Learn More about the Class 2 FR Safety Vest

SafetyGear Online is proud to carry a wide selection of FR safety vest options to suit a number of different working environments. When choosing your safety gear for the job, you not only want to make sure you meet the requirements set for safety, you also want to understand why certain features are recommended and incorporate your own standards. When you can choose an FR safety vest that complies with the established guidelines as well as your own preferences, you can work better—with the peace of mind that comes from gear that is safe, comfortable, and effective.

In most cases, you’ll need an ANSI Class 2 FR safety vest. This is the typical standard for many job sites, giving each worker the visibility and the fire resistance they need to work in relative safety. But what does the “Class 2” distinction mean? And what is required for ANSI certification? Let’s review the details so you can choose the best FR safety vest for your suite of work gear.

Class 2 Standards

Typically, the workers who are required to use an ANSI Class 2 FR safety vest include construction workers, utility and road crews, police and emergency personnel, and airport workers. The typical environment for these workers includes some measure of fire hazards from vehicles, machinery, and more, so having the fire resistance as well as the high visibility is recommended and often required.

In addition to being made of the right materials for fire resistance, an FR safety vest must also be of a certain size and have specific reflective qualities to be designated as Class 2. Typically, a Class 2 vest will provide full front and back coverage, and some job sites may require sleeves, which means that the worker will have to wear a long sleeved tee or a safety jacket in lieu of the FR safety vest. Weather will play a role in this decision as well.

The base color of an FR safety vest must be florescent and there must be reflective materials incorporated. Typically, there will be about four yards of reflective striping in sum and one band will provide 360-degrees of visibility. Additional bands may be present on sleeves and cuffs, when more coverage is required.