Get Dressed for Safety Success!

By Bill Flynn, X-treme Design; with contributions from Zac Fellabaum, LawnGrips; and Karen Macom, Forestry Suppliers Inc.

For those landscape superintendents who use power equipment, Forestry Suppliers Inc. makes UL approved chain saw chaps to help prevent accidents. The unique fabric design kills a saw on contact. Quality Elvex chainsaw chaps feature Prolar™ protective pads designed to burst apart on contact with a moving chain (up to 3,000 fpm), and jam it against the bar and sprocket.

Design Considerations and Materials Used

High Visibility Safety Apparel design is done around a set of rules or a standard known as ANSI 107-2004. This standard regulates the minimum amounts of background material (lime or orange material) and reflective material (silver material) that is required for a vest to be either class 2 or class 3 compliant.

The basic components of a vest are the background material, reflective material and the closure. Background material can be lime/yellow or orange. The material however cannot just be any yellow or orange material. It must be certified ANSI material and can come in solid or mesh fabric. Manufacturers of high visibility safety apparel are responsible for using certified materials in garments that they claim are compliant.

LawnGrips footwear — specially created for mowing safety and comfort — has become a popular choice for gardeners and lawn care professionals. The shoes are made using high-quality materials and construction for durability and feature a waterproof, protective toe and the patented Grip-N-Go outsole for superior traction on freshly cut grass.

Protecting Different Parts of the Body

High visibility apparel protects the body by making surrounding pedestrians aware that there is another person around. On top of that, the person who is around in the vest is usually more vulnerable to the dangers surrounding them. The garments are designed to help prevent workplace accidents by making everyone aware of their surroundings. Higher compliant vests such as a class 3 vest are designed to help make the body more visible at any range of angles.

This is the most common form of a class 3 vest. It can come in orange or lime, mesh or solid fabric and with zipper or hook & loop closure. It also has sleeves and each sleeve has 360 degrees of reflective material on it. It provides the proper amount of background and silver reflective material.

This is an example of a non compliant vest. It is not made of the proper background material and also does not have the proper amount or pattern of reflective material.

This is a pair of Class E pants which when combined with a class 2 vest, leaves the wearer Class 3 compliant. This is the only other way to be class 3 compliant under ANSI 107-2004. In order to be Class E compliant, each leg must have the proper amount of reflective material and background material.

This is the most common form of a class 2 vest. It can come in orange or lime, mesh or solid fabric and with zipper or hook & loop closure. It provides the proper amount of background and silver reflective material.

Uses for Municipalities, Cemetaries, Campuses and Resorts

Safety apparel provides users in a wide variety of situations with protection. Municipalities are one of the more common users of the product based on their job duties. They are often faced with situations where they are in high traffic areas and the risk from other vehicles is great. The vest also has a high usage for other locations such as campuses, resorts and cemeteries for reasons different than municipal workers.

These types of places have people in vests and apparel to make others aware that someone is working and to be careful around their area. They are also used to help people designate who a possible authority figure may be. It also distinguishes workers from pedestrians and allows people to know from whom they may ask a question or seek information.

The Brutus model – retail priced at $149.95 – also has a mirror-like surface on the sole for maximum debris release and an extra padded collar for greater comfort. The new shoe is made using high-quality materials and construction and features the patented Grip-N-Go™ outsole for superior traction on freshly cut grass.

Mowers Beware!

Are you living on the edge when mowing the lawn or working in the garden? The answer can be yes — if you are pushing around a heavy lawn mower with sharp cutting blades that are rotating at high speeds only 12 inches from your feet and you’re wearing a ratty old pair of sneakers that offers minimal traction and no protection should the mower or blade hit your foot.

Stark believes lawn and garden work deserves a special performance shoe. Professional landscapers should wear a safer and more comfortable alternative.