Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I obtain a copy of the legislation relating to EN471 and all other European Standards?
Copies of the European Standard EN471 and all other European performance standards are available from the British Standards Institute - http://www.bsi-global.com/

Which Roads and speed limits apply to each class of EN471 garment?
EN471 does not give information relating to specific roads or speed limits on which the different classes of garment should be worn. It states only that 'Class 3 clothing offers greater conspicuity against most urban and rural backgrounds than class 2 garments which in turn are significantly superior to Class 1 clothing'. This implies that the employer should carry out a risk assessment of the working environment in accordance with PPE regulations, and assign the class of garment offering the most appropriate level of protection.

A useful guide however is the New Road & Street Works Act, which states that workers carrying out street works on high-speed roads (defined as those having a speed limit of 50mph or higher) should wear class 3 garments.

The high visibility garments I have purchased do not contain a label. Is this a problem?
If high visibility garments are purchased to protect employees, they are considered to be PPE, which the Work Place Regulations require to be 'suitable for use'. If they do not carry a label featuring the CE Mark, they are not considered to be PPE and therefore cannot be 'suitable for use'. In which case they should not be offered as items that offer high visibility protection.

What does the "CE mark" mean?
The CE symbol printed on the product/ packaging that informs the market that the product meets the essential requirements of the European directives relating to PPE. It could be described as a 'passport' to sell products within the European Union.

The CE mark is not a quality mark and does not indicate the performance of the product. The product should meet the requirements of a relevant European Standard, e.g. EN471. This marking indicates the performance category of the product.

My supplier says it does not provide test certificates with PPE items - is this ok?
The Type Test Certificate is a legal document for use by enforcers: e.g. Trading Standards under the Trade Description Act. However, buyers should be cautious if suppliers refuse to show them certificates, as any reputable supplier should be happy to demonstrate the compliance of their products. Whilst the onus is on manufacturers, retailers selling products proven to be incorrect can also be liable for prosecution by Trading Standards under the Trade Descriptions Act.

Do 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Materials continue to perform even when wet?
The answer is simple: "absolutely"!

So committed are we to measure conformance of our products to ensure they exceed all the performance requirements of EN471, the European Standard for High Visibility garments, that we invested in rainfall test equipment, one of only a few units that is commercially owned in Europe.

Housed at our Technical Centre in Bracknell, an in-use test is simulated in the wet 'shower' test. A sample of the material to be tested is placed directly under a flow of water accurately calibrated to a level of 283mm of water per hour. This may not sound a lot until you consider that the Met Office estimates that statistically this level of rainfall occurs only for just two minutes every 1,000 years!

We insist that all our materials far exceed the requirements of the Standard. You can therefore rest assured that they will continue to reflect in even the worst British weather.

What retro reflective products would you recommend for marine market applications that cannot be sewn?
3M™ has several products designed and formulated to meet marine appliance market customer needs, where sewing is not an option. These products are especially ideal for life vests and rings, rescue jackets and inflatable rafts.

3M™ Scotchlite Reflective Material - SOLAS Grade 3150-A is a silver, flexible, retro reflective material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that adheres well to smooth surfaces, such as rubber film (smooth surface), polyurethane film, glass reinforced polyester, PVC film and aluminium, without the use of a primer.

3M™ Scotchlite Reflective Material - SOLAS Grade 3155 is a silver, flexible retro reflective material with a high performing pressure sensitive adhesive that will typically adhere to a wide variety of surfaces, also without the use of a primer. Excellent adhesion can be expected with rubber film (coarse surface), polyurethane film, glass reinforced polyester, PVC film, aluminium, polyester fabric, rubber coated cloth and nylon.

Like all SOLAS Grade Products both products have an encapsulated lens design for high reflectivity over a wide range of entrance angles, whether dry or wet. They meet IMO and US Coast Guard standards as well as the requirements of Marine Equipment Directive 96/98/EC.

Can I wash high visibility garments incorporating Scotchlite™ materials at high temperatures?
High visibility garments become high risk garments if they are not looked after in the right way. A filthy garment does not work, putting the wearer at risk. It is therefore vital to keep these garments clean. But if a garment is not laundered correctly, its retro reflective performance may deteriorate, rending it equally useless for safety protection. It is therefore important to check how garments are going to be laundered prior to specifying a particular tape.

If garments are going to be washed in anything larger than a domestic washing machine, think '99'. Scotchlite™ 9910 and 9920 Silver Industrial Wash Fabrics are designed for occupational workwear and uniforms, where industrial laundering or very high temperature home wash is a key component of the maintenance process. 9910 tape can be dried in industrial tumble drying machines and the higher durability of 9920 tape will withstand the extreme temperatures of a tunnel finish process. Indeed, our 9920 tape is proven to exceed the minimum retro reflective performance requirements of the European standard EN471 for High-visibility clothing after 40 industrial laundering or dry cleaning cycles, following the recommended procedure; and also 100 cycles at 60°C home wash and 50 cycles at 90º home wash.

There is a growing demand for retro reflective materials that endure harsher wash procedures, not only from 'dirty' industries, but also from the emergency services where the elimination of pathogens such as hepatitis B, HIV and meningitis is critical.

NHS guidelines recommend laundering at 65C for 10 minutes or 71C for 3 minutes for effective decontamination of linen. Products able to withstand these conditions are 3M Scotchlite™ 8925, 9910 and 9920 for police and ambulance markets, and Scotchlite™ 8940 and 9587 for fire fighting kit.

Why is there less reflective than fluorescent fabric contained within an EN471 garment?
The purpose of a high visibility garment is to make the wearer conspicuous at all angles during both day and night as well as periods of poor visibility. This is achieved by 'contrast'. In daytime this is achieved with colour contrast - the fluorescent component fabric standing out against the background scene.

To achieve optimum colour contrast, a significant amount of background material must be incorporated. The exact amount is determined within the European High Visibility Standard EN471.

During night time or conditions of poor visibility, colour contrast cannot be seen. What is needed is 'luminance contrast', commonly known as brightness contrast. This is achieved by the use of retro reflective materials. Exceptionally bright fabrics, like 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Materials achieve superb night time luminance contrast, as a result, less material is required. The exact quantities are again determined within EN471.

This is why Class 3 garments, the highest classification, contain larger amounts of both background and reflective material, than that used in a Class 2-type garment.

What is the significance of having different reflective tape designs on Class 2 High Visibility Waistcoats?
There are several configurations of reflective tape permitted for Class 2 garments, due to both the need to have 360° all round visibility of the wearer, and also the need to meet the reflective area requirements of EN471. The two-bodyband and brace configuration offers the highest level of protection as it incorporates the highest degree of 360° visibility of the wearer.

If I cut off my waistcoat is it still protecting me?
No! EN471 specifies minimum amounts of fluorescent and reflective materials for each classification of garment. A garment that has been cut down will not necessarily contain the amounts of these component materials to meet the standard and offer the level of protection afforded by EN471. More importantly the garments will no longer be conforming in line with the level of protection identified as necessary in the risk assessment.

Employers are liable for the safety of their employees and it is their responsibility to equip you with adequate PPE. If you cut down your garment, they will have to issue you with another.

I occasionally see Class 3 high visibility garments that use red reflective material for shoulder braces. Does this meet EN471?
EN471 Class 3 garments should incorporate 0.8m² fluorescent material and 0.2m² retro reflective material. If red braces are included in the 0.2m² area, you need to ask for a test certificate that proves Class 2 compliance. If the material does not meet this level, and the area of Class 2 compliant material in the garment is less than 0.2m², Class 2 reflective material should be used in its place.

The use of red retro reflective braces on high visibility garments is not an official industry standard. There is no scientific evidence to support its use as an aid to increasing conspicuity. Its use will also significantly increase the overall cost of the garment, which inevitably means decreasing the availability of garments, as well as providing a reduced level of protection for the wearer.

If you would like to ask a question please click here and we will endeavour to answer as soon as we can.