High-visibility
High-visibility fabric paint was invented by an American named Bob Switzer, who in the 1930s was injured in an workplace accident. During his recovery, he invented a neon-coloured paint by mixing fluorescent minerals with wood varnish. He tested out his new paint, which he called Day-Glo, on his wife’s wedding dress, and it took off from there. It wasn’t long before he and his brother were manufacturing it on a huge scale, making inroads into the toy sector and beyond.
Even the military took notice. In World War II, fluorescent panels were used to send signals from the ground up to planes; crews on aircraft carriers wore fluorescent fabric to demarcate where planes should land; and buoys were painted with it to denote which areas had been cleared of mines.
Over the next few decades, it became a central part of work wear in the U.S. and abroad, with laws mandating its use. For example, in the U.K., high-visibility clothing was first adopted by rail workers in the 1960s. Then, the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, and the Personal Protective Equipment Act of 1992 guaranteed it would become a permanent feature of work uniforms for maintenance workers in the U.K.
So now you know.
Tiverton, Devon, UK.
High-visibility
High-visibility fabric paint was invented by an American named Bob Switzer, who in the 1930s was injured in an workplace accident. During his recovery, he invented a neon-coloured paint by mixing fluorescent minerals with wood varnish. He tested out his new paint, which he called Day-Glo, on his wife’s wedding dress, and it took off from there. It wasn’t long before he and his brother were manufacturing it on a huge scale, making inroads into the toy sector and beyond.
Even the military took notice. In World War II, fluorescent panels were used to send signals from the ground up to planes; crews on aircraft carriers wore fluorescent fabric to demarcate where planes should land; and buoys were painted with it to denote which areas had been cleared of mines.
Over the next few decades, it became a central part of work wear in the U.S. and abroad, with laws mandating its use. For example, in the U.K., high-visibility clothing was first adopted by rail workers in the 1960s. Then, the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, and the Personal Protective Equipment Act of 1992 guaranteed it would become a permanent feature of work uniforms for maintenance workers in the U.K.
So now you know.
Tiverton, Devon, UK.