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Safety Ratings & Standards

High-Visibility Safety Apparel Classes & ANSI Standards

High-visibility safety apparel (HVSA) is designed to make workers easier to see when moving vehicles, construction equipment, poor lighting, weather, or a visually complex background creates a struck-by risk.

In the United States, high-visibility garments are commonly classified under ANSI/ISEA 107. The garment's type identifies the work environment, while its performance class indicates the minimum amount of visible background and retroreflective material. Both parts of the rating matter.

Important: A job title alone does not determine the correct garment. Your employer or designated safety professional should select the type and class after reviewing traffic exposure, vehicle speed, lighting, weather, work tasks, and site-specific rules.

Why High-Visibility Clothing Matters

Compliant high-visibility apparel uses two different visibility technologies:

  • Fluorescent background material improves daytime and low-light visibility by making the wearer stand out from the surrounding environment.
  • Retroreflective material returns light toward its source, helping drivers and equipment operators see the wearer when headlights or work lights illuminate the garment.

Fluorescent material needs ambient light to be effective. In darkness, properly positioned retroreflective material becomes especially important for identifying the wearer and recognizing the human form.

What Is ANSI/ISEA 107?

ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 is the current published American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel. It establishes requirements for areas such as:

  • Fluorescent background materials
  • Retroreflective and combined-performance materials
  • Minimum areas of visible material
  • Garment design and material placement
  • Color, brightness, and performance testing
  • Product labeling and care information

ANSI/ISEA 107 is a voluntary consensus standard, but federal rules, state requirements, project specifications, and employer safety programs can require high-visibility apparel or incorporate an ANSI/ISEA classification.

ANSI Garment Types: O, R, and P

The garment type describes the work setting for which the apparel is intended. It is separate from the performance class.

Type O: Off-Road

Type O apparel is intended for occupational environments where workers are not exposed to public roadway traffic. It is associated with Performance Class 1 and may be used in controlled off-road areas where enhanced visibility is needed around slow-moving vehicles or equipment.

Type R: Roadway

Type R apparel is intended for workers exposed to roadway traffic or vehicles and equipment within a temporary traffic control zone. Type R garments are available in Performance Class 2 or Class 3.

Depending on the hazard assessment, users may include roadway construction crews, utility workers, survey crews, flaggers, transportation workers, and others working on or near a roadway.

Type P: Public Safety

Type P apparel is intended for emergency responders, incident responders, and law enforcement personnel. Type P garments are available in Performance Class 2 or Class 3 and can use designs that accommodate public-safety equipment and identification needs.

Example: “Type R, Class 2” is a complete classification. “Class 2” by itself does not tell you whether the garment was designed for roadway or public-safety use.

ANSI High-Visibility Performance Classes

Performance classes are based primarily on minimum areas of high-visibility background material and retroreflective or combined-performance material. Higher classes provide more visible material and greater recognition of the wearer's form.

Performance Class 1

Class 1 provides the minimum amount of high-visibility material recognized by ANSI/ISEA 107 and is used only with Type O apparel.

It may be appropriate for lower-hazard, off-road environments where workers are separated from public roadway traffic and vehicle or equipment movement is controlled. Class 1 is not the classification specified by the MUTCD for workers within a temporary traffic control zone.

Performance Class 2

Class 2 provides more visible background and retroreflective material than Class 1. It is the minimum performance class available for Type R roadway apparel and Type P public-safety apparel.

Class 2 may be selected when workers are exposed to traffic or moving equipment, visibility is reduced, the background is complex, or the worker's attention is divided. The actual worksite assessment must determine whether Class 2 is sufficient or Class 3 is needed.

Performance Class 3

Class 3 provides the greatest visibility of the three performance classes. It uses additional high-visibility and retroreflective material to improve recognition of the wearer's shape and movement, including visibility associated with the arms or legs.

Class 3 may be appropriate for higher-risk environments involving faster traffic, short sight distances, nighttime work, severe weather, complex traffic patterns, heavy congestion, or work performed close to moving vehicles and equipment. A sleeveless vest by itself cannot provide the limb coverage required for a Class 3 garment.

Supplemental Class E

Class E applies to supplemental items such as high-visibility pants, bib overalls, shorts, and gaiters. A Class E item does not meet an ANSI/ISEA performance class when worn by itself. When a compliant Class E item is worn with a Type R Class 2 or Type P Class 2 upper-body garment, the combination can form a Class 3 ensemble.

OSHA and MUTCD Requirements

ANSI/ISEA 107 explains how high-visibility apparel is designed and classified. The rules requiring workers to wear it can come from OSHA, the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), state agencies, contract specifications, or an employer's safety program.

  • OSHA: OSHA has stated that high-visibility apparel is required to protect employees exposed to struck-by hazards from public and construction traffic in highway and road construction zones. OSHA rules also contain specific warning-garment requirements for certain work, including employees exposed to public vehicular traffic during excavation work.
  • MUTCD: Section 6C.05 of the current MUTCD requires workers within the right-of-way and a temporary traffic control zone to wear Performance Class 2 or 3 apparel meeting ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 or equivalent revisions. A person designated by the employer selects the appropriate class. For flagger work at night, Class 3 apparel is recommended.
  • State and employer requirements: State rules, project owners, and employers may have additional or more specific requirements. Always follow the rule that applies to the actual worksite.

How to Choose the Correct Type and Class

A workplace hazard assessment should consider:

  • Whether the worker is exposed to public roadway traffic
  • Traffic and equipment speed
  • Distance between the worker and moving vehicles
  • Daytime, nighttime, and changing light conditions
  • Weather, dust, smoke, and other visibility limitations
  • Background complexity and sight distance
  • Whether the worker must focus away from approaching traffic
  • Whether tools, harnesses, or outer layers will cover visible material
  • Federal, state, local, project, and employer requirements

Do not choose a garment solely because it is fluorescent or has reflective tape. Those features do not automatically make it ANSI/ISEA 107 compliant.

Check the Garment Label and Product Specifications

Before purchasing, review the individual product description and the garment label. A compliant garment should identify the applicable ANSI/ISEA standard edition, type, performance class, size, manufacturer, and care information.

Some products are certified to ANSI/ISEA 107-2015, while newer products may be certified to ANSI/ISEA 107-2020. Publication of a newer edition does not automatically make every garment certified to an earlier edition unusable. The current MUTCD expressly references the 2015 edition or equivalent revisions, but an employer, state agency, customer, or contract may require a particular edition. Confirm the requirement before ordering.

Fit, Care, and Replacement

  • Choose a size that allows safe movement and necessary layering without creating a snag or entanglement hazard.
  • Wear the garment closed and as designed so the required visible material is exposed.
  • Do not cover the high-visibility or retroreflective areas with noncompliant outerwear, equipment, or oversized graphics.
  • Follow the manufacturer's washing, drying, and maximum-use instructions.
  • Replace apparel when fading, staining, abrasion, damage, or loss of reflectivity reduces its visibility or when the manufacturer's service-life limit is reached.

Shop High-Visibility Safety Apparel

Safetywear.com carries high-visibility workwear for American workers, crews, businesses, and public organizations.

Official Standards and Safety Resources

This information is provided as a general guide and is not a substitute for a workplace hazard assessment, employer instructions, contract specifications, applicable laws and regulations, or the complete ANSI/ISEA 107 standard. Always confirm the required protection with the employer or qualified safety professional and review the individual product's label and specifications before use.