Is it time to review the hi-vis safety apparel your workforce relies on? 2024 brought some key changes to AS4602.1, the standard that sets the design and material guidelines for high-visibility safety clothing worn in high-risk situations.

AS4602.1:2024 High Visibility Safety Garments – Part 1: Garments for High-Risk Applications now supersedes AS4602.1:2011. It’s important for employers and health and safety officers to be aware of the changes, and how these might affect compliance.

New classifications and tape placement rules

‘High-risk’ refers to workers exposed to moving vehicles, machinery or equipment – such as in road construction, emergency services, airports, railways and mining. In these workplaces, the use of brightly-coloured fluorescent and retroreflective materials helps make wearers more visible to vehicle or machinery operators.

A key change to AS4602.1 is where retroreflective tape is placed on both torso and full-body garments. There are also three new level classifications based on the amount and placement of high-visibility materials on various parts of the body, such as arms and legs, with Level 3 applying to the highest risk environments. As an example, torso-covering garments in the Class N (night safety) Level 3 category require two hoops of tape on each arm. Similar rules apply to Class D/N (day/night safety) garments.

For whole-body ensembles (e.g. coveralls and top and trouser combinations), the updated Standard introduces Class N-E (night-ensemble) and Class D/N-E (day/night-ensemble). It also specifies where to place reflective tape on tops and trouser legs depending on the class and level that applies to the relevant garment.

For a torso and trouser combination to be considered an ‘ensemble’, both garments must match in terms of level – for example, Level 3 top combined with Level 3 trousers. If they do not match, the outfit would default to torso-only requirements.

See the below table from workwear specialist Bisley for more details.

Fabric specifications

In addition to the taping changes mentioned above, the fabrics used in hi-vis design must align with classifications specified in AS/NZS 1906.4:2023 High Visibility Materials for Safety Garments.

These are:

• Class F – Fluorescent material for day safety.
• Class F(W) – Fluorescent daytime material suitable for use in wet weather.
• Class NF – Non-fluorescent material with high daytime visibility.
• Class NF(W) – as for Class NF but suitable for wet weather use.
• Class R – Retroreflective material for use at night and in low-light conditions.
• Class RF – combination of retroreflective and fluorescent materials to meet Class R performance requirements and Class F daytime colour.
• Class SP – Separate performance of materials where one meets Class F requirements and the other meets Class R.

Does this mean replacing all safety apparel to stay compliant?

Compliance with the applicable standards helps reduce the risk of accidents on site. Now is a good opportunity to make sure your workers are wearing the most appropriate apparel for the application. When buying new garments, you will likely observe they have different labelling from before due to the new classifications.

As Australia’s largest provider of industrial and safety equipment, Blackwoods has all your job requirements covered. If you need help or additional information on the new requirements under the standard, talk to your local Blackwoods Technical Safety Specialist.

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