In recent years, the occupational safety and health of employees in China has received significant attention from leaders and authorities at all levels. The National Standardization Management Committee and the State Administration of Work Safety have taken a more active role in revising personal protective equipment standards, leading to the development and implementation of several new regulations. Among these, the introduction of the warning clothing standard marks an important step forward. This standard is based on the widely accepted European EN471 standard for high-visibility warning clothing, while also being adapted to meet China’s specific needs. As a result, it offers more comprehensive and detailed guidelines that can be applied across various occupational settings.
The standard defines different levels of professional high-visibility warning clothing, outlines the performance and testing methods for fluorescent and reflective materials, specifies where reflective materials should be placed, and details the required signs on the clothing. Fluorescent materials are designed to absorb short-wavelength light—especially ultraviolet light—and then emit longer-wavelength visible light. This makes them appear brighter and more noticeable compared to non-fluorescent materials. The standard includes three colors: fluorescent yellow, fluorescent orange, and fluorescent red, with the first two being most commonly used.
Fluorescent materials only become visible when exposed to sunlight or other sources of ultraviolet light, such as during cloudy days, early mornings, or dusk. However, they do not emit light in the dark, which means they are not effective at night. In contrast, reflective materials, also known as retroreflective materials, have the ability to reflect light back toward its source. This makes them highly visible in low-light conditions, especially when illuminated by car headlights. When combined, fluorescent and reflective materials offer enhanced visibility both during the day and at night.
The retroreflection coefficient is a key parameter used to measure the performance of retroreflective materials. It indicates how much light is reflected back per unit area of illumination, measured in cd/(lx·m²). This value varies depending on the angles of incidence and observation. According to the warning clothing standard, there are three levels of single-performance reflective materials and one level of combined-performance material, each defined by their retroreflection coefficients under different conditions. In high-risk environments, higher-grade reflective materials are recommended.
The standard also sets strict requirements for the physical performance of reflective materials. After undergoing tests such as wear resistance, bending, low-temperature flexibility, temperature changes, washing, dry cleaning, and exposure to rain, the materials must maintain a minimum retroreflectivity of 100 cd/(lx·m²) for single-performance materials and 30 cd/(lx·m²) for composite materials. These technical specifications are essential to ensure the effectiveness and safety of warning garments.
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