INDUSTRY FEATURE: High-Vis Vest History

Essential PPE On Any Jobsite!

After being struck by a vehicle while unloading boxes in Berkeley, CA in the 1930’s, inventor & entrepreneur Bob Switzer partnered with his brother Joe to create early high-visibility clothing for jobsite safety.

After developing a successful formula for fluorescent “Day-Glo” paint, the brothers applied it to Bob’s Wife’s wedding dress as a prototype, thus creating the first piece of high-vis clothing. From there, the brothers slowly continued their success, until they partnered with the U.S. military to create reflective panels on uniforms during WWII. After the war, High-visibility PPE quickly became an essential part of many industry’s uniforms, including traffic control as we know it today.