you go out of your way to create a safe environment for your workforce. By making sure you have acted more than reasonably in ensuring your employee's well being, you could find the courts less willing to attribute blame if one of your employees suffered an injury on the job. What it shows is a safety conscious attitude, which is viewed far more favourably than in situations where the employer has neglected to promote safety in his place of work.

Hi vis clothing is vital if you are working with machinery or in conditions of poor visibility. Without it, the number of industrial accidents on your site will increase by several times, and you could soon find yourself involved in legal exchanges through health and safety at work legislation. For its minimal cost to value ratio, hi vis clothing is an essential for anyone working in dangerous industries as a means of keeping the entire workforce safe and injury free on the job.

David Heller writes articles for safety footwear. Other articles written by the author related to personal protective equipment, corporate workwear can be found on the web.