Different Fluorescent Colours

Lots of colours can be used for fluorescent clothing and bags, not just yellow but red, pink, green and orange too. (These colours are listed on the EN1150 quality standard.)

In industry, yellow and orange fluorescent clothing is often worn under health and safety laws (for quality standard EN471). You’ve probably seen police officers, postal workers, lorry drivers, builders and refuse collectors wearing these jackets.

Lifeboat crews have orange lifejackets; this colour shows up best against blue and grey water (yellow might not be as conspicuous against foamy waters). What colour were your armbands when you learnt to swim?

Horse-riders often wear pink as it is a colour not found often found in nature and so shows up well against autumn leaves. The Safe Lanes scheme in Mayfield, Sussex has even encouraged motorbike riders to wear fluorescent pink so they can be seen!

Yellow waistcoats for children can attract flies but colours with some red in don’t have the same effect, making orange, pink and red a good choice for young children on outings.

However...

The colour blue is not used for fluorescent clothing; because of its wavelength it is not good at emitting light and the human eye is not so good at seeing blue generally. So if you’ve got a blue school uniform it’s a good idea to also wear or carry something fluorescent to make yourself seen.