Because working on the roadside is not easy, Kosto makes it easier to stay safe

With temperatures slowly rising, many fields and industries are also starting to get busy again. This is particularly true for the construction and roadwork industries. And like every year, it is essential to stock up on protective equipment to ensure the safety of your employees throughout the hot season.

What hazards do road workers face?

When working on the side of the road, it is not surprising that drivers move at high speed, but especially very close to the workers. As a result, the risk of being hit by a car is very high and serious for roadside workers.

Therefore, it is crucial for these workers to be highly visible to motorists, even when it starts to get dark. In addition, a visible worksite boundary is essential to keep cars away from workers.

What protective equipment should be considered?

High-visibility workwear is the ideal solution to reduce the risk of collision. They allow workers to be more visible to their colleagues and motorists. High-visibility workwear increases the reaction speed of passing drivers and dramatically reduces the chances of a worker being hit.

But what is the explanation behind the effectiveness of high visibility?

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), “The human eye responds best to large, contrasting, bright or moving objects. Also, worker visibility is enhanced by high color contrast between the clothing and the work environment against which it is seen.”

Source: CCOHS, High-Visibility Safety Apparel - https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/high_visibility.html

However, it is vital to choose your high-visibility protective clothing according to the level of risk of the work to be performed. For example, workers in road construction, utilities, land surveying, forestry and many others are all classified as medium risks per the CSA standard. For this reason, the CSA standard requires that workers in these fields wear high-visibility work clothes of class 2 level 2.

To identify your employees’ visibility hazards, you need to consider:

• Lighting conditions
• Weather conditions
• Distance from the worker to vehicles
• Vehicle speed
• Braking and reaction distance
• Worker task and attention to vehicle traffic
• Engineering measures such as barriers
• Sight distance

That’s why road workers need to wear workwear that identify them to drivers and increase the range of visibility. A high-quality, high-visibility clothing will allow motorists to see you from a greater distance and thus decrease the reaction time needed to brake or avoid you.

What does Kosto offer me?

Kosto makes it easy by offering superior quality products at competitive prices. Trust over 15 years of experience and more than 300 products specialized in protecting local workers.

For road workers, Kosto offers class 2 high-visibility jackets that allow you to work on most construction sites where high-visibility workwears is required. Kosto’s garments have many pockets for you to insert all your necessary tools. In addition, the high-visibility stripes on the back create an X to warn drivers that the worker is facing away from them, and the stripes on the front form an H to warn of the opposite.

The comfort of the fabric is optimal, and the ventilation is easy, thanks to the ventilation panels. Working on hot days will be much more pleasant. The materials used in Kosto’s high-visibility clothing are made to last and withstand the challenges of your work environment.

Kosto’s high-visibility jackets allow you to easily attach your harness, thanks to an opening in the back.

For certain products, such as the VPK14 work pants, Kosto has applied industrial stripes that will not lose their high visibility properties even after several washes. These workwears meet the requirements of the CSA Z96 standard, which places great importance on the durability of high-visibility products.

When it comes to worksite delineation, Kosto hasn’t forgotten you! Our private brand offers road delimitation chains to let motorists know precisely where your worksite is ahead of time. That’s exactly 100 feet of length that these delimitation chains provide. Kosto also offers chain connectors to expand your visible perimeter for larger delineations.

To learn more about Kosto’s expertise, click here!

Kosto’s high-visibility clothing to ensure others see you

Accessories to make road work safer