I spent years working in the mines before I started a business selling workwear to the people who work in them. More than 600,000 people are employed in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I know what it feels like to be handed a uniform that meets the standard on paper and fails you on the ground.
I know what it feels like to wear something that was never designed for your body. I also know the sensation of the fabric trapping heat against your skin. I certainly know what it feels like to have a sleeve caught on equipment because the fit was wrong.
Safety is not just a policy. It is a decision companies make when they choose what to buy and put on their workers' backs. Too many companies treat that decision as a box to tick.
They buy the cheapest garment that appears to meet the standard, and they assume the job is done. A high-visibility shirt can carry reflective tape and still be unsafe if the tape is decorative rather than certified. The ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 standard sets the performance requirements for high-visibility apparel, including the retroreflective material and its placement.
A garment that looks like it meets the standard is not the same as a garment that does. DLA PIPER reports that OSHA's proposed heat rule recognizes this, with an initial heat trigger at 80°F (26.7°C) that requires employers to provide water, rest areas, and acclimatization. The standard tells you what a garment must do.
It does not tell you whether the garment is right for the person wearing it. The consequences are not abstract. Workers in uncomfortable gear can become distracted, struggle through demanding shifts, and lose confidence that their employer takes their safety seriously.
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