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Never Forget 343
Gave It All On
9-11-2001
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HIGH VISIBILITY PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
Fire Service and Medical personnel have been asking a few questions
about
Minnesota's new MN-OSHA rule that went into effect on January 1, 2002.
The answer to your question is in Subpart 3 which
includes an
exception
from the general rule for fire protection personnel and clarifies
two
points:
1) the rule only applies to fire protection personnel
who may
be
engaged
in traffic control, and
2) it accepts NFPA 1971 compliant turnout gear as meeting the intent of
the rule.
The assumption, of course, is that the reflectorized
properties of
the
turnout gear are in good condition - not worn, faded, etc.
If you need additional information, please do not
hesitate to
contact;
MN OSHA
443 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155-4307
(651) 284-5254
(651) 297-2527 (Fax #)
OSHA.Compliance@state.mn.us
Workplace Safety Consultation
http://www.doli.state.mn.us/wsc.html
Workplace Safety Consultation
443 Lafayette Road N.
St. Paul, MN 55155-4311
osha.consultation@state.mn.us
Phone: (651) 284-5060
Toll-free: 1-800-657-3776
TTY: (651) 297-4198
Fax: (651) 284-5739
Minnesota State Rules Chapter 5205
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/arule/5205/
5205.0030 HIGH VISIBILITY PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/data/revisor/rule/current/5205/5205.0030.pdf
Subpart 1. General requirement.
Each employee, other than police and fire
protection personnel covered
by subpart 3, exposed to or working adjacent to moving motor vehicle
traffic as part of the employee's assigned job shall be provided with
and required to wear a high visibility warning vest or other high
visibility garment. A high visibility garment is defined as being a
Performance Class 2 garment or greater as specified by ANSI/ISEA
Standard 107-2004. Some smaller garments may not meet the background
material specifications for Performance Class 2 as defined in ANSI/ISEA
107-2004. In these cases, the garment must be rated by the manufacturer
as greater than or exceeding Performance Class 1 requirements.
Subp. 1a. Maintenance of garments.
If the high visibility personal protective
equipment becomes faded,
torn, dirty, worn, or defaced, reducing the equipment's performance
below manufacturer's recommendations, the high visibility personal
protective equipment shall be immediately removed from service and
replaced.
Subp. 2. Exception.
Where permanent or semipermanent
barricades designed to stop or deflect
vehicle traffic upon impact are in place to protect employees from
moving motor vehicles, employees are not required to wear high
visibility personal protective equipment while working inside these
protected areas.
Subp. 3. Law enforcement, emergency
medical technician, and fire protection personnel.
Law enforcement and emergency medical
technician personnel shall be
provided with, and be required to wear a high visibility outer garment
any time the personnel are engaged in vehicular traffic control. For
fire protection personnel, compliance with NFPA No. 1971 is acceptable.
Subp. 4. Electrical work.
For work within the flash protection
boundary as defined by NFPA 70E
Part II 2-1.3.3.2, high visibility garments constructed of material
that complies with NFPA 70E shall be worn.
Posted: December 03, 2007
ANSI/ISEA 107-2004
MFSN
EDITORS NOTE: ANSI/ISEA 107-200? is cuurently under revision as
of April 2008
ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 MADE EASY: A Quick Reference to High-Visibility
Safety Apparel
The American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and
Headwear (ANSI/ISEA 107-2004)
is a standard established by American National Standards Institute, Inc.
Construction, utility, police, emergency medical services, fire
fighters and airport ramp workers are routinely
exposed to the hazards of low visibility while on the job. This
standard provides guidelines for the selection
and use of high-visibility safety apparel such as shirts, rainwear,
outerwear, safety vests and headwear to
improve worker visibility during the day, in low-light conditions and
at night.
Significant changes to the first edition (ANSI/ISEA 107-1999) include
recognition of headwear as high visibility
accessory products, inclusion of reflective patterns, such as logos,
the distinction between woven and knitted
fabrics as background material, and removal of previous test criteria
that added no value. The appendices have
been expanded to include additional examples of garment designs and now
include forms for standard test reports
and an apparel and headwear compliance certificate.
This information, ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 Made Easy: A Quick Reference to
High-Visibility Safety Apparel,
summarizes the main provisions of the standard including minimum
performance criteria and basic design
requirements. You should obtain a copy of the standard and refer to it
for more detailed information. And remember,
there is more to designing a high-visibility safety garment than
meeting the minimum performance specifications
and design guidelines of the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 standard. Garment
designs should incorporate the full range
of your needs for functionality, comfort, durability and image.
ANSI/ISEA 107-2004
specifies the following:
• Design
• Requirements for Background and Combined-Performance Retroreflective
Materials
• Photometric and Physical Performance Requirements for Retroreflective
Materials
• Care Labeling
Scope & Purpose: It’s
about people
Before the first publication of this standard in 1999, there was no
regulation or specific guideline for the design
and performance of materials for high visibility safety apparel in the
U.S. Since 1999, private industry as well
as various federal, state, and local authorities have recognized the
ANSI/ISEA 107-1999 standard.
Until the release of the 2003 edition, the Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices MUTCD
provided only general guidelines for worker visibility in work zones,
requiring that flaggers wear garments visible from 1,000 feet away.
Historically, MUTCD focused on visibility from the driver’s
perspective: the use of traffic cones, barrels, and signs to provide
motorists with visual cues and clear channels of traffic. In the 2003
edition, the writers specify requirements for use of high visibility
apparel compliant with ANSI/ISEA 107 by both flaggers and other roadway
workers, and in doing so, place the focus on visibility from the
worker’s as well as the driver’s perspective.
MFSN
EDITORS NOTE: MN has it's own version of the MUTCD - Click
here
The
Differences Between MN MUTCD
and MUTCD
Of The Differences Between MN MUTCD and MUTCD
Sections (MN) MN MUTCD (June 2003) MUTCD (November 2003) Notes Chapter 4A. General
4A.1 Types MN MUTCD has two more chapters,
which the MUTCD did not cover.
Definitions
Retroreflective, combined-performance, and background materials are to
be certified to the performance
requirements in the standard. High visibility safety apparel
manufacturers must make documentation available
to verify that the finished garments also meet the requirements of the
standard.
Background material: Colored
fluorescent material intended to be highly conspicuous, but not intended
to comply with the requirements of this standard for retroreflective
material.
Retroreflective material: Material
that is a retroreflector and is either (1) not intended to comply with
the
requirements of the standard for background material, or (2) is a
combined-performance, retroreflective material.
Combined-performance material: A retroreflective material that is also
a fluorescent material. Combinedperformance
materials can be counted toward the minimum area requirements for
background material specified
in Table 1.
Compliance: Retroreflective,
combined-performance and background materials are to be certified to the
performance requirements in the standard. Manufacturers of the finished
garment must make documentation
available to verify that components used to make high-visibility
garments meet the requirements of the standard.
Certify (finished item): To provide documentation from either an
independent third-party laboratory
or to self-certify through the use of the Apparel and Headwear
Compliance Certificate. (Appendix D6)
Design
The ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 standard provides design guidelines and
specifies the minimum amounts of
component materials, colors, and placement to enhance the visibility of
workers. Refer to Section 6 of the
standard for more detailed information. The selection of components and
classes of apparel should be made
based upon what is appropriate for the hazard and with the safety of
the worker in mind.
Component Colors
There are three different colors for background and
combined-performance material from which to choose:
fluorescent yellow-green, fluorescent orange-red and fluorescent red.
Users should consider the work and natural
environment to determine the most conspicuous color for daytime use. Is
the environment urban or rural, heavy
foliage or desert? Are work zone devices and equipment yellow or
orange? Choose the fluorescent color that
achieves the highest degree of worker contrast.
Garment Classes
Three classes of high-visibility safety apparel help the user choose
the proper garments for a work situation.
The classes state the minimal amount of background and retroreflective
material, and placement of retroreflective
material needed as well as technical requirements for garment design.
Garments that cover the torso, such as
T-shirts and safety vests, are intended to meet Class 1 or Class 2
requirements. Shorts have been added to the
description of Class E garments, and Table 1 has been revised to
include Class E garments and headwear
minimum areas.
Retroreflective Material
Placement
Class 1 and 2 garments, such as vests and T-shirts, and Class 3 garment
designs, such as vest with pant
(Class E) ensembles, coveralls, outerwear and rainwear should achieve
the following:
- Use of retroreflective band widths appropriate for
the garment class. (Refer to Table 1.)
- 360° visibility with at least one retroreflective
band encircling the torso.
- Appropriate separation distances of vertical and
horizontal bands placed on the torso, sleeves and trouser areas.
- Appropriate horizontal gaps in retroreflective band
placement and garment design.
- In addition to trim, retroreflective patterns, such
as logos, design icons, or identification text may contribute to the
maximum area requirements specified in Table 1.
Ergonomics
- Apparel should offer the wearer the best possible
degree of comfort consistent with the provision of adequate protection.
- Garment designs should be free of roughness and sharp
edges that could cause excessive irritation.
- Adequate size ranges should be offered so the apparel
offered is adapted to the shape of the user.
Requirements for
Retroreflective and Combined-Performance Materials
Section 7 of the standard provides specifications for color,
brightness, fabric strength and moisture resistance
after various exposure tests.
- Background material needs to be tested for
chromaticity or color, and luminance or brightness.
- It must also be tested for color fastness with four
tests: crocking, perspiration, laundering and Xenon (UV light) exposure.
- Background materials need to be tested for
dimensional change (shrinking) after washing and dry-cleaning.
- Other tests include tensile strength, tear
resistance, bursting strength of woven material and bursting strength
of knitted material. Background materials also need to be tested for
water penetration and water repellency, if the garment is intended to
provide protection during rainfall.
Photometric and Physical
Performance Requirements for Retroreflective Material
Section 8 of the standard specifies photometric and performance
requirements for retroreflective material,
such as minimum brightness after test exposure.
- 3M retroreflective and combined-performance materials
are certified to ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 specifications. (Refer to the
tables in Section 7 and 8 of the standard.)
- All material must meet the minimum brightness
requirements after tests for abrasion resistance, flexing, folding at
cold temperatures and variation in temperatures.
- Combined-performance material must also meet the
minimum luminance or brightness factors after a Xenon exposure test (UV
light). (Refer to Section 7 of the standard.)
Care Labeling, General
Marking and Instructions for Use
Once all materials have been tested against performance requirements
and certificates of compliance from a third party testing laboratory
have been issued, apparel manufacturers then assemble garments
according to the design guidelines in Section 6 of the standard for the
appropriate class of garment. Only after all the materials’ performance
and design requirements have been met, can a garment be labeled
ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 compliant. Garment labeling, general marking and
instructions for use are described in Sections 10 to 12 of the standard.
Specific Marking
Marking includes the following information:
- Name, trademark, or other means of identifying the
manufacturer or authorized representative.
- Designation of the product type, commercial name or
code.
- Size designation.
- Number of this specific ANSI/ISEA standard (ANSI/ISEA
107-2004).
- Pictogram showing the garment Class and Level of
performance for the retroreflective material.
- Care labeling with FTC symbols and maximum cycles for
the cleaning process.
- Instructions for use (if applicable).
Answers To Your Most Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is this standard the
same as the European EN 471 standard? No. The developers of the
standard used
many of the requirements of EN 471 because the science supported the
performance criteria that is established.
2. Does this edition of
the standard replace the 1999 edition? Yes. To quote ISEA’s
technical director,
“The 2004 edition replaces the 1999 version, period.” (Janice Bradley,
October 2004 e-mail) Garment
specifications should be written around ANSI/ISEA 107-2004.
3. Is there a difference
between the ANSI/ISEA 107-1999 and ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 standard? There
are
differences between the 1999 and 2004 editions of this standard. See
the companion document, “Comparison
of ANSI/ISEA 107-1999 Versus ANSI/ISEA 107-2004” for additional
information.
4. Does OSHA know about
this? Yes. What is their position? As with many of the other
Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) standards that ISEA develops, ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 is
being publicized and distributed to
all areas of the federal, state and local governments for recognition
as a guide for high-visibility apparel and the
workers who use them. OSHA encourages the development of voluntary
industry consensus standards and is an
advocate for their use. Two states,
Minnesota (MN OSHA 5205) and Washington (WAC 296-155) have adopted the standard into
law.
5. Does a sleeveless vest
qualify as a Class 3 garment? No. The writers of the standard
never intended that a
Class 3 garment design be considered a vest, but rather a garment that
provides the highest level of visibility
(such as a vest with Class E pants, jackets, coveralls or rain suits)
at a minimum of 1,280 feet and through a
broad range of body motions. “Regardless of the area of materials used,
a sleeveless garment or vest alone shall
not be considered Performance Class 3.” (Page 2, Section 5.2.1
ANSI/ISEA 107-2004)
6. Which is more effective
during the day: garments with combined-performance material or
retroreflective
(silver) trim?
Human factors studies show that both fluorescent orange and fluorescent
yellow-green fabrics
perform better than non-fluorescent background colors in daytime
conditions. You should use a visibility
demonstration as the tool to determine component color preferences for
the entire garment.
7. Which is more effective
in nighttime conditions, garments with combined-performance material or
retroreflective material?
According to a 1999 human factors study,1 silver products which reflect
white are
equally conspicuous to the human eye at various distances when compared
with colored reflective products such
as orange, red or green. The quantity of retroreflective trim,
brightness and placement are the important factors
to achieve enhanced visibility. According to the UMTRI 2000-35 study2,
in low-light and nighttime conditions
color contrast was not an identifiable attribute, as all
retroreflective materials used appeared white when
illuminated. Again, a visibility demonstration is the best tool to
determine effectiveness of retroreflective
materials in low-light conditions and at night.
8. Does the standard only
permit the designs that are provided in the Appendix of the Standard? No.
The designs provided in the appendix of the standard are only examples.
There may be many innovative
designs including use of primary apparel such as shirts that meet the
standard and are different from the
limited examples in the Appendix. Section 6 of the standard states the
design requirements of the standard.
9. Does open weave or mesh
meet the background materials requirements of the standard? ANSI/ISEA
107-2004 is a performance standard and the material specifications are
not written to include or exclude
any materials if they meet the requirements for visibility or
durability. Many compliant mesh products are
available in the marketplace.
10. My workers are only
out during the day.Why do I need so much retroreflective materials that
affect the
cost of the garments?
Great variability in illumination conditions exists in daytime or
nighttime due to weather,
daylight savings time, and many unexpected work delays or emergencies
that may require employees to work
beyond normal shift hours. A national standard should protect workers
in all possible lighting conditions, day
or night.
11. I have only found
larger-sized garments that meet the standard. I have smaller workers
that need
appropriately fitting
garments to work safe. Is this being addressed? Quoting from the
standard, Section 6.3
Ergonomics (Page 5-6): “The high-visibility safety apparel shall offer
the wearer the best possible degree of
comfort that is consistent with provision of adequate protection. . . .
High visibility safety apparel shall be fitted
to correct positioning on the user and should ensure that it remains in
place for the expected period of use.”
Health & Safety Managers may wish to consider the selection of a
different garment style to accommodate
small-framed personnel.
Six Steps For Selecting High-Visibility Safety Apparel
Step 1: Obtain and review copies of ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 standard and
relevant regulations.
Step 2: Conduct a survey of worksite low visibility hazards to
determine the appropriate class of garments.
Remember that the survey should account for more than speed. Also
consider weather conditions,
worker proximity to traffic, task loads and the traffic control plan.
Step 3:Working with the 3M team and your safety and design specialists,
design concept garments that meet
your needs. Remember to take a comprehensive approach to garment design
in order to balance your
requirements for garment functionality, comfort and durability. An ISEA
study of construction work zones
found that non-use of garments is related to lack of comfort and
style.3 These issues can be addressed
through appropriate designs.
Step 4: Review your design choice with a visibility demonstration.
Step 5: Write a specification based on specific performance criteria.
Require use of certified components only.
Step 6: When the safety apparel is issued to your workers, provide them
with training that explains the purpose
and use of their new high-visibility garments.
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Roadway Operations Safety
Photo
illustrating layout of emergency vehicles, rraffic cones, and warning
signs at an incident on the roadway.
ResponderSafety.Com - Roadway Safety
Initiative for Emergency Responders
USFA has been working with the Cumberland Valley Volunteer
Firemen's
Association's (CVVFA) Emergency Responder Safety Institute to enhance
the operational safety of emergency responders on the highways. This
on-going effort has resulted in the development of a White Paper - Protecting
Emergency Responders on the Highways and supporting their ResponderSafety.com
web site.
USFA has received support for this initiative from the US
Department
of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and most
recently from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP).
Having DOJ, DOT, and USFA work together in enhancing roadway
operations safety will benefit law enforcement, highway workers, and
the fire service community alike.
This project will examine the development of advanced
technology and
systems that will permit nationwide sharing of lessons learned among
transportation, public safety, and emergency personnel enabling them to
more effectively respond to roadway incidents more effectively and
safer. It brings together advocacy for effective highway incident
management and training of emergency response personnel. This effort
will also study the feasibility of applying technologies to improve
highway incident management and responder safety.
Study of Traffic Incident Management
Systems (TIMS)
View
Press Release »
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the U.S. Department of
Transportation's (DOT) Federal Highway Administration, working in
partnership with the International Fire Service Training Association
(IFSTA), developed a report that provides technical guidance and
training programs in traffic incident management for fire and emergency
service providers.
The report, Traffic Incident Management Systems (TIMS),
contains guidance for local-level fire departments on compliance with
the DOT's Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the
National Fire Service Incident Management System (IMS) Consortium's Model
Procedures Guide for Highway Incidents.
This project included research into emergency services
implementation of TIMS and the IMS Consortium Guide, examining such
technologies and practices as effective distance for placement of
roadway warning signs; correct amount and type of emergency vehicle
warning lighting (e.g., intensity, color, etc.); and training,
placement, and protective equipment for "flaggers".
The manual includes case studies of roadway incidents that
have
taken the lives of firefighters, highway scene safety survival basics,
incident command for roadway incidents, and examples of effective TIMS
programs. It also provides information on the American National
Standards Institute/ International Safety Equipment Association
(ANSI/ISEA) standard 207, High Visibility Public Safety Vests.
Implementing an effective TIMS could have an impact on
reducing the
number of firefighters struck and killed by vehicles while performing
emergency operations.
Recruitment and Retention of Fire Service Traffic Control
Personnel
Fire Service
Traffic Control Personnel Setting up Traffic Cones on Roadway
USFA and the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's
Association's
(CVVFA) Emergency Responder Safety Institute collaborated on a study to
examine effective recruitment and retention methods and techniques for
Fire Service Traffic Control Volunteers, referred to in some areas of
the United States as Fire Police. This study examined the recruitment
of non-active fire service response support personnel (i.e., former
firefighters and other emergency responders, etc.) and citizen
volunteers (especially those that would volunteer under the Fire Corps
program), as well as effective techniques to retain members currently
serving in this role.
The study, supported by Fire
Corps, illustrates the important services that these emergency
support volunteers can provide.
As part of this study, a review and demonstration project was
conducted. Project results are contained in a manual that establishes
guidelines for the training and use of volunteers as Traffic Control
Volunteers to protect responders and the public at crashes, fires, or
at special events in the community. This manual, Developing Traffic Control Assistant Training
Programs
(PDF, 1.7 Mb), provides information to assist in the establishment and
management of these valuable units within a fire or police department.
Information developed from this study will be incorporated into
products to support recruitment and retention of Fire Service Traffic
Control Volunteers and disseminated via the ResponderSafety.com
Web site.
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