May 28, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

(Anchortex-ANC-2010-0004)

You’re probably already familiar with enhanced visibility clothes, even if you don’t realize it. You see them worn by gas station attendants, construction workers, and practically anyone who needs to work in areas with vehicular traffic. Many positions that regularly put you into close proximity with vehicular traffic, particularly at night, require some level of ANSI-compliant high-visibility clothing. But what if you aren’t required to wear a rated high-visibility solution, but still want to have the advantage of being seen clearly in the daytime?

If this sounds like a legitimate concern for you - or if you just want to stand out in a crowd - I recommend the Red Kap Enhanced visibility Short Sleeve Work Shirt. It doesn’t come with expensive reflective striping, but is clearly visible in the daytime, and can be used to supplement a enhanced visibility vest or pants for improved visibility.

But what could you possibly use a enhanced visibility work shirt for? We came up with five benefits of these shirts to make your day a little brighter:

5) Finally get the attention you need during meetings. Do you have a bad habit of blending into the furniture when the weekly staff meeting rolls around? Are you overlooked by your peers when you have questions? They may choose to ignore you, but with this bright orange or yellow shirt, they can’t say they didn’t see you.

4) Avoid blending into the background. When you jog across the street for lunch at the local diner, having a shirt that stands out can mean the difference between a close shave and a traffic tragedy. While it won’t give you carte blanche to run across highway traffic, an inattentive driver is more likely to brake for someone in a bright orange or yellow shirt.

3) Teambuilding with your coworkers. If you’re the boss, your employees might be required to wear full ANSI Class III vests and other safety wear, while you avoid the traffic and work in an office. That doesn’t mean you can’t show some solidarity with your employees by showing them you’re just as willing to wear the orange.

2) Make your people stand out. Have you ever been at a convention of thousands of people, an amusement park with your family, or on location at a crowded venue and realized that you can’t tell your people apart from the teeming crowds? An enhanced visibility work shirt will do wonders for making your team stand out in any major crowd, without the bulk of a heavy jacket or vest.

1) Make people ask questions. Granted, those questions will mostly be along the lines of ‘what sort of work do you do that you need a bright orange work shirt with a pencil holder’, or maybe ‘does your office have a hunting protocol’, but at least you’ve gotten attention - and standing out in your field is important in practically every job (except possibly camoflauge salesman).

(Austin Cushing is the webmaster for Anchortex Corporation, distributor of military, correctional, public safety, and commercial products for government, corporate, and personal use.)

What do you think you could use a bright orange work shirt for?

Posted in Articles | No Comments »

May 21, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

(Anchortex-ADS-2010-0002)

Have you ever watched a trial on television, or seen a documentary on a correctional facility, and noticed that prisoners in confinement are shown wearing peculiar green or navy blue sleeveless gowns, even when the typical prison uniform consists of brighter colors? These are what are known as suicide safety smocks. They, along with suicide safety blankets, are given to inmates who are considered a potential risk for suicide or self-mutilation. But what makes them safe? Suicide safety smocks and blankets are made especially for people who may be a suicide risk, and have many special features not found in ordinary garments and bedding.

Suicide smocks provide the essentials in warmth and modesty, and can be machine-washed without risking damage to the material. They are water-resistant to easily shed soiling, and they are quilted from durable materials such as nylon Cordura or Quadlan that are more comfortable than canvas while having a much higher level of durability. Unlike normal clothing, these smocks are designed to thwart suicide attempts in a number of ways.

The leading source of prisoner suicide attempts is clothing or bedding used to hang themselves while alone in their cells. To mitigate this risk, suicide smocks are specifically designed to be sleeveless, and the material is bulky and cannot be easily rolled or folded into a rope-like material. Suicide smocks fasten at the chest and shoulders with Velcro, so that they give way under pressure and can be easily removed by medical personnel in the event that the wearer manages to hurt himself in some other fashion.

Suicide blankets, likewise, are designed from the same durable Cordura or Quadlan material; they are comfortable and warm enough to serve their intended purpose as blankets without being readily usable by inmates as a source of noose materials. In the event that a prisoner manages to light their bedding or clothing on fire, the material is bulky enough that flames burn out quickly; combined with institutional mattresses that have passed California flammability certifications, this greatly limits the risk of inmate-caused fires. As no metal fasteners, zippers, or other metal components are used in the manufacture of these smocks and blankets, the ability to fashion a sharp instrument as a weapon against themselves, other inmates, or correctional personnel is likewise curtailed.

Many prisons distribute orange inmate jumpsuits to their prisoners because the color is easily visible and recognizable from a distance. However, suicide prevention clothing and inmate bedding is typically made from darker green and blue colors for the same reason that many institutions paint their walls in green or blue tones; these colors have a subtle relaxing effect that can help to soothe an agitated individual.

In short, suicide safety smocks and suicide safety blankets serve a very important role in detention facilities, mental health institutions, prisons, jails, and other correctional or medical environments. They provide the basic level of functionality prisoners require, while limiting the capability of the prisoner or patient to use them as a weapon against themselves, each other, or facility staff. They are extremely durable and long-lasting, require no special maintenance beyond standard laundering, and are a valuable asset for any facility that houses potentially suicidal individuals.

Posted in American Detention Supplies, Articles | No Comments »

May 10, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

(Anchortex-AWS-2010-0003)

You are probably at least passingly familiar with the bright orange or yellow vests worn by construction crews and public safety officials. These high visibility vests and other articles of clothing are worn to promote visibility and ensure the safety of these employees, particularly around vehicular traffic. There are several distinct standards used for high visibility vests, depending on where the wearer is relative to traffic.

ANSI 107-2004 Class I vests are similar to those you might see worn by parking lot attendants and shopping cart retrievers; they are only intended for use in situations where the employee is not near highway traffic, and maximum vehicle speeds are less than 25 miles per hour.

ANSI 107-2004 Class II vests and clothing are intended for use in situations where vehicles may be traveling at speeds between 25 and 50 miles per hour and workers may be on or near roadways. These vests typically include some manner of reflective striping, and cover a larger area. Typical users include construction workers operating on city streets, utility workers, survey crews, and law enforcement personnel.

ANSI 107-2004 Class III vests and clothing are specifically intended to be seen from a minimum distance of 1,280 feet, and are intended for use in high-risk situations where traffic speeds can exceed 50 miles per hour. They use a higher quantity of high-visibility fabric and reflective tape to enhance visibility in all light levels and weather conditions. Typical users include highway construction crews, emergency response personnel, utility workers, and others whose duties place them within the right of way of a federal highway.

A related classification is the ANSI 207-2006 public safety vest; these vests are cut to meet the needs of public safety and law enforcement officers, both in safety and in performance. While this does qualify for high-visibility requirements for items worn on federal highways, this is not equal to an ANSI 107-2004 classification.

OSHA requires compliance with ANSI 107-2004 to ensure that workers are visible and conspicuous from all directions under adverse lighting conditions whenever they may be exposed to hazards. For your own safety, be familiar with the high visibility clothing options available, and wear appropriate work wear when working near traffic, particularly at night or during inclement weather.

Posted in American Work Safety | No Comments »