High Visibility Tapes

Poor visibility in the workplace is known to be a major cause of workplace accidents. Workplaces such as construction sites and highways both pose the threat of potentially hazardous working conditions to workers, forcing the need for safety measures. Using high-vis reflective tape and wearing hi-vis clothing is a necessity to remain apparent on the job to people around you at all times.

Using this article, you'll learn how to choose hi-vis apparel, what hi-vis is and how it's used, as well as the benefits of wearing it.

High-Visibility Tape

A high visibility tape is a form of adhesive which may have light reflective or fluorescent properties, designed to improve safety and increase visibility across a range of environments. The tape can come in a variety of materials, often cloth or fabric when the adhesive needs to be durable, or waterproof materials when used for marking ocean equipment.

Whenever it is necessary to make something visible during the daytime, it is possible to do so with the help of yellow high-visibility reflective tape. Featuring a sticky self-adhesive backing, it is ideal for use outdoors due to its ability to hold up in windy and wet conditions, making it ideal for use on a wide range of surfaces.

Types of High-Visibility Tape

Fluorescent Tape

Available in various widths and colours, commonly yellow, fluorescent tapes can be used to highlight trip hazards, low ceilings and other hazards. Fluorescent tapes can also be found in slip-resistant form for use in walkways and on stairs to highlight steps as well as give additional grip for potentially wet areas.

Reflective Tape

Reflective tapes are strips of adhesive material which have light reflective properties. They have been designed to reduce accidents and save lives. Used in the correct way they can improve safety and increase visibility in the workplace which leads to less downtime due to fewer accidents.

These reflective tapes are commonly used to highlight driveway edges on highways. Due to this tape's reflective qualities, it will be beneficial at night and in adverse weather conditions. There would be no unwanted and disastrous circumstances that people would have to deal with when driving. Lifeboat jackets primarily used at sea also use this reflective tape for clothing.

Some manufacturers are also using it as part of motorcycle helmets and automobiles to provide additional academic support to users if, for example, intense weather conditions cause them to lose vision.

When should I use high-visibility tape?

There are a variety of applications and uses for high-visibility reflective tapes. Outdoor uses include making bollards and fences more visible, and on workwear to improve safety for workers. The high-vis tape is often anti-slip so that it can be safely applied to stairwells and walkways.

High-visibility reflective tape's most popular uses

One of the most traditional usages of high-visibility reflective tapes is on hi-vis fluorescent apparel featuring reflective stripes with an "H" pattern equally on both front and back sides.

The fluorescent colour helps to make the wearer more noticeable in daylight, whereas the reflective stripes significantly enhance the chances of being noticed at night, increasing their safety. There are many options for this type of apparel, including t-shirts, vests, jackets and pants.