Are you wearing the correct HI-VIS

There is a post now on page 2 of NL about this. Shocking really that Equisafety Polite range is not upto standard despite carrying the safety marks. I was not really fussed about the Police endorsement thing as that it not why I bought the stuff. But know that it does not meet the standards in its current form is really concerning. We all know that lawyers will try anything to get their clients off, so imagine getting hit by a driver who gets off because they claim you're hi vis was not of the recognised standard and hence getting off on a technicality.
 
GREYSMEADOW said:
Was prompted on Facebook by a friend who was watching FAKE BRITAIN and thought that H&HF readers would be interested in this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01jv96m/Fake_Britain_Series_3_Episode_12/

The hi-vis part is at the very end of the programme. Unfortunately I couldn't find the fast forward button.
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If you hover your mouse over the bottom of the iPlayer screen, a bar appears. You can whiz the cursor along with your mouse. The item starts at around 33 and a half minutes.
 
Not surprised, I got a lot of stuff from one company which was poor quality, but expensive, had a lot of hassle from the owner/or someone, eventually got a refund from them from an cancelled order.
Quality costs, so there are peeps out there wanting to take your cash, but do not provide the standard you wanted.
 
What it also seems to be pointing out is that the quantity of hi-viz material which is actually VISIBLE (there's a recommended % per set area of garment) may not be sufficient, given the extra writing and chequered strips also on the garments. They may well register as police wear initially, but the fluorescence may not catch the eye soon enough.
 
I buy all my tabards etc from a workwear company that sells stuff for the construction and motorway maintenance industry and is manufactured to high standards regards reflectives etc. I refuse to pay way over the top for tat made for the horse riding industry.

I have a few excercise sheets that are of a lesser known make but good quality with reflective banding too.
 
If I wear one I wear my work one which is railway safety standard :) nice thick material, poppers so if it catches on something it will pop open and very very reflective. Plus we get them for free :)
 
veery interesting.. especially about the POLITE range. having been raved about so much you would have thought they would have thought someone found their loop hole
they are also charging so much and probably getting huge profit margins
 
Laafet said:
There is a post now on page 2 of NL about this. Shocking really that Equisafety Polite range is not upto standard despite carrying the safety marks. I was not really fussed about the Police endorsement thing as that it not why I bought the stuff. But know that it does not meet the standards in its current form is really concerning. We all know that lawyers will try anything to get their clients off, so imagine getting hit by a driver who gets off because they claim you're hi vis was not of the recognised standard and hence getting off on a technicality.
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I watched the programme and did not get from it that the fabric was substandard. What I understood was that the police do NOT endorse it, although the advertising says/said that they do. I was disappointed though that the programme did not make it clear that the police have no objection to the wording.
 
The Polite tabard I bought has disappointed me greatly. The zip is naff, I'll be having to replace that myself soon and also get the sewing machine out to sort other bits out on it. I got it from a local tack store that is selling them quite a bit less that than I've seen on the internet, which is one reason I got it, but still not happy. When winter comes, I'll be investing in some hi-viz from a shop that actually specialises in it.
 
I have been trying to purchase some Sillito tartan or Battenburgh tape to sew on to my hi vis [Jewsons] waistcoat.
I intend to convert my Polite stuff to a more robust and wearable item, all the stuff I see is designed for vehicles.
 
DragonSlayer said:
...which I didn't see, so I'm grateful for THIS one.
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Same here, I did not see the other thread and glad to have seen this one :)


That is interesting watching, I am surprised at the Polite Notice stuff, although I have none I was thinking about getting some thinking they were all certified and official but perhaps not now eh
 
MoggyinManolos said:
Same here, I did not see the other thread and glad to have seen this one :)


That is interesting watching, I am surprised at the Polite Notice stuff, although I have none I was thinking about getting some thinking they were all certified and official but perhaps not now eh
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I am quite happy that they are sufficiently visible, even if not up to some standard, but the quality is rubbish, COST HIGH, and customer service poor, owner not interested in feedback, even when it is POLITE.
 
Miss L Toe said:
I have been trying to purchase some Sillito tartan or Battenburgh tape to sew on to my hi vis [Jewsons] waistcoat.
I intend to convert my Polite stuff to a more robust and wearable item, all the stuff I see is designed for vehicles.
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Let us know how you get on and where you get it from! I'm pretty good with the sewing machine and will be adapting my Polite tabard (worn 3 times and zip is knackered!) to last a bit longer....

Some might say send it back, but what's the point in swapping it for another piece of tat? I'm in two minds to adapt it, then send it to a tester myself to see how it fares! :D
 
DragonSlayer said:
Let us know how you get on and where you get it from! I'm pretty good with the sewing machine and will be adapting my Polite tabard (worn 3 times and zip is knackered!) to last a bit longer....

Some might say send it back, but what's the point in swapping it for another piece of tat? I'm in two minds to adapt it, then send it to a tester myself to see how it fares! :D
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I still have quite a lot of tape which martingale is made from, it broke when my boy [only 15.00] had a wee buck . The silver stuff wears off so it is not as smart as it was, anyway I would rather have something stronger, even if it is only yellow reflective.
I like the hatband, again the silver is wearing off.
 
woodlandswow said:
veery interesting.. especially about the POLITE range. having been raved about so much you would have thought they would have thought someone found their loop hole
they are also charging so much and probably getting huge profit margins
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The materials are approved, it's when they add the writing to it that the standards of it slip.

At the end of the day, it seems the money is coming before safety which is a huge shame, and a huge danger misleading people in such a way. Strange how ES haven't produced a statement to explain why they lied about the police thing..
 
Its quite a while ago that there was a complaint about the police endorsement thing (I seem to remember reading it was from a hi viz competitior but not sure if that right or im imagining that bit) and it has been mentioned on here a bit and in H&H news I think. I assume the stuff that has the police reference on it if it still does is old stock?

http://www.ebmonthly.co.uk/155.html?jnb4224f34=2

I saw a comment from Equisafety on facebook yesterday and it looks like they werent given an opportunity to comment on the programme which is a bit unfair.

I dont have any Polite stuff as I dont really like it, but if its popularity is getting some people to wear at least some hi viz rather than none its got to be better than nothing.
 
As I said on the other thread I understood it as the material had been approved but not the way it was made into a garment so it might or might not meet the standards.

I got a jacket (not the polite one as I though being mistaken for a police officer could be a mixed benefit) and it just has a pass wide and slow message that can be rolled up and not used so I guess the effectiveness would change depending on what I choose to do. However drivers to seem to react positively when I have the message and it gets me noticed more than my tabard which I can't remember the make of.

It was less than half price in a sale and seems to have lasted OK for one winter but it's so warm it's really only good for the depths of winter.

I was thinking of the tabard as I wanted something (preferably orange) for summer which had a good mobile phone pocket but if they are likely to fall apart I won't bother.
 
Laafet said:
There is a post now on page 2 of NL about this. Shocking really that Equisafety Polite range is not upto standard despite carrying the safety marks. I was not really fussed about the Police endorsement thing as that it not why I bought the stuff. But know that it does not meet the standards in its current form is really concerning. We all know that lawyers will try anything to get their clients off, so imagine getting hit by a driver who gets off because they claim you're hi vis was not of the recognised standard and hence getting off on a technicality.
Click to expand...

I think they said from viewing it that the Equisafety vest only failed as by putting the other stuff on the vest (the wording and the strips?) it didn't have enough of the yellow hi-viz actually visible, just not enough of it visible to meet the safety standard? Unless I've interpreted what the testing guy was saying incorrectly. Maybe they will adapt it now it's been featured. But I agree, crossed my mind how in RTA's with horses/riders in hi-viz what defence could be put up by drivers and their legal teams...
 
Like a couple of others people, I bought a high-vis waistcoat and a bomber jacket from an industrial workwear company. Very high-vis and very reflective and much, much cheaper because it doesn't have "equine" anywhere!
 
Miss L Toe said:
I still have quite a lot of tape which martingale is made from, it broke when my boy [only 15.00] had a wee buck . The silver stuff wears off so it is not as smart as it was, anyway I would rather have something stronger, even if it is only yellow reflective.
I like the hatband, again the silver is wearing off.
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Do you have a link of where you bought the tape from? :D
 
Yet another non-story from the BBC.
There is no legal requirement to wear Hi Viz (thank goodness for that), just as there is no legal requirement to wear hats. It's all down to personal choice. Advertisments by definition make claims to encourage you to buy that certain product. (Ever wondered at the proportion of the cost of a sack of Blue Chip that goes on the full page adverts for example.) Look at the quality of what you are buying, does it stand out enough for you? Is the price sensible? If the answer to these questions is yes, then buy it, if not, don't. It really isn't rocket science!
 
Screwfix do very good waistcoats for £3.51. Also they do a range of polo shirts, fleeces etc that are up to spec on safety and not over inflated prices for horse owners
 
I have the Polite range too.
Don't even bother trying to wash it!!!
Who would have thought eh that anything around horses may need washing more than once. :(

They won't be getting anymore of my money.
 
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