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Warning garments for flagmen at construction sites

Summary A warning-vest maker asked whether its garment met OSHA requirements for construction flaggers and workers exposed to traffic. OSHA said the vest appeared to meet the intent of the cited warning-garment rules, while emphasizing that OSHA does not approve or endorse products. OSHA now archives this letter and warns that it may no longer reflect agency policy.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1991-02-04
Date issued
February 4, 1991
Status
Archived by the agency
OSHA archives this letter and says it may no longer represent OSHA policy.
Status last verified October 9, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1926 High Visibility Clothing Construction
Source
View the official document

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The current status of this document is unclear
OSHA archives this letter and says it may no longer represent OSHA policy. It may no longer reflect the agency's current position. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance, and verify current law before relying on anything here.
About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

FEB 4 1991
Mr. Rick Alexander
Vest-Brite
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Alexander:
This is in response to your letter of January 3, requesting to know if your garment would meet the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
We wish to bring to your attention the following provisions of the construction regulations at 29 CFR 1926.201(a)(4) and 1926.650(f), respectively. "Flagmen shall be provided with and shall wear a red or orange warning garment while flagging. Warning garments worn at night shall be of reflectorized material." "Employees exposed to vehicular traffic shall be provided with and shall be instructed to wear warning vests marked with or made of reflectorized or high visibility material." A copy of the portions of the standards, noted above, are enclosed.
It appears that your vest would comply with the intent of the above OSHA standards. However, OSHA does not approve or recommend products. Therefore, this letter does not endorse or approve your product.
Thank you for your interest in Occupational Safety and Health.
Sincerely,
Patricia K. Clark, Director
Directorate of Compliance Programs

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