HIGH-VIS VEST - only a passenger for heavens sake!

[Flamingo]

I was passing through Reading this evening, and they have issued a natty PINK hi-vis to some of the customer service staff!

 

[nferguso]

"when on about the railway" meaning not on the platform, either in the course of duty, or if you have a lineside pass. Not when you're on a train as a passenger, or when you're standing on a platform as a passenger, surely.

Agreed. At Wirksworth - and I doubt if we are at all different from any other operation, big railway or small - the "when on or about the railway" rule applies, with the qualification concerning being within three metres of a running line.

We discourage team members from wearing hi-viz when on trains or in public areas but acknowledge that there is a limit to the practicality of this rule.

As for members of the public, I for one would ask anybody wearing a hi-viz vest to remove it. Hi-viz is one method of identifying "one of ours" and certain visitors use hi-viz to assume an air of legitimacy and then attempt to go to areas where they shouldn't.

Noting comments concerning platform staff on the Big Railway, EMT wear blue 'hi-viz' and we at the Ecclesbourne Valley wear a rather natty maroon version. Again, it helps members of the public identify somebody who can assist them without creating a sea of unnecessary orange.

Neil

 

[Tiny Tim]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14720101

BBC News: 'How High-visibility took over Britain'

 

[43021HST]

I find High vis jackets, particularly when working with steamie's quickly turn the same colour as your boiler suit. A nice ash grey

 

[156450]

When i volunteered on a preserved railway in scotland , i was a driver's mate for a while (or 2nd man as i preferred). While in the cab i left my hvv on as occasionally i'd need to get out to operate a groundframe or level crossing gate. Inclusions of that were while i was shunting the loco round the coaches. Outwith that , ie on the platform/going to the shop etc , it was stuffed in a pocket until needed. Never understood why someone wanted to wear one whilst not being a member of a preserved railway!

 

[The Decapod]

Noting comments concerning platform staff on the Big Railway, EMT wear blue 'hi-viz' and we at the Ecclesbourne Valley wear a rather natty maroon version.

Maroon high-viz? That's a new one on me !!

 

[Phil6219]

Well where do I start?

At the place I currently work (a large warehouse) hi visibility clothing must be worn when in the warehouse (as we have offices and a trade counter too), we have two colours - Yellow for all staff and orange for visitors. Sadly not everyone follows the rules and people use the warehouse as a short cut to the official smoking area and since that is "too far away" they stand in the warehouse doorway and smoke there instead & to make matters worse some don't bother with the hi-viz... A girl specially ordered a pink one but has only worn it once before being told "no".

As for the feeling of importance of wearing one, there is a guy whom we call Bob (for Brain of Britain) and aside from him being both the most annoying and dangerously incompetent person he likes to feel important. We had one hi viz jacket (for nipping outside in the rain as some stuff is stored out there) and bob would walk in at the start of his shift, say he is cold and wear the jacket. He would then remain in it all day and bugger off home in it, arrive to work in it and wear it all day before going home again and the process repeats itself. We all joke saying he probably goes to sleep in it. World War Three began to kick off a few months ago as I needed to unload an artic, outside and in the rain with no overcoat. Since then we have all been issued with our own jacket and bob still continues to be permanently attached to his jacket.

As to why idiots sometimes don a hi-viz on a platform (on the big railway) perhaps it's in the dumbass belief that they will get a whistle/tone off every train to make "their video the best". As much as I appreciate a friendly driver I tend to not expect it and consequently crap myself and shake the camera This could also explain why they like to stand just a few inches away from the platform edge too. It's irritating behaviour and makes us all look bad.

Phil

 

[PFX]

I must have missed the point at which high vis clothing became an indication of authority rather than an aid to safety.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

I must have missed the point at which high vis clothing became an indication of authority rather than an aid to safety.

About the time the police started wearing them routinely.

 

[umontu]

I must have missed the point at which high vis clothing became an indication of authority rather than an aid to safety.

Oh... that happened somewhere near the start of the 2000's.

I volunteer on a closed section of track, on this I ,and the people I work with, wear their high vis clothing (Though it is not mandated). My personal reason for doing so is that we can easily spot each other from either end and we are visible to members of the public passing by.

High visibility jackets have become an authoritative symbol for a number of reasons. One is that normally the jacket is worn to draw attention to a worker or employee, who is there to assist and direct members of the public.

Take for example a person directing cars around a car park.
Other similar examples could be a road worker holding a stop and go sign.
Or a fireman telling people when its safe to enter a building.
Or a policeman telling a car to stop in the road.
Or the network rail staff in their stations wearing high vis telling travellers which platform to go to.
The list could go on.

See for example here. The employee is expected, as a member of staff, to have an authoritative understanding of the south Yorkshire travel; they can therefore tell people where to go.

I like to think of it as a modern day clipboard authority correlation.

 

[PFX]

I also work on a heritage line but my high vis is purely for my own saftey being a track worker (for those moments when I forget about my personal responsibility and rely on a driver seeing me to prevent my untimely death ). The platform guys wear blazers and hats which readily identifies them to the public.

I maintain that high vis is predominantly for increased visibility, and don't automatically assume a level of authority when I see it being worn. The obvious exception is where the wearer has a clearly liveried vest/jacket which specifically identifies them, as in the example photograph in the previous post.

The only real answer to the debate is common sense.

 

[umontu]

I also work on a heritage line but my high vis is purely for my own saftey being a track worker (for those moments when I forget about my personal responsibility and rely on a driver seeing me to prevent my untimely death ). The platform guys wear blazers and hats which readily identifies them to the public.

I maintain that high vis is predominantly for increased visibility, and don't automatically assume a level of authority when I see it being worn. The obvious exception is where the wearer has a clearly liveried vest/jacket which specifically identifies them, as in the example photograph in the previous post.

The only real answer to the debate is common sense.

I certainly agree. I don't personally see the jacket as some form of authority. I ignore the high visibility jacket and look for a logo or other form of identification to explain whether someone has authority over a chosen matter.
But not all people do this. See the scene in Phoenix nights where the men in boiler suits come in to take a tv away as an example.

It's all to easy to be waved past a set of road works by anyone in a yellow high visibility jacket and not stop to ask why.

I am trying to find some research on high visibility jackets and their psychological effects. Unfortunately I keep finding articles on how much more visible they make you.

 

[GB]

The usual link between authority and HV clothing is how spotless ones HV actually is and how shiny their shoes are

 

[Hydro]

The usual link between authority and HV clothing is how spotless ones HV actually is and how shiny their shoes are

A good mental checklist on our side is to mentally run through the following:

Is this person a stranger? Yes/No

Is their HV clean? Yes/No

Are their boots clean? Yes/No

Is a tie or shirt visible at the neck? Yes/No

Are they wearing a blue hat? Yes/No

Yes to all these questions: Senior management, behave yourselves. Hide the troublemakers and batten down the hatches.

Yes to some of these questions: Middle management, crack a non-offensive joke to break the ice and cautiously proceed.

No to all of these questions: Colleague. Insult their parentage, shake hands and laugh, before cracking on.

 

[PFX]

The usual link between authority and HV clothing is how spotless ones HV actually is and how shiny their shoes are

Haha! That must put me pretty close to the bottom of the food chain then...

 

[Phil6219]

Nice one Hydro

Very True GB, it's the easiest way to spot the bods from HQ at our place, although the management following them round with their tongue up their proverbial tends to be a bigger givaway

See the scene in Phoenix nights where the men in boiler suits come in to take a tv away as an example.

This reminds me of something which happened a few years ago, opposite the offices where I worked at the time there was a pub, it was closed down and each day getting in a worse and worse state. One day a few guys in Hi-Vis's turn up with a knacked old flatbed tranny van, take all of the slates off the roof and drive off. Despite this being a busy main road nobody stopped to check if they were supposed to be doing that, turns out they were nicking them.

Phil

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I am trying to find some research on high visibility jackets and their psychological effects. Unfortunately I keep finding articles on how much more visible they make you.

The Milgram experiment and the Stanford experiment are relevant here. Someone was willing to do something quite nasty purely because an authority figure told them to do it. Nowadays, authority figures always wear HV clothing (railways, police, fire, ambo, coastguard etc etc) it is natural that people have made the link between a HV and authority.

It's something the BBC program 'The Real Hustle' use extensively to 'scam' people.

 

[142094]

I've seen some fitters with very oily hi-viz jackets before, which no doubt renders them useless trackside.

 

[PUFFINGBILLY]

If they're not railway employees or volunteers, though, and they're just passengers, or taking photos on the platform, that's whent it veers into pretentiousness or even could be construed as impersonating a member of staff.

This is what motivated me to start this post in the first place. The wisdom of the vest is not in question it's just that I'm highly amused rather than irritated by those who don't need to yet wear a bright yellow garment that is associated with important serious if not dangerous work. Unknown to them it's a window on their insecurities and no doubt provides some sort of compensation for perceived failures in their lives. I just write them off as a bit sad and if I can, avoid all conversation with them.

There is a parallel within the classic car and motor racing circuit world with specators turning up in mechanics racing overalls. I do not include special historical events where you are expected to wear clothes that reflect the era portrayed.
Perhaps there is an underlying hidden need to dress up and be the thespain within us all, it's just that few dare admit it. Why there was a time when male BBC radio announcers were expected to wear bow ties!!!

 

[DJ_K666]

Hard to police as there seems to be a whole load of people these days that wear hi-viz jackets - from cyclists to builders to whatever else. There was an article recently on BBC News about the proliferation of Hi-viz jackets, good read if you can find it.

Would this be the one?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14720101