High visibility clothing (EN ISO 20471)
The EN ISO 20471 standard specifies the requirements for clothing designed to increase the wearer’s visibility in order to make them more noticeable in hazardous situations during the day and at night (illumination in car headlights). It has replaced EN 471 which has now been withdrawn.
The contents of this EN Standard
EN ISO 20471’s icon is a safety vest placed adjacent to a number which represents the design classification of the garment. The classification is 1, 2 or 3 where Class 1 provides the minimal level of visibility and class 3 provides the highest level prescribed by the standard.
The Classification
The classification is derived from the number of square metres of fluorescent fabric and the number of square metres of reflective strip incorporated in a garment.
| Material | Class 3 garments | Class 2 garments | Class 1 garments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background material | 0,80 | 0,50 | 0,14 |
| Retroflective material | 0,20 | 0,13 | 0,10 |
| Combined performance material | n.a. | n.a. | 0,20 |
NOTE – The clothing class is determined by the lowest area of visible material
EN ISO 20471 provides the following guidance on risk factors and selection of clothing:
| Risk Level | Factors related to the risk level (Vehicle speed/Type of road user) | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| High risk ISO 20471 class 3 | >60km/h / Passive | High Visibility - Day and night visibility - 360 Degrees (visibility from all sides) - Design for form recognition - Encircling the torso (Class 2 & 3) - Quantity and quality for day and night |
| High risk ISO 20471 class 2 | ≤60km/h / Passive | |
| High risk ISO 20471 class 1 | ≤30km/h / Passive |
The fluorescent fabric must encircle the torso, sleeves and trouser legs with at least 40% or the minimum required area of fluorescent material present on the front of the garment ( and on the back of the garment). The reflective strips must be 50 mm wide and the space between 2 reflective strips must be at least 50 mm. The distance from ‘the end’ of the garment (e.g. the end of a trouser leg) to the reflective strip must also be at least 50mm. Reflective strips can be positioned in a variety of different ways; Class 3 garments must cover the wearers torso and have either reflective strips about the sleeves or full length trouser legs.