Hi-vis on site. What the classes mean and where your logo can go

Hi-vis is the garment where adding a logo most often breaks the rules. A vest or jacket is personal protective equipment first and a uniform second. Put a logo in the wrong place and you can turn a compliant garment into one that no longer meets the standard it was sold against. The good news is that it is easy to get right once you know what the standard cares about.

The standard in plain terms

Most high visibility clothing sold in the UK for work is tested to EN ISO 20471. The standard covers garments worn in situations where people need to be seen clearly, in daylight and in the dark, particularly around moving vehicles and plant.

It relies on two kinds of material working together.

• Fluorescent background material is the bright yellow, orange or red fabric. It makes you stand out in daylight and at dusk.
• Retroreflective material is the silver tape. It bounces light from headlights and torches straight back towards the source, so you show up in the dark.

A garment that meets the standard carries a label with the standard number, a pictogram and its class.

What the three classes mean

EN ISO 20471 sorts garments into three classes. The class depends on how much fluorescent background and how much retroreflective material the garment has.

• Class 1 has the least material. It suits lower risk settings where traffic is slow and people are easy to spot, and it is not usually accepted on its own for roadside or busy site work.
• Class 2 has more of both materials. Many vests and some polo shirts and T-shirts fall into this class.
• Class 3 has the most. Jackets with sleeves, long sleeved tops and coveralls with bands on the arms and legs are typical examples, and it is the class you tend to see on roadside and rail work.

Some combinations can reach a higher class together. A class 2 jacket worn with class 2 trousers, for example, may be rated as class 3 as a set. The label will tell you.

Which class you need is not a branding decision. It comes from the risk assessment for the work, and on many sites the principal contractor or client will set a minimum. Check that first, then choose garments that meet it.

Why a logo can break compliance

A garment earns its class by carrying at least a set area of each material. Anything you put on top of those materials takes area away.

That gives you two simple rules.

1. Never cover the retroreflective tape. Not with a print, not with embroidery, not with a name badge. The tape has to stay fully visible and uninterrupted.
2. Do not reduce the fluorescent area below the class minimum. Every logo covers a patch of fluorescent fabric. On a garment that only just meets its class, a large print can push it under the line.

Manufacturers design hi-vis with this in mind. Many garments have enough spare fluorescent area for a sensibly sized logo, and some specify where branding can go or how big it can be. When in doubt, follow the manufacturer's guidance for that exact style.

Where your logo can go

The safest positions are areas of fluorescent fabric well clear of the tape.

• Left or right chest. The most common spot for a company logo. On most vests and jackets there is a panel above the horizontal band that takes a chest logo comfortably.
• Upper back. A company name across the shoulders, above the top band, is popular on site because it can be read from behind. Keep it to a sensible height so it does not creep towards the tape.
• Sleeves. On jackets and long sleeved tops, a small logo on the upper arm can work if it sits between the bands and clear of them.

Positions to avoid are anything on or crossing the tape, anything that spans the gap between two bands, and very large back prints that cover most of the fluorescent panel.

Some hi-vis vests come with a clear ID pocket or a removable panel, which lets you add a name or role without touching the garment at all.

Print or embroidery on hi-vis

Vinyl print is the usual choice for hi-vis. It is light, it sits flat, and heat applied vinyl bonds well to the polyester that most hi-vis is made from. The press settings need care, because polyester does not like too much heat, and a scorched panel is no longer the colour it was tested in.

Embroidery can be done on heavier hi-vis jackets, fleeces and softshells. It looks smart on a supervisor's jacket, for example. It is less suited to thin mesh vests, which pucker around the stitching.

Whichever method you use, the logo colour matters less than its size and position. A dark logo on a yellow vest looks sharp and still leaves the fluorescent area around it doing its job.

Keeping it compliant over time

Adding a logo correctly is half the story. A hi-vis garment only protects someone while it stays bright and the tape stays reflective. Dirty, faded or torn hi-vis should be replaced, and the care label often states the maximum number of washes the garment was tested to. We cover this in our article on caring for branded workwear.

Get a quote

If you want your company name or logo on hi-vis, email [email protected]. Tell us the class you need and the garments you have in mind, and we will quote for a logo that sits clear of the tape.