Construction workers and those in related industries who have to work near roads often wear bright yellow vests. The most common example is a road construction worker, but you’ll also find these vests on various construction sites all over the state.
The idea is that these yellow safety vests help keep workers from harm by increasing their visibility, but do they actually work?
Safety vests are required for a reason
These high-visibility vests do work, and there’s a reason that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires their use. That specific blend of yellow and green has been found to be the most highly-visible color, even beyond traditional choices like red or orange, and so workers who are at risk of not being seen need to wear them to combat this risk. Safety vests stand out especially well against pavement or in urban settings when everything behind the worker tends to be a bit darker.
At night, even more-advanced vests may be required. Many have reflective stripes on them so that headlights pick them up and flash the light back at the driver. This can get the driver’s attention, even if they’re looking in another direction at the time.
Nothing is perfect when safety is at stake
What you must remember is that these vests don’t keep you safe in the same way that a hardhat does, where it limits injuries during an accident. Instead, they seek to keep you safe by preventing these accidents. There is no perfect way to do this, and construction workers suffer injuries on the job quite often.
If you get hurt working construction, you must know what rights you have to workers’ comp benefits. An attorney can help with your claim and protect your interests.
