Whether on the building site or in road construction. When working at dusk, in poor visibility conditions or when switching quickly from indoor to outdoor activities. In many situations, professionals need to be protected with appropriate workwear to increase their visibility. Especially now in fall and winter. "Fluorescent outer fabrics in combination with retroreflective reflective strips are recommended," says Jan Kuntze from Deutsche Berufskleider-Leasing, DBL. "After a prior risk analysis by the employer, we as a textile rental service provider can advise on the selection of the collection and provide the appropriate PPE. For example, if activities are carried out that require standard-compliant high-visibility protection, high-visibility clothing in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 20471 standard must be worn."

Protection class 1 or 3 - what is needed where?

In practice, questions usually arise about the required protection classes. When is protection class 1 and a simple vest sufficient? Where is class 3 required? Depending on the required protection classes, retroreflective reflective strips and fluorescent outer fabrics more or less completely enclose the torso, trouser legs and sleeves. And this is precisely what ultimately leads to the increased visibility required by law. DIN EN ISO 20471 sets out the requirements for high-visibility, professional high-visibility clothing: it is intended to ensure that the wearer is clearly visible in high-risk situations, even in poor lighting conditions.

DBL expert Kuntze explains: "The speed of passing road traffic is decisive for determining the correct protection class. For example, work next to passing road traffic at more than 60 km/h requires performance class 3, while performance class 1 is sufficient for work next to passing road traffic at less than 30 km/h."

Classification is therefore based on the areas of the signal-colored outer fabric and retroreflective reflective strips. "Class 3 clothing must completely cover the upper body and have sleeves or long trouser legs with retroreflective strips," explains Kuntze. "We offer suitable solutions in the DBL rental service. We offer both a waistband jacket - as well as a standard-compliant winter jacket and winter parka for the cold season - and bib and brace trousers. Depending on the combination, the protection extends up to class 3."

With its fluorescent material, the high-visibility clothing complies with the DIN EN ISO 20471 standard. Proper care ensures long-term protection. © DBL

The expert therefore recommends that professionals and companies seek appropriate advice. His practical tip: "Employees should also be able to wear standard-compliant high-visibility clothing according to their clothing size. Whether in XXL or XS." As an example, he mentions employees who can only wear a very small size - in this case, for example, the trouser legs of the waistband pants should not simply be shortened. According to the experts, in this case the specified minimum area of the reflective fabric and therefore the required high-visibility protection class may no longer be given: "It should therefore be checked whether bib and brace trousers could be considered instead of waistband trousers in such a case. The required minimum area would then be achieved again and thus also the high-visibility protection class. The functionality of PPE collections must therefore always be considered in relation to the smallest clothing size worn." Here, too, service providers such as DBL provide advice and offer the appropriate variety of articles to enable the necessary solutions. It also makes sense to work with textile professionals to ensure that PPE complies with standards even after washing.

Attention during washing

Finally, the standard requires that the reflective material achieves the prescribed measured values over the entire period of use. "In the case of high-visibility protection, the reflective strips must not be damaged during washing and the prescribed minimum area of intact reflective material must not be undercut. And the fluorescent fabric must not lose its effect," says Kuntze. For these reasons, companies that wash their own garments must follow the garment manufacturer's instructions on correct storage, care and maintenance and train and inform their employees accordingly. Otherwise the PPE becomes a source of danger.

For many companies, it is therefore advisable to regularly hand in standardized protective clothing for professional care. Not only the professional washing, but also the repair, maintenance and inspection should be carried out in special reprocessing processes certified for PPE. "This is exactly what we can guarantee as a textile service provider," says Kuntze. "Because all regional partners in the DBL network ensure this through their ISO 9001:2015 certification."

For example, high-visibility clothing standardized according to DIN EN ISO 20471 is first pre-sorted according to fluorescent yellow or fluorescent orange in the DBL rental service. "After a certified washing process and tunnel drying, our quality control staff check the luminosity of the signal-colored outer fabric and the condition of the reflective strips. As they scan each individual item of clothing, they know immediately what exactly needs to be checked," says the DBL expert, describing the procedure. "If the garment checked in this way no longer meets the desired requirements, our sewing shop replaces the reflective strips or the item is replaced completely." All of this ensures the long-term protection of the frequently required high-visibility protection.