Rain, fog, darkness or heavy traffic travelling at more than 100 km/h. This is the everyday scenario faced by roadside assistance professionals. In a high-risk operating environment, drivers' distance and reaction time are decisive: high-visibility clothing is not just a uniform, but the operator's first physical barrier of protection.
EN ISO 20471 standard: The Class 3 requirement
Not all reflective clothing offers the same level of protection. The European standard EN ISO 20471 classifies safety clothing according to the minimum areas of fluorescent and retroreflective material. For work carried out on public roads without fixed perimeter protection, Class 3 represents the highest and non-negotiable safety standard.
| Technical Property | Operational Function | Impact on Safety |
|---|---|---|
| Fluorescent Material | Converts invisible UV radiation into visible daylight. | Highlights human presence in natural or overcast light conditions. |
| Retroreflective Strips | Return the beam of light from headlights directly to its source. | Enables visual detection at night from more than 150 metres away. |
Maintenance and life cycle of protective equipment
Wear from washing, prolonged exposure to sunlight and contact with oils or grease progressively degrade the optical properties of high-visibility clothing. Equipment that has exceeded its service life or has accumulated ingrained dirt can see its reflective capacity reduced by more than 50%.
That is why REAC member companies carry out periodic checks for the inspection and preventive replacement of work clothing, ensuring that every operator maintains maximum visibility at all times.
A preventive culture and responsibility on the road
Strict compliance with Occupational Risk Prevention (ORP) directives must be complemented, indispensably, by the empathy and caution of other road users. Reducing speed and respecting the lateral margin when approaching a tow truck at work is the basic rule of coexistence that allows our professionals to return home safely.
Promoting safe working environments
Find out more about the road awareness campaigns and industrial safety initiatives promoted by the Red de Empresas de Auxilio en Carretera.