EN 17353

Enhanced visibility garments for medium-risk situations

To make users more visible in medium-risk situations

Standard EN 17353 specifies the requirements for enhanced visibility equipment in the form of garments or devices capable of visually signalling the user’s presence. Enhanced visibility equipment is designed to make its users more visually perceptible in medium-risk situations, regardless of daylight conditions or illumination by vehicle headlights or spotlights in the dark. Performance requirements are given for colour and retroreflectivity, as well as for minimum surface areas and positioning of materials used on protective equipment.

Interpretation of performance

The EN 17353 standard comprises 3 classifications:

Type A: Garment visible during the daytime, comprising fluorescent material as the sole enhanced visibility component. The fluorescent material must be distributed around the torso and/or limbs.

Design requirements:
– The garment must contain 0.24 m² of fluorescent material.
– A minimum fluorescent surface must be distributed on all sides of the garment to guarantee 360° visibility around the torso or shoulders, and around the limbs where applicable.
– At least 40% of the fluorescent surface must be on the front and back of the garment when laid flat.

Type B: Clothing visible in the dark, incorporating retroreflective material.

– B1 = freely suspended retroreflective material (accessories, suspended devices, etc.).
– B2 = retroreflective material on limbs.
– B3 = retroreflective material around the torso alone or on the torso and limbs

Design requirements:

Type AB: Clothing visible by day and in the dark, with retroreflective and fluorescent materials

– AB2 = fluorescent material + retroreflective material on limbs.
– AB3 = fluorescent material + retroreflective material around the torso alone or on the torso and limbs.

Design requirements:

Professions

All jobs requiring improved visualization when working during daylight or in low-light conditions. This standard is designed to protect the wearer in medium-risk situations that do not warrant EN ISO 20471-standard PPE.