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Has anyone experienced a problem like this? Our team are carrying out a lot of fencework using post rammer and tractor and wear hi viz vest, hard hats etc. The hi viz vests are attracting hundreds of these thunderfly type insects which is making it really uncomfortable for the guys to carry out this type of work as they are getting covered in them. Risk assessment has identified the need for hi viz - has anyone got any suggestion as to an alternative material or a solution to this? I know its a long shot but hopefully someone may have experienced something similair. Many thanks.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Some insects are strongly attracted to particular colours. This may be the problem. Since there are two colours of hi viz vest, perhaps the alternative colour might cure the problem.
However, the thunderfly problem tends to be fairly short lived.
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I think Jane may be right as I seem to recall a similar thread to this a while ago.
Try a Search - sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
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Orange vests tend not to attract as many insects in my experience although some clients seem to think that they are either exclusive for railway working or banksmen.
Regards
Yul
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I have seen forestry workers up in Scotland wearing midge nets that cover the whole head and neck area. Midges bite of course which makes their problem worse, thunderflies don't bite or sting but no doubt they are very unpleasant in the eyes and nose and could I suppose be distracting enough to contribute to a risk.
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It is true that they don't bite or sting, but you can feel them walking all over you and you see people frantically scratching their heads, arms etc when they are out in large numbers. They are extremely irritating!
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We had staff complaining about Hi-Vis (yellow) attracting insects so we swapped to orange....end of problem.
Possibly depends of the insect; we had wasps and bees being quoted.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Jane Blunt wrote:...Since there are two colours of hi viz vest...
There are more than two colours: we have the traditional yellow for contractors, orange for fire wardens, green for first aiders and blue for the site controller. However, you need to ensure that the new colour remains high vis in the workplace (of course!)
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Thanks everyone comments appreciated - didn't seem to be as unique or strange an issue as I first thought. Going to try a fetching orange number and see if that'll do the trick.
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I noticed this the other day when I left the back of my car open and my yellow HV fleece was in the back. It appears from others posts that orange doesn't have the same effect. Is it time for a change?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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m wrote:Jane Blunt wrote:...Since there are two colours of hi viz vest...
There are more than two colours: we have the traditional yellow for contractors, orange for fire wardens, green for first aiders and blue for the site controller. However, you need to ensure that the new colour remains high vis in the workplace (of course!)
My understanding is that there are only three colours in EN 471 - yellow, orange and red. In BS EN 347 it might be only yellow and orange (I've never seen a red item claiming BS EN 471 compliance, but I seem to have mislaid my copy of the standard).
Your first aiders and site controller aren't wearing his-vis, I think. I think they are wearing coloured jackets that don't meet a defined standard. Do tehy claim BS EN 471 compliance on teh label? What class?
If you want to colour-code workers, I believe teh standard allows for panels of non-standard colour, as long as teh compliant colour (orange or yellow) meets teh specified area requirements.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Hi Dave,
Are the staff wearing hi-vis just because of the tractor? or is it because of other traffic in the vicinity.
If it's the former I wouldn't personally worry too much about the standards.
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It is a bit of both really. Clear and ease of identification between operatives as well as operating on site with other activities ongoing, such as movement of animals and the traffic in the area. They have suggested that I provide hi viz t-shirts - yeah right, steady boys - with my budget??- I told them I thought we were talking colours and protection from insects rather than fashion items!!
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Rank: Super forum user
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I had a chat with one of our entomologists about thrips (thunder-flies) today and I all he knows is that yes thrips are attracted to certain colours, depending on which species, with yellow being one of the favourites. He is not sure if orange is a better colour as nobody has tested hi-viz jackets as such- the work has focused on traps. As far as he knows these swarms of thrips/thunder flies are a seasonal thing and they emerge at this time of the year but are soon gone.
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Have you looked into trying insect repellent? In my experience both orange and yellow hi viz attract them, you can also get hi viz neck sun protection that attach to the bak of the helmet (hi viz necker i think). Although it will not stop the little critters they could potentially stop them irritating the ops and protect against sunburn!
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Rank: Super forum user
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I've just had a thunk!
Bright blue hi-vis vests should repell insects.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Safety Smurf wrote:I've just had a thunk!
Bright blue hi-vis vests should repell insects.
Speaking from personal experience Smurf? No flies on you eh!
...Ho do insectocutors work then?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Yossarian wrote:Safety Smurf wrote:I've just had a thunk!
Bright blue hi-vis vests should repell insects.
Speaking from personal experience Smurf? No flies on you eh!
...Ho do insectocutors work then?
Only on the vest ;-)
Just remembered the white buildings in North Africa with the blue shutters. They're blue to put insects off.
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Rank: Super forum user
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A Kurdziel wrote:I had a chat with one of our entomologists about thrips (thunder-flies) today and I all he knows is that yes thrips are attracted to certain colours, depending on which species, with yellow being one of the favourites. He is not sure if orange is a better colour as nobody has tested hi-viz jackets as such- the work has focused on traps. As far as he knows these swarms of thrips/thunder flies are a seasonal thing and they emerge at this time of the year but are soon gone.
From past experience, it wasn't just Thunder Flies, Greenfly as well as Wasps were also attracted. The former were a nuisance, but the latter were positively distracting for some individuals who would stop the task in hand and start doing a series of strange disco style moves to beat away the offending insects.
...Funny to watch, but dangerous in some circumstances.
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I've seen somebody take their hi-vis off, throw it on the ground and run away because of that. Thankfully it was only being worn as uniform at the time.
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Hi, Have experienced similar problems in the past, we switched to Orange vests as well as spraying the vests with an anti insect repellant, seemed to work - I had no more phone calls and e-mails anyway !
AS
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