‘HI VIZ’ IS THE NEW BLACK

‘Hi Viz’ is the buzzword on the streets. Look ahead, to your left, to your right, up above your head, in the skyline, in the passing truck cab. There it is ‘Hi Viz’!

What, may you ask, am I talking about? You must remember that this is the Australian vernacular coming out again, but hey, we abbreviate anything we can. Don’t ask me why, I think it’s just for the fun of it more than anything so ………. Hi Viz?

High Visibility, that’s what. In the workplace, that’s what. You can’t miss those bright orange shirts with the flouro (here we are again, another abbreviation) stripes over the shoulder, the almost offensive bright yellow shirts with the same, the trousers with shiny stripes on them that seem to light up when its dark and light is shone on them. They really are highly visible no matter which way you look. Down the street, through a tunnel, digging up a road, you name it, those guys and girls are really VISIBLE to us. If you don’t have ‘Hi Vis’ well, the word on the street is………. stay off it!

‘Hi Viz’ is the new black. The shirts may not be tailored to suit the tiny waist (yes, the girls wear it too). They may not be of the finest Marino wool. They may not suit everyone’s skin tones; the trousers might not be the latest skinny jeans but is that what we are talking about here?

No! We are talking about workplace safety gear. Gear that is worn by Tradies, (! come on, you can work that one out), by site workers, by truck drivers. The Tradie girls wear ‘Hi Viz’ with co-ordinating accessories i.e. nail polish, lipstick, hair bands. Yes, they are all out there in the market place. Such is the acceptance of the ‘Hi Viz’ work gear in the construction workplace. We even slip on a ‘hi viz’ vest along with a hard hat when we are visitors at said workplaces. ‘See us, we have come to talk with you on your territory and want to be visible to all around, no accidents today, thank you’ is the unspoken mantra.

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