Safety is important for everyone. It is even included in the hierarchy of the needs of man. It is the condition where one is protected from physical, psychological, occupational and other events that are considered by one to be undesirable. While there is no such thing as total safety against anything all at once, one can still control hazards to reach an acceptable level of risk. It is as they say, no pain means no gain.

But, to be honest, there is of course no such feeling as being safe from all kinds of harm. Man feels pain, one way or another, no matter how hard he tries to avoid it. He gets hurt emotionally as bonds between him and the people around him weaken and are severed. He gets hurt financially as he faces bankruptcy or unemployment. He gets hurt physically in a hazard prone work place, especially if he neglects to use high visibility safety products.

These safety products are protective apparel. Vests, hard hats, pants, jumpsuits and other clothing worn at work that provide a certain extent of protection are included here. Mostly, they are very brightly colored in shades of neon orange, red, yellow and lime green, amongst others. They also bear silver or gray reflecting strips that bounce off light.

Usually, these high visibility clothing are used by traffic control officers, roadside construction workers, emergency response units, parking lot attendants, and the like. These people are working in high risk working conditions that may be poorly light or may be working during night time. They use such products so that they will be easily and clearly seen by others in the same environment.

These apparel are made using two types of materials. One is the fluorescent material. This takes UV rays from the sun and sends it back to anyone who looks at it as more visible light. However, as they need UV rays from the sun, products made from these materials can only be used in broad daylight. This has lead to the dilemma faced by night time workers who need the same protective gear.

To be able to provide at least the same protective wear to those who had to work after light, retro reflective materials are used. Unlike the first type that utilizes only UV rays, this second one reflects any light back to the source. Since it needs any available light, it is the perfect choice when working in the absence of the sun.

With the help of progressing technology, safety apparel made out of combined fluorescent and retro reflective materials are already available. These can be used during both day and night, in both high and low light conditions. One would have to choose this carefully because not all reflective materials are fluorescent, and not all fluorescent are retro reflective.

In choosing high visibility products, one should look out for the size and the fit of the clothing. For optimal performance, safety apparel must be well fitted to the person who has to use it. One should also consider the clothing that is usually worn underneath the safety apparel. Keep in mind that large and bright garments provide more visibility than the small ones. Choose also a color that is easily seen in the type of work environment it shall be used in.

All safety apparel are divided into three different strata. Class one is noted for low coverage. Class two guarantees medium coverage and fine visibility. Class three is extremely visible under all possible conditions and provides for total coverage.