What is HVSA?

HVSA stands for High Visibility Safety Apparel. HVSA is sometimes called ‘hi-viz’ clothing for short. It is a type of clothing that is designed specially to be easy to see in any type of light. The clothing must be highly luminescent or a color that is easily discernible from the background that it will be used in. This is an important part of any workplace safety program where it is possible for someone to get injured because they were not seen.

How is HVSA Worn?

In most cases HVSA clothing is worn on the torso and arms of an employee. There are also some pants and shoes that qualify as highly visible, but that is much less common. Another common example of HVSA is with hard hats. Many of these safety items are brightly colored and may even have reflectors installed on them so that people can see them in any area.

Where is HVSA Required?

There are many situations where this type of clothing can be beneficial or even required. In workplaces that are not very well lit up this type of clothing can make it much easier for people to be seen. Even in places where it is mostly illuminated well, this type of clothing can help when someone is walking through or working in a place that is shadowed.

Another example of when highly visible clothing can be beneficial is when there are operators of machines that may not be able to easily see those in the area. Even in well lit areas, the hi-viz clothing will help them to stand out much more, which can help to keep them safe. For example, when someone is driving a high-low through a warehouse, they will be much more likely to spot someone crossing an aisle if they are wearing a high-vis safety vest rather than something that may blend in with the surroundings.