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Hi-Vis Vests

Hi vis vests keep you seen when plant is moving, wagons are reversing, or you are working near live traffic.

On most sites they are the first bit of PPE you throw on, so get one that fits over layers, stays shut, and meets the right standard. From lightweight hi vis waistcoats for visitors to executive multi pocket hi vis vests for supervisors, pick the cut, fastening, and class for the job and get yourself compliant without feeling like you are wrapped in a bin bag.

What Are Hi Vis Vests Used For?

  • Working around moving plant and delivery wagons on busy construction sites, where reflective safety vests stop you disappearing in dust, shadow, and bad weather.
  • Roadwork and traffic management jobs, where fluorescent safety vests help drivers clock you early and the reflective bands still show up under headlights.
  • Rail and trackside work, where RIS 3279 hi vis vests are often specified so you are wearing the right colour and compliant kit for the job.
  • Short duration tasks and visitor access, where lightweight hi vis waistcoats with velcro fastening are quick to throw on over a coat without messing about.
  • Supervisory and set out work, where executive or surveyor hi vis vests with multi pockets keep pens, tape, phone and permits on you instead of getting lost in the van.

Choosing the Right Hi Vis Vests

Sort the right one by matching the standard and fastening to where you are working, not what looks tidy on the hanger.

1. EN ISO 20471 Class 1, 2 or 3

If you are on general site walkabouts, a Class 1 hi vis waistcoat is often enough, but if you are near traffic, plant routes, or low light areas, you will usually be pushed towards Class 2 or Class 3. Always follow the site RAMS and client spec because the wrong class is the same as not wearing it.

2. Rail spec RIS 3279

If the job is rail, do not guess, get a proper RIS 3279 hi vis vest in the right colour spec. Turning up in standard yellow when the job calls for rail orange is a quick way to get sent back to the van.

3. Zip front vs velcro

If you are on and off all day as a visitor or doing quick checks, velcro hi vis waistcoats are fast and simple. If you are working in wind, bending, climbing, or wearing it for a full shift, a zip front hi vis vest stays shut and looks less scruffy by lunchtime.

4. Mesh and lightweight vs executive multi pocket

If you are grafting in summer or wearing a harness, go breathable mesh hi vis vests so you are not soaked through by ten. If you are supervising, setting out, or carrying permits and a phone, an executive or surveyor hi vis vest with multi pockets earns its keep.

Hi Vis Vest FAQs

What is the purpose of a high vis vest?

It is there to make you stand out fast in the places you are most likely to get missed, like loading bays, reversing areas, road edges, and poorly lit corridors. The fluorescent fabric helps in daylight and dull weather, and the reflective tape kicks back light from headlights and site lighting.

Are high vis vests a legal requirement in the UK?

There is no single rule that says everyone must wear a hi vis vest everywhere, but employers must provide suitable PPE where risk assessments say it is needed, and most construction, roadwork and rail sites make it mandatory in their site rules. If the site says hi vis, you will not work without it.

Who would wear a hi vis vest?

Anyone who needs to be seen around vehicles or moving plant, including tradesmen, contractors, delivery drivers, supervisors, surveyors, and visitors on walk rounds. It is also common for warehouse teams and facilities maintenance where forklifts are moving about.

What jobs require hi vis?

Construction site work, roadworks, traffic management, rail environments, yard loading, and any job with reversing vehicles or plant routes usually requires it. The exact requirement is normally set by the client and site RAMS, including whether you need EN ISO 20471 class 1, 2 or 3, or RIS 3279 for rail.

Do I need a zip front vest, or is velcro fine?

Velcro is fine for visitors and quick on off use, but it clogs with dust and fluff and can pop open when you are bending or working in wind. If you are wearing it all day on the tools, a zip front hi vis vest stays shut and lasts longer.

How do I know if a hi vis vest is actually compliant?

Check the label for EN ISO 20471 and the class rating, and for rail work look for RIS 3279. If the label is missing or unreadable, treat it as non compliant, because that is what a site checker will do.

Who Uses Hi Vis Vests on Site?

  • Groundworkers, brickies, scaffolders and labourers who are in and out of loading areas all day and need high visibility vests that stay on and stay done up.
  • Sparks, plumbers and HVAC fitters who want breathable hi vis vests that fit over tool belts and layers without riding up when you are up ladders or in risers.
  • Site managers, supervisors and surveyors who go for executive hi vis vests for the pockets, ID windows and paperwork carry, especially on big refurbs and multi trade jobs.
  • Contractors and visitors who need a simple visitors hi vis vest for inductions, walk rounds and snagging without borrowing someone else's sweaty spare.

The Basics: Understanding Hi Vis Vest Standards

Hi vis PPE vests are not all the same. The standard and class tell you how visible you will be in real working light, and whether the vest is acceptable for the site you are on.

1. EN ISO 20471 and visibility classes

EN ISO 20471 is the common standard for high visibility vests and waistcoats. Class 1 is the lowest level of visible material, Class 2 steps up for higher risk areas, and Class 3 is the highest, usually achieved with more coverage or pairing with other compliant garments.

2. Fluorescent fabric vs reflective tape

The fluorescent fabric is what pops in daylight and dull conditions, while the reflective bands are what light up under headlights and work lights. For early starts, late finishes, and winter work, you need both working properly, so keep it clean and replace it when the tape is battered.

3. RIS 3279 for rail work

RIS 3279 hi vis vests are a specific rail requirement, mainly around colour and performance. If the job is trackside or rail depot, this is the spec that normally gets checked at the gate.

Hi Vis Vest Add Ons That Make Site Life Easier

A vest is only useful if it stays visible and carries what you need without ripping or flapping about.

1. Hi Vis Jackets and Hoodies

If you are working through winter or in constant rain, a proper hi vis jacket or hoodie stops you relying on a waistcoat over a dark coat that kills your visibility from the sides.

2. Hi Vis Trousers

For roadwork and higher risk areas, adding hi vis trousers gives you visibility when you are kneeling, bending, or half hidden behind barriers, which is exactly when drivers and plant ops lose sight of you.

3. ID Badge Holders and Armbands

If you are on secure sites, an ID holder keeps passes readable without clipping things through the reflective tape or losing your card every time you take the vest off.

Shop Hi Vis Vests at ITS

Whether you need basic visitors hi vis vests, breathable mesh hi vis waistcoats for summer, or executive multi pocket hi vis vests for supervisors, we stock the full range in the sizes, classes and specs site teams actually ask for. It is all held in our own warehouse, in stock and ready for next day delivery so you are not turning up to site short of PPE.

Read more

Hi-Vis Vests

Hi vis vests keep you seen when plant is moving, wagons are reversing, or you are working near live traffic.

On most sites they are the first bit of PPE you throw on, so get one that fits over layers, stays shut, and meets the right standard. From lightweight hi vis waistcoats for visitors to executive multi pocket hi vis vests for supervisors, pick the cut, fastening, and class for the job and get yourself compliant without feeling like you are wrapped in a bin bag.

What Are Hi Vis Vests Used For?

  • Working around moving plant and delivery wagons on busy construction sites, where reflective safety vests stop you disappearing in dust, shadow, and bad weather.
  • Roadwork and traffic management jobs, where fluorescent safety vests help drivers clock you early and the reflective bands still show up under headlights.
  • Rail and trackside work, where RIS 3279 hi vis vests are often specified so you are wearing the right colour and compliant kit for the job.
  • Short duration tasks and visitor access, where lightweight hi vis waistcoats with velcro fastening are quick to throw on over a coat without messing about.
  • Supervisory and set out work, where executive or surveyor hi vis vests with multi pockets keep pens, tape, phone and permits on you instead of getting lost in the van.

Choosing the Right Hi Vis Vests

Sort the right one by matching the standard and fastening to where you are working, not what looks tidy on the hanger.

1. EN ISO 20471 Class 1, 2 or 3

If you are on general site walkabouts, a Class 1 hi vis waistcoat is often enough, but if you are near traffic, plant routes, or low light areas, you will usually be pushed towards Class 2 or Class 3. Always follow the site RAMS and client spec because the wrong class is the same as not wearing it.

2. Rail spec RIS 3279

If the job is rail, do not guess, get a proper RIS 3279 hi vis vest in the right colour spec. Turning up in standard yellow when the job calls for rail orange is a quick way to get sent back to the van.

3. Zip front vs velcro

If you are on and off all day as a visitor or doing quick checks, velcro hi vis waistcoats are fast and simple. If you are working in wind, bending, climbing, or wearing it for a full shift, a zip front hi vis vest stays shut and looks less scruffy by lunchtime.

4. Mesh and lightweight vs executive multi pocket

If you are grafting in summer or wearing a harness, go breathable mesh hi vis vests so you are not soaked through by ten. If you are supervising, setting out, or carrying permits and a phone, an executive or surveyor hi vis vest with multi pockets earns its keep.

Hi Vis Vest FAQs

What is the purpose of a high vis vest?

It is there to make you stand out fast in the places you are most likely to get missed, like loading bays, reversing areas, road edges, and poorly lit corridors. The fluorescent fabric helps in daylight and dull weather, and the reflective tape kicks back light from headlights and site lighting.

Are high vis vests a legal requirement in the UK?

There is no single rule that says everyone must wear a hi vis vest everywhere, but employers must provide suitable PPE where risk assessments say it is needed, and most construction, roadwork and rail sites make it mandatory in their site rules. If the site says hi vis, you will not work without it.

Who would wear a hi vis vest?

Anyone who needs to be seen around vehicles or moving plant, including tradesmen, contractors, delivery drivers, supervisors, surveyors, and visitors on walk rounds. It is also common for warehouse teams and facilities maintenance where forklifts are moving about.

What jobs require hi vis?

Construction site work, roadworks, traffic management, rail environments, yard loading, and any job with reversing vehicles or plant routes usually requires it. The exact requirement is normally set by the client and site RAMS, including whether you need EN ISO 20471 class 1, 2 or 3, or RIS 3279 for rail.

Do I need a zip front vest, or is velcro fine?

Velcro is fine for visitors and quick on off use, but it clogs with dust and fluff and can pop open when you are bending or working in wind. If you are wearing it all day on the tools, a zip front hi vis vest stays shut and lasts longer.

How do I know if a hi vis vest is actually compliant?

Check the label for EN ISO 20471 and the class rating, and for rail work look for RIS 3279. If the label is missing or unreadable, treat it as non compliant, because that is what a site checker will do.

Who Uses Hi Vis Vests on Site?

  • Groundworkers, brickies, scaffolders and labourers who are in and out of loading areas all day and need high visibility vests that stay on and stay done up.
  • Sparks, plumbers and HVAC fitters who want breathable hi vis vests that fit over tool belts and layers without riding up when you are up ladders or in risers.
  • Site managers, supervisors and surveyors who go for executive hi vis vests for the pockets, ID windows and paperwork carry, especially on big refurbs and multi trade jobs.
  • Contractors and visitors who need a simple visitors hi vis vest for inductions, walk rounds and snagging without borrowing someone else's sweaty spare.

The Basics: Understanding Hi Vis Vest Standards

Hi vis PPE vests are not all the same. The standard and class tell you how visible you will be in real working light, and whether the vest is acceptable for the site you are on.

1. EN ISO 20471 and visibility classes

EN ISO 20471 is the common standard for high visibility vests and waistcoats. Class 1 is the lowest level of visible material, Class 2 steps up for higher risk areas, and Class 3 is the highest, usually achieved with more coverage or pairing with other compliant garments.

2. Fluorescent fabric vs reflective tape

The fluorescent fabric is what pops in daylight and dull conditions, while the reflective bands are what light up under headlights and work lights. For early starts, late finishes, and winter work, you need both working properly, so keep it clean and replace it when the tape is battered.

3. RIS 3279 for rail work

RIS 3279 hi vis vests are a specific rail requirement, mainly around colour and performance. If the job is trackside or rail depot, this is the spec that normally gets checked at the gate.

Hi Vis Vest Add Ons That Make Site Life Easier

A vest is only useful if it stays visible and carries what you need without ripping or flapping about.

1. Hi Vis Jackets and Hoodies

If you are working through winter or in constant rain, a proper hi vis jacket or hoodie stops you relying on a waistcoat over a dark coat that kills your visibility from the sides.

2. Hi Vis Trousers

For roadwork and higher risk areas, adding hi vis trousers gives you visibility when you are kneeling, bending, or half hidden behind barriers, which is exactly when drivers and plant ops lose sight of you.

3. ID Badge Holders and Armbands

If you are on secure sites, an ID holder keeps passes readable without clipping things through the reflective tape or losing your card every time you take the vest off.

Shop Hi Vis Vests at ITS

Whether you need basic visitors hi vis vests, breathable mesh hi vis waistcoats for summer, or executive multi pocket hi vis vests for supervisors, we stock the full range in the sizes, classes and specs site teams actually ask for. It is all held in our own warehouse, in stock and ready for next day delivery so you are not turning up to site short of PPE.

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