The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has published a new rule mandating high-visibility safety apparel for workers within rights-of-way of federal-aid
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has published a new rule mandating high-visibility safety apparel for workers within rights-of-way of federal-aid highways exposed to traffic or construction equipment. Commencing a two-year phase-in period culminating in late 2008, FHWA published the final rule as 23 CPR Part 634 Worker Visibility.
The FHWA identifies high-visibility safety apparel as personal protective apparel intended to provide conspicuousness during both day and night in all lighting conditions and that meets Performance Class 2 or 3 of the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 American National Standard for High Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear, notes Janice Comer Bradley, technical director of the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), which publishes the standard. FHWA chose Class 2 as a minimum, but encourages states to use Class 3 garments in higher risk situations.
The final rule defines workers as people on foot whose duties place them within the right-of-way of a federal-aid highway, such as highway construction and maintenance forces, survey crews, utility crews, responders to incidents within the highway right-of-way, and law enforcement personnel when directing traffic, investigating crashes, and handling lane closures, obstructed roadways, and disasters within the right-of-way of a federal-aid highway.
In issuing the final rule, the FHWA emphasized that the requirement applies to all workers, whether paid or volunteer. Additionally, FHWA noted that the rule applies to all rights-of-way on federal-aid highways, not just work zones.