Health and Safety Bulletin 2

To keep our volunteers safe and comply with safety law, Rotary GB&I expects members/clubs/districts to provide and maintain high-visibility clothing for all street collections and moving events (such as the Santa Sleigh). A new policy has been approved by the Rotary GB&I Board to address concerns, explicitly covering the following points: 

1. Regulations require that PPE used near traffic is “suitable and sufficient” to reduce risk. This means garments must remain bright, clean, undamaged, and — crucially — visible in all light conditions and from all directions.
2. Plain fluorescent tabards without reflective strips do not meet these standards: they become ineffective in low light and offer little visibility from the side, which is especially dangerous when volunteers are side-on to traffic. 
3. EN ISO 20471-compliant garments, with both fluorescent and retroreflective materials and 360° visibility, are required.
4. Older garments may continue to be used if they still meet visibility and performance requirements, but all must be regularly inspected and replaced when no longer effective. 

What does this mean?

All clubs must now check their high visibility vests/clothing to ensure that the items meet the criteria above. If the vests are not fit for the purpose, please securely destroy the vests. A way of doing this is cutting them into shreds.  

Why is destruction necessary?

There are two reasons for this:

1. To prevent accidental use of a vest which does not meet the necessary safety criteria.
2. To prevent people taking the vests and committing crime by pretending to collect on behalf of Rotary but are really scamming people out of money.  

Please ensure all members are aware and comply with these requirements.

Dunstable club in 1260 has set up a facility to order new garments. Link