Can anyone suggest/explain their thoughts on which colour hiviz, orange or yellow, is preferred working along the hiway/roads. It is not road works as such but laying temporary cables along the grass verge for a seismic survey.
StuartR

I have noticed more recently than many contractors working on and alongside roads are wearing a combination of both colours. Use a colour that is sufficiently different to any 'ambient' background colour i.e. if you're using orange vehicles and kit use yellow hi vis (there is HSE 'guidance to that effect).

Yellow can also blend in with the foliage I believe that's why Orange is also worn.

And #4 - Interesting:I'd often wondered why.

Forgive me as it's a long time since I had to read up on the detail of Hi Viz, but isn't the key feature the reflective strips on the garment rather than the colour? If it weren't for the reflective properties, people would just wear bright T Shirts wouldn't they? I take the points about colours under different lights, but if we are relying solely on the fabric as a control then it stands more examination. My concern over the prevalence of hi viz garments has been that they are really only effective when illuminated, usually in the dark by artificial light. In the daytime, they are not especially attention drawing.

Wearing HV has become hugely widespread and probably quite heavily relied upon as a control in incident reduction. Do we know if there have been any studies into this?

You only have to catch a glimpse of some reflective tape at night to know how effective it is. But the colour of the base garment? It's a genuine question guys. Research docs sincerely appreciated.

Jericho

Apologies to all in my late reply but I was trying to gather more information before replying.
Some very interesting information.
Thank you for the definitions and importance of the reflective strip rather than the colour, however, I have also had feedback on the colour from our guys. In that yellow can be mistaken for foliage if the newness has worn off even a bit with some dirt rubbed in, as we do work along the road side/hedgerows.
I insist on class 3 EN471 as we tend to work on most types of road, but very rarely at night and when the day time gets shorter, we do start a bit later and finish a bit earlier, much to the annoyance of the site manager.
On the subject of condition of the hiviz garment, I generally say in the toolbox meetings about getting the items changed if the colour is starting to fade or is ripped with a few hints to the actual person if that is not forth coming.
The next question now that summer is with us (sometimes), is that hiviz T-shirts/polo shirts are more comfortable and do not get snagged so easily on the cables that these guys lay (light, temporary cables about the diameter size of an electrical extension), they also look smarter.
Thanks again for the time in replying.
StuartR

The colour does seem to be choice apart from the rail guys. The company I work for was bought out by a Canadian organization a couple of years ago and now again we get a Canadian over to fill in on a temporary basis. They always come over with an orange hi viz vest and insist on wearing it, but some gentle persuasion for them to change so we are all the same.
Thanks for all your input.
StuartR

There are loads of different colours in construction I find, different companies will pick different colours so they stand out, and I've seen the Orange ones for as you say Slingers, Red ones for High Risk Workers, I've seen that company with the blue ones...

CHAPTER 8 Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations provides the guidance.

The Revised ACOP 'safety at streetworks and road works' is principally taken from this document and the currentone can be downloaded from www.dft.gov.uk as well as Ch8. Ch8 is a guidance document on good practice and reflects legislation requirements.

use Yellow for highways work and you can't go wrong. Class 3 for any road 50mph and over and can be used as a higher standard for lower speeds. HSE guidance for dual carraigeways and motorways is for full hi-vis (trousers as well) and can also be a contract condition.

In one building I 'look after', a member of staff 'acquired' a pink hi viz fire warden jacket and placed it on the back of her chair. Within days, some of the very few female fire wardens on site asked for the same.

The request was initially seen as frivolous and a waste of time and cash to replace perfectly wearable green hi viz with pink. However, there was a massive shortage of fire wardens and a large pool of female staff. As a result, pink hi vis were offered to female staff who came forward to volunteer as fire wardens.

A sexist policy? perhaps! but we did have a limited success. OK, it was more of a trickle than a flood, but more female volunteers came forward and the premises does now have sufficient fire wardens - and spares!