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Background
: ANSI /ISEA 207 Standards
ANSI 107 Hi-Vis Standard Revised for 2010
On January 8th, 2010, ANSI approved the ISEA revision of the 107 Standard on High-Visibility Apparel. As with previous versions, the new standard-noted as ANSI/ISEA 107-2010-sets the basic guidelines and minimum requirements for reflective apparel. And while it is largely unchanged, there are two noteworthy differences in the 2010 version.
GARMENT DESIGN REQUIREMENTS AND PERFORMANCE CLASS DEFINITIONS
One major change affects garments which DO NOT have reflective material encircling the arms-most often Class 2 vests. Under the 2010 standard, these garments must now include a minimum of 23.25 square inches of reflective material on the shoulder areas. In the past this was recommended as a best practice, but now has been made mandatory.
Please note that the 2010 revision does not make any changes to the amount of background or reflective material required for the performance classes; and performance Class 3 garments still require sleeves with reflective material encircling them.
CLARITY AND LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR FLAME-RESISTANCE (FR)
Another significant change to the 2010 revision is the addition of testing and labeling requirements for garments marketed as "FR." Under the new standard, any garment labeled FR must comply with at least one of seven commonly accepted FR standards. These FR standards, independent of ANSI 107, are published by either ASTM or NFPA.
To comply with ANSI 107-2010, FR garments must now be specially labeled in one of two ways.
o For garments tested to an ASTM FR standard, the letters "FR" followed by the specific ASTM standard must appear on the garment's interior label.
o For garments tested to an NFPA standard, a separate label indicating certification must be attached to the garment.
MUTCD - REVISED AND IN EFFECT AS OF January 15, 2010 - ANSI 107 2010
New York January 5, 2010
In recent years, policy makers and U.S. government agencies have increasingly turned to voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment solutions to meet their regulatory needs. The latest example of public sector reliance upon standards developed with a private-sector lead can be seen in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), a document produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The MUTCD, which defines how road managers nationwide install and maintain traffic control devices, was recently revised with changes that will take effect on January 15, 2010. States must adopt the manual's guidelines within two years.
The revised manual includes references to several standards developers that are accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Guidelines developed by the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, are included as requirements for high-visibility apparel. Workers, including emergency responders, must wear high-visibility apparel whenever they are exposed to moving traffic, work vehicles, or construction equipment. The apparel must meet certain requirements found in ANSI/ISEA 107-2004, High Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear, an American National Standard (ANS).
The revised MUTCD also states that high-visibility safety vests for emergency responders and law enforcement personnel may alternately follow another ANS, ANSI/ISEA 207-2006, High Visibility Public Safety Vests. Additional sections of MUTCD refer to one or both of these ANS for use by flaggers, law enforcement personnel directing traffic in a work zone, and adult school crossing guards.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an ANSI member an audited designator, is also referenced in the MUTCD. The manual states that firefighters and other emergency responders engaged in operations that directly expose them to flame, fire, heat, and/or hazardous materials may wear retroreflective turnout gear that is specified by the NFPA and other organizations, as an alternative to gear that complies with ISEA standards.
In addition to the ISEA and NFPA guidelines, the MUTCD references a standard developed by NEMA, another ANSI member and accredited standards developer. NEMA TS 4:2005, Hardware standards for dynamic message signs (dms) with ntcip requirements, is listed as a useful resource for readers of the manual.
In January 2006, The Federal Highway Administration published the most recent
Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (The MUTCD). This MUTCD revision
accepted and coded into law for the first time the ANSI 107-1999 High
Visibility Apparel Standard “or subsequent revisions”. The acceptance
of the ANSI 107-2004 Standard (the current revision) in the MUTCD was a
distinct advancement for highway workers. However for “Public Safety
Workers” such as Police, Fire, State Patrol, Emergency Personnel, and
other “First Responders” the circumstances and use of High Visibility
Apparel on the job was unclear. Many Public Safety workers were exempted
from using high visibility apparel, and or were only partially covered by
the ANSI 107 standard and the MUTCD. In 2006 the Federal Highway
Administration announced in a written statement that effective in 2006;
ALL workers working on a highway that received federal funds must wear
high visibility ANSI apparel. This new rule now INCLUDED Public Safety
personnel such as law enforcement, emergency workers, Fire, EMS, public
maintenance, utility crews, and other “First Responders” wearing traffic
vests when
performing duties of directing traffic, investigating crashes, handling
lane closures, clearing obstructed roadways, and all other disasters
within the right of way of federal highways. For practical purposes, all
First Responders working on any highway that received federal funds were
being advised to use ANSI High Visibility Apparel.
BEWARE.
Many Imported Safety Vests Do Not Meet ANSI 107 or 207 Standards. Safety
vests made from inferior materials are prone to fading, pealing, cracking,
seam failure and may not retain high visibility or reflective properties
when wet. Read why " Made
In USA" Matters
The
ANSI 207 vs. 107 Standard:
Public
Safety Workers acknowledged the risks of on-the-job traffic accidents
related to visibility. However, there was also a understanding
that
competing hazards such as heat/flame exposure for Fire Departments, use of
stealth and/or weapons by law enforcement in potential confrontations, and
fire/chemical/electrical exposure to emergency, maintenance, and repair
crews required judgment in the
use of High Visibility Apparel; and flexibility of design for these
workers. The ISEA, working in conjunction with select law enforcement,
fire,
rescue, EMS, and other city and state ‘First Responder” organizations
began work on a new consensus standard specifically
for
‘Public Safety” workers. The result was the publication of the ANSI
207 Public Safety Vest Standard, a consensus approved by the
canvas
method and published in late 2006. The ANSI
207-2006 accepted as “Best
Practices” much of the High Visibility
Apparel standard as defined by the already published ANSI 107-2004
standard for workers exposed to traffic. ANSI 107-2004 definitions
of fluorescent fabrics, retro-reflective tapes, 3rd party independent
tests of both fabrics and reflective for color fastness, cleaning, tear,
abrasion, flexing, temperature variation, care labels, marking, labels,
bursting strength, reflective photometric and Physical Performance
Requirements apply to the ANSI
207-2006 standard as well (See the separate
ANSI 107 Technical Brief for more on this) In all the Technical
Requirements, the ANSI 107-2004 American National Standard for High
Visibility Safety Apparel; and ANSI
207-2006, American National Standard
for High Visibility Public Safety are nearly identical.
CAUTION.
Most Foreign Manufacturers Of Safety Vests Are Not Required To Meet
ANSI / OSHA Standards. All of our safety vests meet or exceed ANSI / OSHA
requirements.
The
ANSI 207 - 2006 Standard:
The
major difference between the accepted ANSI 107 High Visibility Standard
and the ANSI 207 Public Safety Standard came in the
garment
design; specifically allowing LESS (450 sq inches) of background fabric to
be used. Law enforcement could now combine
Police
Blue fabrics with fluorescent orange or yellow fabrics. Fire Service could
use traditional orange, red or yellow fabrics; but also
needed
“Fire Resistant” fabrics per the (NFPA
701) and or (ASTM F-1506)
standards as the primary danger was fire. EMS personnel
traditionally used white. Finally the National Incident Management
System (NIMS) encouraged the use of color coding response personnel and or
the use of ID panels. The result is new vest
designs that combine non-traditional FR and poly-cotton fabrics with
traditional fluorescent fabrics to create entirely new designs for “Public
Safety” and “First Responders” Many of these designs are “One Size
Fits Most” to allow for variation in personnel likely to wear these
vests in an emergency. Clear and Velcro removable ID panels allow for fast
changes in assignments during Incident Management. Velcro
“Break-away” sides and shoulder designs on select products provide an
extra level of Safety. Taken together, the new
ANSI
207-2006
standard allows “Public Safety” personnel to maintain their identity
as First Responders while using High Visibility Apparel. These
new products appear on this site. High
Visibility T Shirts - Surveyors
Vests - Fire
Resistant Vests - Incident
Command Vests
If
you have questions or require more information regarding the new ANSI
207-2006 standards please feel free to call our toll free number 877-999-4847.
Unlike vendors that sell imported safety vests, Safety Smart Gear has
access to, and is more informed on, safety vest requirements from USA
manufacturers.
DISCLAIMER:
This summary and appendix is provided for sales and
customer service
informational purposes only. Please refer to the original MUTCD, OSHA,
ANSI, NFPA, and ASTM documents and all supporting Appendixes for
complete
information on compliance. As a technical summary, the completeness and/or
accuracy of this information is neither expressed nor implied.
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