EN ISO 20471
High-visibility clothing for at-risk workers
Test methods and requirements for clothing that signals the wearer’s presence visually, in daylight and in the beam of headlights at night. Certified garments fall under PPE risk category II. The class printed next to the pictogram depends on the minimum surface area of fluorescent background material and retroreflective material the garment carries.
The contents of this standard
EN ISO 20471 replaced EN 471 and simplified it to a single value (X), the class printed next to the pictogram. The old EN 471 second value (Y) is gone, since reflective performance is now only credited above the entry class. The standard also requires the garment label to state the maximum number of washing cycles over which both the reflective bands and the fluorescent colour keep their performance — EN 471 only assessed the reflective element.
Different tests, codes
Three classes, driven by the area of fluorescent and retroreflective material.
Reflective bands must be at least 50 mm wide, with gaps for seams or fastenings no larger than 50 mm each (and no more than 100 mm total around the torso, 50 mm around a sleeve or leg). Two bands must sit at least 50 mm apart, at a maximum 20° angle to each other, and at least 50 mm above a garment’s bottom hem. To count toward the class area, bands must encircle the torso, legs and arms twice — or once horizontally with vertical bands over the shoulders. Fluorescent material must encircle the torso, sleeves and legs by at least 5 cm, and front-to-back reflective area must split roughly 50/50 (±10%). XM SilverLine fabrics are tested and documented against the full Class 1–3 range so the right combination can be certified for your garment.