Custom Safety Apparel Buyers Guide

No matter what industry you're in, safety needs to be taken seriously. Whether its protective gear or high visibility apparel we believe that it is paramount that your employees are outfitted in the right gear to keep them as safe as possible. We’ve got you covered on custom logo workwear from the top brands in safety apparel. Just follow this guide to get started.

Custom High Visibility Apparel

Being seen can make all the difference in avoiding a workplace accident. Take steps to further the safety of your workforce with custom hi-vis apparel that meets ANSI regulations. We’ve got your back on custom hi-vis apparel for any industry, season or application. Just add your company logo to make it your own.

Custom Hi Vis Apparel is Recommended for…

·         Road Construction Crews	·         Law Enforcement
·         Parking Lot Attendants	·         EMTs & First Responders
·         Toll Booth Operators	·         Fire Fighters
·         Delivery Drivers	·         Towing Personnel
·         Cargo Loading Personnel	·         Auto Accident Investigators
·         Warehouse Employees	·         School Crossing Guards
·         Utility Workers	·         Airport Ground Crew
·         Survey Crews	·         Hunters

 Picking your High Visibility Colors

When choosing your hi-vis colors, you’ll want to take the environment that your team is working in into consideration. The color of your safety apparel should contrast with the surroundings as much as possible. Typically, high visibility apparel is either lime green or bright orange, so if your team is working in an environment with a lot of green then orange is probably the better choice. That is why most high vis hunting apparel is orange instead of lime green. We can even embroider your logo to your hi vis apparel with the fluorescent hi-vis thread colors seen below!

If your team is working outside at night, lime green is recommended over bright orange in the dark. It is also smart to add a reflective film or reflective tape to your hi-vis workwear to enhance nighttime visibility. High vis apparel is actually required to have retroreflective material in order to satisfy ANSI Class 3 Garment regulations.

Types of High Visibility Apparel

Aside from staying visible, your hi-vis apparel should also be appropriate for the weather. Lightweight high visibility vests and hi-vis shirts work great for the hot summer months but won’t cut it in the winter. That’s why we also offer heavyweight hi-vis jackets, beanies, face masks, and cold weather pants. If your team works outside year round, make sure they have custom safety apparel for whatever nature throws their way.

Meeting ANSI High Visibility Apparel Standards

The American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Accessories has established a set of regulations to keep workers safe that employers must comply with. High Vis apparel is broken down into 3 Performance Classes based on the work environment.

• Performance Class 1 Garments – apparel in this class is fluorescent and highly visible but does not need to cover much of the body or be retroreflective. Examples of Class 1 Garments are hi vis safety vests, shirts, hats and outerwear that are one solid hi vis color.
• Performance Class 2 Garments – this is considered the minimum level of visibility protection for those working in a roadway or public safety environments. The hi vis garment must cover a larger portion of the body than Class 1 Garments.
• Performance Class 3 Garments – this category of safety apparel is reserved for those in the highest risk work environments. Class 3 Garments must have retroreflective material throughout the garment and must cover the arms and legs. Safety vests alone do not qualify as a Class 3 garment.

Custom Hi-Vis Apparel by Application

So how do you know what Performance Class is right for your business? The ANSI breaks down high-visibility apparel into 3 different types: off-road, roadway and public safety. These application distinctions serve as the baseline for determining what ANSI/ ISEA Performance Class you are required to meet. Performance Class 1 safety apparel is only suitable for workers working in an off-road environment. Workwear for roadway or public safety applications must meet either Performance Class 2 or 3 regulations depending on the amount of background fabric of the garment.

Type O (“off-road”) Applications Include…

• Workers retrieving shopping carts from parking areas
• Warehouse employees in warehouses with heavy equipment traffic
• Workers in fossil fuel extraction, refinery, and mining

Type R (“roadway”) Applications Include…

• Roadway construction workers
• Parking Attendants
• Toll Gate Operators
• School Crossing Guards
• Towing Drivers & Staff
• Airport Ground Crew

Type P (“public safety”) Applications Include…

• Law Enforcement
• EMTs
• First Responders
• Firefighters
• Road Closure Personnel
• Auto Accident Investigators

Hi-Visibility Apparel Brands Offered

Custom Flame Resistant Apparel

No one plans on unexpected fires in the workplace, but if you work in a hazardous industry you should always be prepared. Flame Resistant Clothing (FRC) can be the difference between life and death, so it’s important to pick the best option for your application.

While Flame Resistant clothing will protect you from a fire in emergency situations, it will not fully protect you if you are completely engulfed in flames. FR apparel is NOT fireproof. However, FR apparel does have the ability to self-extinguish once the source of the flames, like gas dust or electricity, is removed from the garment. This prevents further injury from clothing that would otherwise continue to burn or melt.

Custom FR Apparel is Recommended for…

·         Electricians	·         Firefighters
·         Gas and Oil Field Workers	·         Maintenance Workers
·         Pipeline Workers	·         Welders
·         Foundry Workers	·         Landscapers
·         HVAC Workers	·         Miners
·         Military	·         Refinery Workers
·         Utilities Workers	·         Laboratory Workers

 Flame Resistant Apparel Embroidery Color Options

FR clothing can come in any color, as long as fire retardant material is used. In terms of custom decoration on flame resistant apparel, Merchology actually offers custom embroidery using the flame resistant thread colors below or you can inquire for other colors.

Types of Fire Events to Protect From

There are a variety of flame-related events that you may need to protect your workforce from depending on your industry. Each of these events may require a different Heat Risk Category level, which is explained below.

Flash Fire

A flash fire is essentially a quickly moving flame front that is usually caused by a combustion explosion. These typically occur when fuel and air are mixed enough to combust, so this type of event is the biggest threat to oil, gas and mining workers.

Arc Flash

An arc flash is a flame event caused by electrocution. In an arc flash, a short circuit is sent through the air, spreading radiant energy and hot gases exploding outward from the arc. The temperature of an arc flash can reach over 35,000° Fahrenheit, making it the hottest naturally occurring heat source known to man. Arc flashes are a hazard especially to those who work with electricity. Those most at risk include HVAC workers, electricians, utilities workers and maintenance workers.

Explosions & IEDs

Thankfully, most of us do not have to face the risk of planted explosives at work. However, law enforcement and military personnel must take precautions to protect themselves from these events. While flame resistant clothing won’t completely shield an explosion, it does provide an extra layer or protection to help mitigate the spread of the flames and will also self-extinguish.

Molten Metal Splash

A molten splash usually occurs when moisture is introduced into molten metal, causing it to explode and send molten into the air. Molten metal can reach temperatures up to 3,000° Fahrenheit, so it is obviously an enormous hazard when this occurs. Molten metal splashes are not a possibility in most industries, but those who work in foundries, steel mills or welding facilities are especially at risk. Normal flame resistant apparel should be worn as a secondary layer beneath industrial aluminized garments as a primary barrier to protect against molten metal splashes.

FR Apparel by Hazard Risk Category Level

Knowing the level of protection you need based on the specific fire risks associated with your industry is essential. Heat risk is broken down into 4 categories based on the level of heat protection. Each level details what you need to wear to protect against a minimum level of energy produced in a fire event, measured in calories per centimeter squared.

• Heat Risk Category 1 – 1 layer required. Flame resistant shirt and pants or flame resistant coveralls.
  • PPE minimum rating: 4 Cal/cm2
• Heat Risk Category 2 – 1 or 2 layers required. Flame resistant shirt and pants + cotton underwear.
  • PPE minimum rating: 8 Cal/cm2
• Heat Risk Category 3 – 2 or 3 layers required. Flame resistant shirt, pants, and coveralls + cotton underwear OR 2 layers of flame resistant coveralls + cotton underwear.
  • PPE minimum rating: 25 Cal/cm2
• Heat Risk Category 4 – 3 or more layers required. Flame resistant shirt and pants under a multilayer flash suit + cotton underwear.
  • PPE minimum rating: 40 Cal/cm2

Flame Resistant Apparel Brands Offered

Custom Hard Hats

Staying visible and being defended from flames are two of the most central pillars in workplace safety, but nothing is more important than protecting your head. There’s no better way to protect your head than with a custom hard hat. Hard hats keep your head safe by using an internal suspension system to absorb the impact of a blow to the head.

With Merchology, you can add your company logo to a variety of hard hat styles, including regular brim hard hats, full brim hard hats, and cowboy style hard hats. We also offer hard hats in a variety of colors, including hi-vis colors, and all of our hard hats meet OSHA and ANSI regulations.

Custom Hard Hats are Recommended for…

·         Construction Workers	·         Road Crews
·         Electrical Workers	·         Maintenance Workers
·         HVAC Workers	·         Utilities Workers
·         Foundry Workers	·         Pipeline Workers
·         Refinery Workers	·         Manufacturing Workers
·         Warehouse Workers	·         Lumber Yard Workers

 Types of Hard Hats

• Type 1 – these hard hats are designed to only protect workers from a blow to the top of the head.
• Type 2 – type 2 hard hats are designed to protect workers from impact to both the top and sides of the head.
• Class E – these hard hats are non-conducting and protect workers from blows to the top of the head. Class E hard hats protect against up to 20,000 volts of electric shock the highest voltage of any hard hat.
• Class G – like Class E hard hats, these helmets protect against electric shock, but at a much lower level. Class G hard hats protect workers from shocks up to 2,200 volts as well as blows to the top of the head.
• Class C – these are designed to be lightweight and comfortable but do not provide any protection from electric shock.

Safety Apparel Customization Options

At Merchology we practice a wide range of custom decoration methods. However, only a few of these decoration types apply specifically to safety apparel. Custom embroidery is our go-to decoration type for hi-vis apparel and FR apparel because of its durability and versatility. We also do screen printing on hi-vis apparel, but this is not recommended for flame resistant clothing. Custom printing is also the decoration method utilized in applying logos to hard hats.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve got all the custom safety apparel information you need at your fingertips, it’s time to take the next step in ensuring your team’s safety. Check out our complete line of Safety Apparel & Industrial Workwear or contact us if you have any questions on ordering your custom logo safety apparel. Finally, be sure to check out our Buyers Guides Page for more insights on how to pick the right merch for your business.