BG BAU provides information on correct warning clothing in winter

 

Accident-free work has a lot to do with good visibility. Especially in the dark season, poor visibility, fog, or rain on construction sites make it difficult to recognize people. Luminous and reflective warning clothing provides support. The DIN standard for high-visibility clothing (DIN EN ISO 20471) provides information on how it must be designed and what to watch out for. The trade association for the construction industry (BG BAU) gives advice on the right high-visibility clothing to get through the winter safely and healthily.

 

Contrast and reflection are the two keywords for optimal visibility. The better the clothing can stand out from the background, the more striking the appearance. "Wearing dark clothes at night can have fatal consequences. People are simply swallowed up in the dark," says Bernhard Arenz, head of the main prevention department at BG BAU. This means that road users, for example, can only be recognized by road users in the last few meters. Light-colored clothing can be seen from a distance of up to 40 meters, retro-reflective clothing from a distance of up to 150 meters.

 

In general, warning clothing should be worn wherever it is necessary to recognize people at an early stage. This is especially true when working in the area of ​​public road traffic, on tracks, and of course for all construction sites with construction machinery or vehicle traffic. Employees can easily be overlooked when, for example, wheel loaders, excavators, and cranes are used and the driver's view is restricted. Therefore, the right high-visibility clothing is vital during the day too.

 

Which high visibility clothing is right?

First of all, the hazards at the respective location must be assessed, including the volume of traffic, lighting conditions, and the expected weather during the activity. The procurement of high-visibility clothing should be determined based on the risk assessment. The decisive standard for this is DIN EN ISO 20471. This divides high-visibility clothing into three different performance classes. "The following applies: the greater the risk to employees, the higher the required class. The higher the class, the larger the fluorescent and reflective surfaces," explains Arenz.

 

Class 3 warning clothing is to be used for work in the dark. This means that more than 80cm² of the surface must be covered with fluorescent material, more than 20cm² with reflective material. At the same time, the reflective materials must be processed in such a way that the contour of the person can be recognized from the reflection alone. The minimum requirements of class 3 can also be achieved by clothing combinations (e.g. jacket and trousers) - but only if the high-visibility clothing covers the trunk and has at least either sleeves or long trouser legs with retro-reflective stripes.

 

According to DIN EN ISO 20471, fluorescent surfaces may generally be yellow, orange-red, or red. For employees in certain areas, however, there are restrictions, for example for employees in the garbage collection and road work including road winter service: "According to the administrative regulations for road traffic regulations, they are only allowed to wear fluorescent orange-red or yellow warning clothing. In the guidelines for securing workplaces on roads (RSA), only fluorescent orange-red is permitted," says Arenz.

 

What other differences are there between the performance classes? How is the high visibility clothing properly cared for? How many and which safety vests must be available in vehicles? The BAU Portal, the specialist magazine of BG BAU, provides a current overview and further information on the topic of high-visibility clothing in its current web magazine.

Road makers install reflective tapes on the trees

Moravian-Silesian road makers started to mark trees and barriers with reflective tapes. They choose roads with a lot of cluttering turns and tree-lines. This makes it easier for drivers to navigate in unfavorable weather and speeds up their possible response to a sudden situation.

On roads, II and III classes in the Moravian-Silesian Region can see drivers near the pavements of distinctive reflective strips on the trees and the barriers in the corners. Road-traffic officers of the Road Administration of the Moravian-Silesian Region install them, especially where there are dangerous stretches and long avenues of trees.

Vaclav, Head of the Karvina Center: "Especially at night and in low visibility, it is known that the ribbons are far more dangerous to the driver." Simon, Spokesperson of the Road Administration MSK: "Because it is a regional matter and each region has its own specifics, we have discussed with the representatives of the police or the department of transport of municipal and municipal authorities the risk locations."

Martin, Transport Inspectorate Karvina: "We recommend such a reflective vest, reflective device." The Road Administration of the Moravian-Silesian Region and with dendrologists also consulted the installation of straps on trees. Vaclav, Head of the Karvina Center: "I consulted how long the screws should be, so that they will not suffer the trees."

The tapes themselves are made of aluminum sheet with reflective foil. It performs the same function as ribbons, which on a smaller scale use pedestrians to make their visibility obligatory outside the village. They have a longer life than the earlier white marking of the trees.

Vaclav, Head of the Karvina Center: "It took the color for maybe two years and it had to be repeated, plus it was a lot of hard work. We think this technology is much better." Reflective stripes warn the driver of dangerous areas in five regions, such as Karvina, and in the near future will also appear in the Ostrava region in the total number of more than one thousand pieces.

Early: Road Safety in Comenius Kindergarten

"Now you are only allowed to the red, orange and green dots appear," Ferdinand instructs the children in Comenius Kindergarten, "just as the color sequence of the traffic lights is." The full-time police officer in safety vest is now in voluntary capacity as an employee of the German traffic on the road and leads to the children exercises for traffic education by. The little ones makes it visible fun, the friends always fit exactly to that the feet also indeed enter the correct color plates. Who occurs a blue dot accidentally, is immediately warned loudly of the group.

Concentration and coordination exercises his colleague on that day, Michael Ebbing, with the children in the outdoor area. Ebbing, his character also active in the service of the police, has staked out a course and painted a crosswalk with pedestrian crossing. The children wear reflective vest ride the "road" to the two- and three-wheelers and must be careful to stop at the crosswalk and let the pedestrian cross the street. Again and again they find pleasure in causing small rear-end collisions. One child brakes, the other crashing of its predecessor - and laugh.

It takes a lot of empathy on the part of volunteers to reach out to the children and to provide them with the necessary knowledge on the road as early as possible. At the present time children spend their free time often watching television or computer instead of playing outdoors. Some move confidently through the course, while others need a little time to "warm up". Children, who move in their spare time, are on the road less at risk than others, it is also known in the German road. Spontaneous stop, dodge, complete with the scooter skill exercises, dodges - all these movements, when they are playfully taught and trained, act as safety reserves in a dangerous situation when quick reactions are required.

In other exercises it comes closer to the children, the issue of safety in the dark. Reflective stripes on clothes can, especially in the approaching dark season, save lives. If children are with vests or flashy extras dressed to school on the road, they can be detected faster and better on the road. About 80 kindergartens were contacted by the two volunteer’s county far, the time needed for such a Road Safety Day is not to be underestimated.