Skip to main content

Hi-viz hijinks make a flockery of saftey clothing

Fashionable they aren’t, but the wearing of high-visibility clothing is increasingly either recommended by businesses or made mandatory by law, especially for construction workers on every kind of site. But has the use of “hi-vis” clothing, especially the vest, gone too far? In Britain, the wearing of the hi-viz clothing has taken off - literally, according to a BBC television news report that shows a flock of chickens wearing the fluorescent coloured vest.
September 16, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Fashionable they aren’t, but the wearing of high-visibility clothing is increasingly either recommended by businesses or made mandatory by law, especially for construction workers on every kind of site.

But has the use of “hi-vis” clothing, especially the vest, gone too far?

In Britain, the wearing of the hi-viz clothing has taken off - literally, according to a %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal BBC television news report Visit BBC video page false http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/25637631 false false%> that shows a flock of chickens wearing the fluorescent coloured vest.

A more recent example of hi-viz-wearing animals is that of cows, as reported by the UK’s %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal Daily Telegraph newspaper Visit www.telegraph.co.uk website false http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11758512/Cows-should-wear-fluorescent-jackets-and-strings-of-lights-at-night-council-says.html false false%>. One local authority in England has suggested that cows should not only wear the fluorescent jackets but also wear a string of lights at night so the bovines are safer when crossing country roads and lanes.

Admittedly, some cows have been fatally injured in road accidents.

Farmers, though, said that they had spent years trying to persuade the local authority to introduce traffic calming measures to stop motorists driving with excessive speed through the local lanes.

But to outfit one particular herd, the owner estimated it would cost more than US$4,600 to outfit his herd of 175 cows.

Related Content

  • Getech’s versatile sludge treatment solution
    April 5, 2013
    Due to an innovative and strong frame design and the use of premium raw materials and components, Getech/Gennaretti centrifuges can be employed across mining, tunnelling, petroleum and chemical industry-based sludge treatment processes. They can also be built in mobile plants on containers, easy to transport to remote areas and quick to install, able to manage sludge volumes going from 5 to 150m³ per hour.
  • Brazil: contractors fear more layoffs as DNIT fails to pay up
    November 25, 2014
    The head of Brazil’s association of road constructors has warned of more layoffs unless the National Department of Infrastructure and Transport (DNIT) starts paying its contractors. Jose Alberto Pereira Ribeiro, president of ANEOR – National Association of Road Works - said companies already have been forced to lay off around 1,700 workers in light of non-payment by the government. Another 950 employees are on forced holidays. Ribeiro claimed DNIT failed to meet its financial obligations for September
  • Nylacast is offering long life crane sheaves
    January 6, 2017
    The novel cranes sheaves now being offered by component specialist Nylacast are said to extend rope wear life and reduce maintenance needs. The innovative polymer formulation shares technology with the proven Bigfoot outrigger pads, which help with load distribution in crane lift applications. The new polymer sheaves are said to offer key benefits over existing steel sheaves such as lower weight, which makes them easier to handle during installation or replacement.
  • Nylacast is offering long life crane sheaves
    March 27, 2013
    The novel cranes sheaves now being offered by component specialist Nylacast are said to extend rope wear life and reduce maintenance needs. The innovative polymer formulation shares technology with the proven Bigfoot outrigger pads, which help with load distribution in crane lift applications. The new polymer sheaves are said to offer key benefits over existing steel sheaves such as lower weight, which makes them easier to handle during installation or replacement.