Choosing An ANSI Class 2 Vest
Although you certainly do have a lot of different choices when it comes to the safety vest that you wear, at times you may need to go with something specific, such as an ANSI class 2 vest. There are a number of different things that need to be kept in mind whenever choosing one of these vests, and one of them are the specific regulations that are covered within the ANSI safety vest specs. These ANSI compliant jackets are going to be covered under two different areas, the classification and the fact that they meet up with the standards of the ANSI. Most of the time, you can also go with a class 3 safety vest but an ANSI class 2 Vest is typically a more popular choice.
One of the first reasons why you would need an ANSI class 2 Vest is because of the amount of reflective material that is available on the vest. Many times, there are specific regulations in place which would govern the amount of reflective area of the reflective safety jackets that you have on your body at any given time. This is especially true whenever you're working for the Department of Transportation or if you are outsourcing for the department and are going to be working along the road. Most of these standards would allow you to go with a class 2 specification, although you may need to upgrade to a class 3 in some areas.
Another thing for you to consider is the fact that it also needs to go by ANSI safety vest specs. This is especially true whenever it comes to the breakaway pattern of the vest itself, and it must be compliant in this area for your own personal safety. ANSI compliant jackets are typically connected with velcro at several places on the jacket so that they can easily break away from the body in order to prevent injury. A class 3 safety vest may also have the same specifications, but only if they are ANSI compliant.
One job which typically uses these types of vests is surveyors. Not only do they need to be highly visible whenever they are along the road, they are often found on job sites whenever they are amongst heavy machinery that would require them to be highly visible as well. By going with class 2, you're insured of the amount of reflective material that is available on the vest and they are breakaway, due to ANSI standards. You also get a small surveyor vest for example women to wear.
It is important for you to understand the ANSI safety vest specs, at least to the point where you know that the vests that you are purchasing are going to be compliant. As a matter of fact, ANSI compliant jackets from several years ago may not be compliant due to changing standards, although they do not change all that often. A class 3 safety vest will provide you with a certain amount of protection because of the reflective material available, but an ANSI class 2 Vest will provide close to the same amount of reflective material, plus the benefit of being breakaway, should it be necessary.
