REFLECTIVE CLOTHING |
Reflecting well
Measuring safety clothes retroreflectivity, especially
after laundering, is fundamental to ensure safety
Words | Gustavo F Paolillo, Easylux Retroreflectometers, Brazil
The ability to be seen is
Above: The MINI
critical for workers’ safety.
Vertical meets
ASTM E1709, ASTM
Clothing with highly
E2540, EN 12899-1
reflective properties helps
for road signs and
ISO 20471 for
safety clothing workers stay visible in poor light,
bad weather and around potentially
distracted drivers, and helps
differentiate workers from the
working environment. This provides
more visual information for drivers
to take caution when approaching
a work zone.
Reflective clothing is far less
effective if not cleaned properly,
however. Removing marks or stains
often demands harsher cleaning
methods than those recommended
by the manufacturer. They may
significantly reduce the retroreflective
performance, making garments
useless when you need them most.
Retroreflectivity is the main
indicator of effective workers’
protection. For this reason, ISO 20471
requires that high visibility garments
have the retroreflection tested after
the washing or cleaning processes.
The table shows the ISO 20471
minimum retroreflection values for
new materials. There are four different
entrance angles and observation
angles to be tested. Large observation
angles cause reflective surfaces to
be less bright to the observer. The
Minimum coefficient of retroreflection in cd/(lx • m2) for separate performance retroreflective material
Observation angle Entrance angle β1 (β2 = 0)
172 Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2020
5° 20° 30° 40°
0.2 ° 330 290 180 65
0.33 ° 250 200 170 60
1° 25 15 12 10
1.5° 10 7 5 4