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ANSI/ISEA 207-2006
American National Standard for High Visibility Public Safety Vests
An American National Standard from ISEA helps 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.
Use of public safety vests is now permitted to meet the visibility requirements of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
On December 16, 2009, the FHWA approved the revised 2009 MUTCD. The revision mandates that all workers in a highway right-of-way or workzone, including law enforcement personnel, firefighters and emergency responders, wear high-visibility safety apparel. Garments complying with ANSI/ISEA 207-2006 will be acceptable as an option to ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 for law enforcement and emergency responders. The revision is effective January 15, 2010 and workers on non-federal highways must be in compliance by Dcember 31, 2009.