Hi-Vis Trousers

Keep employees safe with high visibility trousers from Cromwell. Part of our hi-vis Clothing range, hi vis trousers are compliant with EN 20471 and Rail Industry Standard RIS-3279-TOM. Choose from a range of comfortable styles with inclusive sizing and help to reduce risks on your site.

We carefully select our high visibility workwear from market-leading brands, like Portwest®, Leo Workwear®, Pulsar®, Orbit International® and our own brand, Sitesafe®.

What are hi-vis trousers?

Designed to stand out in all light conditions, high visibility trousers are made from luminescent material and feature reflective strips around the lower legs or thighs and on the pockets. Hi-vis trousers are manufactured and rigorously tested to ensure clear daytime visibility to vehicle operators, while reflective strips are illuminated by headlights at night.

Why buy hi-vis trousers?

When working in environments with moving vehicles, such as VNAs, road traffic and trains, high visibility clothing is extremely important to the safety of employees. Bright colours, such as fluorescent yellow or orange are universally known to highlight a potential hazard, and so maintaining good visibility through bright clothing can help to prevent accidents and even death.

Hi-vis trouser types

High visibility trousers come in a range of colours to suit industry-specific standards. All hi-vis trousers must be CE certified and comply with EN ISO 20471.

• Yellow hi-vis trousers   -   The most common hi-vis colour, fluorescent yellow safety trousers are used by most councils and workers in the healthcare sector, such as paramedics

• Orange hi-vis trousers   -   These hi-vis trousers are specific to rail workers and must comply with Rail Industry Standard RIS-3279-TOM

• Other colours   -   There are workwear trousers in darker colours such as navy and black that feature reflective strips on the legs in the same way as hi-vis trouser do, however, these don't comply with high visibility safety standards for workwear

Considerations when choosing hi-vis trousers

• Sizing - hi-vis trousers are inclusively sized, with various waist sizes and leg lengths available to fit everyone.

• Over trousers? - some hi-vis trousers are waterproofs designed to be worn over the top of normal workwear trousers when outside in harsh weather.

• Waterproof - not all hi-vis trousers are designed to be waterproof, so if you frequently work outdoors, check the product description to ensure you get this feature.

• Pockets - typically hi-vis trousers feature normal back and side pockets, with some designs sporting a combat style leg pocket for enhanced storage.

• Colour - as discussed above, yellow is the most common hi-vis colour as it complies with British Standards, while orange is the Rail Industry Standard.

Hi-vis trousers jargon buster

When it comes to employee safety, compliance with safety standards is of the utmost importance. So, to keep you up to date, we've broken down and explained the safety standard for high visibility clothing.

What does standard EN ISO 20471:2013+A1:2016 mean?

This safety legislation outlines test methods and requirements for all high visibility clothing and equipment. Specific requirements, such as the visibility of the colour and the placement of the reflective strips is checked before approval is given.

Let's break it down...

• EN - This is present on all European standards and is a translation from the German for European Norm

• ISO - The International Organization for Standardization publishes and maintains European safety and quality standards

• 20471 - This is the legislation number

• 2013 - This is the year this edition was originally published

• A1 - Amendment 1 was made by an ISO technical committee to extend this standard to cover protective clothing and equipment, where before it had only covered clothing

• 2016 - This is the year the amendment was made

FAQs

Can you wash hi-vis trousers?

Yes, you can, and most importantly, you should. Dirty hi-vis clothing will see a reduction in visibility and won't keep you as safe. Most hi-vis clothing will have washing instructions just like normal clothing. These should be followed to maintain the reflective properties of the tape and the luminosity of the colour.

What are the holster pockets for on hi-vis trousers?

Holster pockets are a flap-style pocket attached to the trousers with a strong single seam. Closed at the bottom, they're ideal for storing items such as screws or tools for easy access without the discomfort of them pressing against the hip, as they would if stored in a normal side pocket.

Some holster pockets can be purchased separately to be sewn on or attached to a belt as required. However, if you intend to make adjustments to your hi-vis trousers, make sure you're using hi-vis fabric that complies with British Standards to maintain your visibility and your safety.