A new American National Standard from ISEA will help protect emergency responders by providing increased visibility.  ANSI/ISEA 207-2006, the American National Standard for High-Visibility Public Safety Vests, establishes design, performance specifications, and use criteria for highly visible vests that are used by public safety industries.

“Vests that meet this standard give users enhanced visibility in all lighting conditions, through the combined use of fluorescent and retro-reflective materials,” said ISEA Technical Director Janice Comer Bradley.

The standard includes basic requirements such as vest dimensions, color and materials performance, but also incorporates criteria for special features for users in fire, emergency medical and law enforcement services. The vest design criteria reflect the specific needs of public safety workers such as the need to access belt mounted equipment (gun, CPR barrier) and the ability for vests to tear away from the body.

The standard recognizes the need for some public safety entities to identify with a specific color. The standard includes the means to identify public safety entities through the use of specific color markings.

Forms included in the standard to report testing for background material, combined-performance material and retroreflective material, as well as a compliance certificate format, are available online. 

Effective November 2008, workers in a federal highway right-of-way have to wear high-visibility clothing that complies with ANSI/ISEA 107-2004, class 2 or 3 (FHWA Worker Visibility Rule, 23 CFR part 634).  The Federal Highway Administration reviewed the requirements of ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 and found that public safety vests are compatible with its requirements for night-time visibility.  A February 2008 FHWA letter notes that the agency has proposed amendments to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to "add public safety vests  as an option for incident responders and law enforcement personnel."   This letter has created uncertainty in the market.  FHWA appeared to be saying that public safety vests would satisfy the requirements of its worker visibility rule, but has since stated that it could not change the language of the regulation.  ISEA is writing the agency to ask for an administrative ruling accepting ANSI/ISEA 207 public safety vests under 23 CFR part 634.

ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 is available from ISEA for $60 a copy.  Contact ISEA for discounts on bulk orders over 20 copies.

Order ANSI/ISEA 207-2006.