If your work involves plenty of moving gears or it is performed near the road, wearing a safety vest is necessary. Unlike other protective equipment that shields us against impact, temperatures, electricity, this vest serves as a warning sign for others to see us.
There are explanations for your many questions about safety vests in this short guide, which includes “What is a class 2 safety vest?” Let’s find out the differences between the piece and other kinds.
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What Is a Safety Vest?
“Safety at no expense of heavy burden and discomfort” sums up nicely about a safety vest. In truth, a safety vest is a lightweight garment that is designed with colors such as neon yellow and neon orange. Such bright shades enhance wearers’ visibility, allowing them to be seen from a distance or in low-light conditions.
A safety vest is high-vis clothing made of high-tech reflective materials. Among them, the micro-prismatic tape and glass bead reflective tape are the most common.
The micro-prismatic tape is from a special plastic vinyl with numerous small prisms. Those prisms are in charge of bouncing light around then reflecting it black. As a result, the vest generates rays in a far distance and one direction.
Also, glass bead reflective tape is used in making various high-quality safety vests. It is a common material that creates silver-grey strips you can see on road construction workers’ vests.
Between these two materials, the micro prismatic tape is a bit more expensive, as it provides a more focused reflection. Meanwhile, safety vests made of glass bead reflective beads are more affordable but offer a broader light reflection within a shorter distance.
What Is a Class 2 Safety Vest?
For workers to search for the right vest for their tasks, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) classifies approved gear into three categories. Those include Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 ANSI safety vest.
Read on to find out criteria that distinguish a Class 2 vest and who can benefit from this protective gear.
- A Class 2 Safety Vest is designed and built for hazardous working environments with greater risks. That means if you perform on a roadway where vehicles are allowed to travel between 25 to 50 mph, it is a must that you wear class 2 vests.
- Their design must include at least 775 inches of safety black ground material, which are often fluorescent yellow and fluorescent orange. Also, they must contain a large amount of reflective strips, measuring at least 205 square inches.
- These high-vis pieces are made for survey crews that supervise work related to land surveying. You can also see airport baggage handlers put on these suits while using trucks, cargo loaders, and other loading conveyor gear.
Besides, school crossing guards should wear a class 2 safety vest too. As they guide kids at the school crossing, they need to wear reflective clothing to inform vehicles and guide pedestrians’ behaviors for kids’ safe street crossing.
Differences Between Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 Safety Vest
Besides the class 2 safety vest, here’s some information about the other two types from ANSI classifications:
Class 1 – Compared to the class 2 vest, this one supports performances at a lower risk, thus requiring less visibility. You can wear a class 1 ANSI safety vest for work near traffic at below 25 mph. Also, the workplace has to be a safe distance from the street.
Regarding its design, the hi-vis piece must be in yellow or orange color, which is similar to class 2 items. Yet, ANSI only requires the piece to have 155 square inches of reflective trips. Also, those strips must appear in the middle and on the shoulder of the vest.
Class 3 – Serving as the highly-visible coat for workers at a hazardous workplace, a class 3 vest comes with the best reflective capability. It is a must-have item for construction workers on the road with traffic traveling fast, exceeding 5-mph.
A class 3 vest has a minimum of 1240 inches for the background yellow and orange materials. Also, the piece should be covered in at least 310 squares inches of reflective strips. It has a longer sleeve than class 1 and class 2 vests, which are sleeveless coats.
This equipment is among the protective gear of emergency workers. The fluorescent orange or yellow piece offers excellent visibility for their service in low-light conditions.
Plus, with better reflective light than a class 2 vest, this one can suffice truck operators’ duties in areas with hurricanes or blizzards occurring.
How to Pick the Best Class 2 Safety Vest?
Among numerous safety vests in the market, it takes some time and effort to pick an ideal one that supports your duties. Check out these factors that are worthy of your consideration in the selection process:
- ANSI approved: Make sure you find products with ANSI class 2 certification. This information is easy to check in the vest description . That way, you will know that it has qualifying background materials and reflective parts for your work.
- Multiple pockets: Oftentimes, the safety vest should come with 2 to 4 pockets. They are for storing your pencils, tools, and other essential accessories. Also, do not forget to ensure the size of those pouches suits your needs.
- Moisture-wicking properties: It is vital that we go with a high-quality yet comfortable vest for long-hour wearing. Your shifts can last for hours, so opting for pieces made of moisture-wicking materials is advisable.
- Quality and easy-to-use zippers: Most manufactures adopt premium Velcro zippers for their safety products to allow easy wearing. Make sure your chosen piece does not give you a hard time zipping and unzipping the vest.
Conclusion
Hopefully, we offer a clear answer to your question: “What is a class 2 safety vest?”. The information can aid you in choosing the right safety gear for your work, ensuring optimal protection.
If you want high-quality and reliable pieces, I suggest you check out products from brands like XIAKE, JKSafety, Neiko, JSungo, KwikSafety, etc. They have the best class 2 safety vests in store.
Hi, I am Alexander, forty-seven years old this year. I have been in the construction industry for twenty-five years and have provided a wide range of services. When it comes to expert guidance on site safety gear, you can put your trust in me.