What Hi-Vis Class Do You Actually Need? A Plain-English Guide to EN ISO 20471

If you’ve been told your workforce needs hi-vis clothing and you’ve started looking, you’ve probably run into the phrase EN ISO 20471 and three class numbers that don’t come with much explanation. Most suppliers list garments with a class rating on the label. Fewer explain what that class actually means, which environments it applies to, and what the law says about providing it.

This guide covers all of it. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll know which class is required for your working environment, what the standard demands of any garment that claims to meet it, and what your legal obligations are as an employer. We’ve also added a quick reference table and a checklist at the end.

What Is EN ISO 20471?

EN ISO 20471 is the current international standard for high-visibility warning clothing. It replaced the older EN 471 standard and came into force in 2013. Any hi-vis garment manufactured after that date and sold as compliant PPE in the UK must meet EN ISO 20471, not its predecessor.

The standard sets out two core requirements for any hi-vis garment: it must contain a minimum area of fluorescent background material, which provides visibility in daylight and low-light conditions; and a minimum area of retroreflective tape, which reflects light back toward the source in darkness, making the wearer visible in vehicle headlights.

Critically, EN ISO 20471 defines the performance of the garment. It is distinct from the UKCA or CE mark, which is the legal route to market in the UK and EU respectively. A compliant garment needs both: the EN ISO 20471 standard proves the garment performs as required, while the UKCA or CE mark confirms it has been legally assessed and certified for sale. If a garment carries only one or neither of those, it should not be used as PPE.

Note: The old EN 471 certificates expired five years after issue. Any hi-vis clothing still carrying only an EN 471 mark is no longer considered compliant. Check your current stock if this is relevant to your workforce.

The Three Classes: What They Mean and When Each Applies

EN ISO 20471 divides hi-vis garments into three classes based on the total visible area of fluorescent and reflective material. The higher the class, the greater the coverage and the more demanding the environment it is designed for.

Class	Fluorescent area	Reflective area	Traffic speed	Typical garments
Class 1	0.14 m²	0.10 m²	Up to ~19 mph	Trousers, accessories, simple vests
Class 2	0.50 m²	0.13 m²	Up to ~25 mph	Vests, waistcoats, polo shirts, short-sleeve jackets
Class 3	0.80 m²	0.20 m²	60 mph and above	Long-sleeve jackets, coveralls, jacket and trouser combinations

Class 1: Low-Risk Environments

Class 1 offers the minimum level of protection under the standard. It is designed for environments where vehicles move slowly and are well controlled, typically up to around 19 mph (30 km/h). Typical use cases include indoor logistics centres, private yards and off-road worksites where traffic is separated from pedestrians.

Class 1 garments are not appropriate for use on public roads. They do not provide sufficient visibility for environments where moving vehicles could pose a genuine strike risk. A simple hi-vis vest without sleeves will typically be Class 1, as will some hi-vis trousers worn without a compliant upper garment.

Class 2: Moderate-Risk Environments

Class 2 is the most commonly specified class in UK workplaces and the minimum required for most outdoor working environments. It applies where vehicles travel at moderate speeds, construction sites, logistics hubs, quarries, and road maintenance in lower-speed zones.

Delivery drivers working in controlled commercial areas, yard operatives, and workers on construction sites will typically require Class 2 as a minimum. Most hi-vis vests, polo shirts, and short-sleeve jackets sold in the UK are rated to Class 2. The HSE’s guidance on workplace transport describes Class 2 as appropriate where workers are at risk from moving vehicles and where a waistcoat alone might be sufficient depending on conditions.

Class 3: High-Risk Environments

Class 3 provides the highest level of conspicuity and is required for work alongside fast-moving traffic, including on or near motorways, dual carriageways, A roads, airports, and active rail environments. The standard requires that a Class 3 garment covers the full torso and includes either long sleeves with reflective bands, full-length trouser legs with reflective bands, or both.

A key practical point: the standard permits Class 3 to be achieved by combining two separately certified garments. A Class 2 jacket worn with Class 2 trousers can meet Class 3 requirements, provided both garments are individually certified and the supplier has confirmed the combination meets the standard. This is particularly useful for workers who need to adapt their clothing to changing temperatures or conditions across a shift. Both garments must carry EN ISO 20471 labels and must be worn together to count.

Road and street works: the Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8 and the Safety at Street Works and Road Works code of practice both provide specific guidance on hi-vis requirements for operatives working on the public highway. These go beyond the base EN ISO 20471 requirement and should be consulted directly if your workforce carries out carriageway works.

Rail: the railway sector has its own additional specification beyond EN ISO 20471, including specific requirements for orange hi-vis garments and pull-apart vests under the GORT specification. Network Rail and individual train operating companies publish their own requirements. If your workers operate in the rail environment, EN ISO 20471 alone is not sufficient.

What UK Law Actually Says

There is no single piece of UK legislation that names EN ISO 20471 directly. What the law does require is that where a risk assessment identifies hi-vis clothing as necessary, employers must provide suitable PPE that meets a recognised standard. EN ISO 20471 is that standard for hi-vis clothing in the UK.

The relevant legislation is the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, amended in 2022. The 2022 amendment is significant for many employers. It extended the legal duty to provide free PPE beyond employees with contracts of employment (limb (a) workers) to include what are described as limb (b) workers: casual staff, agency workers, and those working under a contract for services. If your workforce includes contractors, temporary workers, or gig economy staff who carry out work that requires hi-vis clothing, you are now legally required to provide that clothing free of charge to them as well.

The requirement to provide PPE free of charge is not new. Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 has always prohibited employers from charging workers for PPE required by statute. The 2022 amendment simply extended the category of worker to whom that obligation applies.

In practical terms, the law requires an employer to:

• Carry out a risk assessment that identifies whether hi-vis clothing is necessary
• Select PPE appropriate to the risk identified, using EN ISO 20471 as the standard
• Provide that PPE free of charge to all workers, including limb (b) workers
• Maintain and replace garments when they become worn, faded, or damaged
• Provide instruction and training on the correct use of the PPE provided

Faded fabric and damaged retroreflective tape are not minor aesthetic issues. A garment with degraded material may fail to meet the minimum fluorescent or reflective area required by the standard, making it non-compliant even if it originally was. Replace garments when the fluorescent material begins to fade or the reflective strips show damage or separation.

Why Buying from an Unverified Source Is a Compliance Risk

In testing carried out between January 2025 and January 2026, the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) assessed 88 PPE products sourced from suppliers outside its Registered Safety Supplier Scheme. Of those, 82% failed to meet required standards, whether through performance failure, missing or invalid certification, inadequate documentation, or incorrect product marking.

For hi-vis clothing specifically, testing from BSIF’s previous round covering December 2023 to December 2024 found that 85% of hi-vis garments from non-registered suppliers failed chromaticity and luminance tests, meaning the garments were not bright enough to provide the visibility the label claimed. This is not an abstract concern. A garment worn on a site that appears to be compliant but fails the brightness requirements of EN ISO 20471 offers no legal or practical protection to the employer or the wearer.

BSIF CEO John Hooker stated in response to the findings:

“PPE is often the last line of defence against serious injury or harm. When 82% of products from non-registered suppliers fail to meet regulatory requirements it highlights a clear compliance gap in the market. This is not about minor administrative issues; it is about ensuring that equipment relied upon to protect lives is genuinely fit for purpose.”

Purchasing from a BSIF Registered Safety Supplier provides a documented assurance that the products have been tested and meet the required standards. It also provides the evidence trail an employer needs to demonstrate due diligence if a compliance inspection or incident were to occur.

How to Read a Hi-Vis Label

Every EN ISO 20471 compliant garment carries a label showing the standard and the class. When checking a garment, look for the following:

• The EN ISO 20471 text on the label, along with a class number (1, 2, or 3)
• A UKCA or CE mark confirming the garment has been legally assessed for the UK or EU market
• Care and washing instructions: the standard requires garments to be tested for performance after five wash cycles, so a compliant label will include washing guidance
• If the garment is a combination ensemble rated at Class 3, the label should specify which companion garment is required to achieve that rating

If you are buying in volume for a business account, request a Declaration of Conformity from the supplier. This document confirms which standard the garment was tested to, which notified body carried out the testing, and who is legally responsible for the product’s compliance. Any reputable supplier should be able to provide this without hesitation.

A Note on Branded and Customised Hi-Vis

Adding a company logo or branding to hi-vis clothing is common and entirely legitimate. It does not inherently affect compliance. What matters is where the branding is placed and how much of the fluorescent or reflective material it covers.

The EN ISO 20471 standard is explicit: any surface area covered by logos, lettering, or badges is excluded from the calculation of the required minimum fluorescent and reflective area. A garment that meets the minimum requirements without branding may fall below the class threshold once branding has been applied, depending on the size and placement of the print.

If you are ordering branded hi-vis in quantity, confirm with your supplier that the garment remains compliant after customisation. A responsible supplier will be able to confirm the placement limits for branding on each specific garment. If they cannot, that is worth treating as a warning sign.

Quick Reference: Which Class for Which Environment

Work environment	Minimum class	Notes
Indoor warehouse or logistics hub (controlled traffic)	Class 1 minimum	Assess whether Class 2 is more appropriate if vehicle movements are frequent
Private yard or off-road site (slow, controlled vehicles)	Class 1 to 2	Dependent on risk assessment
Construction site (typical site work)	Class 2	Class 2 vest or jacket as minimum
Road maintenance (lower-speed A/B roads)	Class 2	Refer also to Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual
Delivery driver (public road routes, traffic contact)	Class 2	Required when on or near the public highway
Roadworks on A-roads and motorways	Class 3	Long-sleeve jacket or certified jacket/trouser combination
Airport ramp and airside operations	Class 3	Additional sector requirements may apply
Rail infrastructure work	Class 3 minimum + GORT spec	Sector-specific orange garment requirements apply; check employer rules

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EN ISO 20471 a legal requirement in the UK?

There is no single law that names EN ISO 20471 directly. However, the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (amended 2022) require employers to provide suitable hi-vis PPE where identified as necessary by a risk assessment, and EN ISO 20471 is the recognised standard that a garment must meet to be considered suitable. In practice, supplying a garment that does not meet this standard leaves an employer exposed to enforcement action from the HSE.

Can I use Class 2 clothing on a motorway roadworks site?

No. Motorways and dual carriageways require Class 3, as defined by EN ISO 20471. This requires full-body coverage including long sleeves with reflective bands, or a certified jacket and trouser combination meeting Class 3 together. Class 2 alone does not provide sufficient visibility at higher traffic speeds.

Does my hi-vis need to be yellow?

The standard specifies that compliant fluorescent material must be yellow, orange-red, or red. In practice, yellow and orange are the two colours most commonly found in compliant workwear. Green, blue, and other colours do not meet the chromaticity requirements of EN ISO 20471 for Class 2 or Class 3, though they may be acceptable for Class 1 in some cases. Check the garment label if you are unsure.

Do I need to provide hi-vis to agency and temporary workers?

Yes. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022, which came into force on 6 April 2022, extended the employer’s duty to provide free PPE to limb (b) workers. This includes casual, agency, and temporary staff. If a risk assessment shows that hi-vis clothing is required for the work being carried out, that clothing must be provided free of charge regardless of employment status.

Can two Class 2 garments together count as Class 3?

Yes, under specific conditions. EN ISO 20471 permits a Class 3 rating to be achieved by combining two individually certified garments, such as a Class 2 jacket and Class 2 trousers. The supplier must confirm that the combination has been tested and certified as meeting Class 3, and must provide clear instructions on how that classification is achieved. Both garments must be worn together for the Class 3 rating to apply.

How often should hi-vis clothing be replaced?

There is no fixed replacement interval prescribed by the standard. However, fluorescent material degrades with washing and UV exposure, and retroreflective tape loses effectiveness with age and physical damage. Employers should carry out regular checks and replace any garment where the fluorescent material appears significantly faded, or where reflective strips are damaged, lifting, or missing. A garment in this condition may no longer meet the minimum material area requirements and should not be treated as compliant PPE.

Sourcing Compliant Hi-Vis for Your Workforce

LMG Shopper stocks a range of EN ISO 20471 certified hi-vis clothing across Class 2 and Class 3, including jackets, vests, polo shirts, trousers, and coveralls. All garments carry appropriate UKCA or CE marking and are sourced from established manufacturers.

If you are equipping a team and need to confirm the correct class for your specific environment, or if you are looking to place a bulk order for a multi-site operation, our trade account service is designed for exactly that. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

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