The short answer: most of the time. 

In 2023, tree planting employers in BC began receiving orders during WorkSafeBC inspections to requiring workers to wear high-visibility clothing (high-vis) on the worksite. Instead of this being a result of a change in regulation, the new orders were tied to a shifting emphasis in enforcement of  Section 26.7 (1)b of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, which requires high-vis to be worn by forestry workers who must have their location routinely checked.

Why it matters

The rationale for this requirement is to not only ensure that workers can be located in an emergency, but also to verity their location in relation to various hazards.

There are also other situations in which high-vis must be worn, such as working in proximity to mobile equipment (including helicopters) and when workers are exposed to traffic such as the placement of gear caches on roadsides.

There have been several instances of workers passing out or becoming incapacitated on the worksite, in which they were located quickly only because of the bright colours there were wearing. Amidst a sea of logging debris and overturned land, a lone person can be difficult to locate, especially if they are wearing colours such as green, black, or grey.

The ability to spot workers becomes even more difficult as the summer progresses and vegetation rises, and some worksites (such as fill plants or partial burns) have significant barriers to finding workers.

High-vis has been a standard requirement for many years on coastal planting worksites, where access to the worksite is limited, and workers scramble across steep land that is littered with logging debris.

Crew bosses have commented that high-vis makes it much easier for them to find the planters on their crew, and keep track of when they are finished their land and in need of a pickup. Being clearly visible to other parties can also benefit workers by making them visible to hunters who may be passing through the worksite during hunting season.

FAQs: Dressing for safety as a tree planter

What are the standards for high-visibility clothing?:

The specific design requirements of high-vis are set out in CSA standards for class 1, 2, and 3 clothing, and in Part 8 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.

Can I just use reflective tape?

Some workers have asked if they can wear reflective stripes on their planting bag stripes with bright colours underneath, or brightly colored planting bags with reflective stripes.

The answer to this depends on the interpretation of a WorkSafeBC officer inspecting the workplace, who may ask if the workers can still be readily seen if they remove their bags, and if they are exposed to traffic or mobile equipment moving over 30km/h, in which case Class 2 or 3 high-visibility clothing must be worn.

Workers who are not exposed to traffic, and only required to wear hi-vis in order to verify their location, must wear "distinguishing apparel". Part 8.24 of the regulation defines this as clothing of a colour which contrasts with the environment, and must have at least 775 sq cm (120 sq in) of fluorescent trim for daytime use and retroreflective trim for nighttime use, on both the front and back

There has been some variation in WorkSafeBC officer interpretations and enforcement actions in the past, but there has been an increased focus on high-vis and it remained among the five most common types of orders for tree planting companies in 2024.

Do I need high-vis if there are other safety precautions on site?

Workers have also asked if high-vis is still required when the employer has other systems by which they can locate workers, such as the provision of radios, cell-phone contact, or working in teams. However, the need for high-vis is linked to the necessity of checking worker locations, and cannot be avoided even if other methods of locating workers are used, and workers still need to wear hi-vis when working around mobile equipment, including when the load trucks or operating ATVs.

Do I need to provide my own high-vis gear?

It is the duty of the employer to provide high-visibility clothing. However, tree planting workers may go through many different layers throughout the workday and often have specific preferences about the exact clothing they prefer. It is therefore advised that workers find their own hi-vis clothing if they have specific preferences and be aware that the employer may only provide basic items with proper fit, such as a vest and a shirt or two.  

Can exceptions be made?

The only way to be excluded from the hi-visibility clothing requirements is for your employer to secure a variance from WorkSafeBC. To do this, they would have to show what other steps they are taking to protect workers, and demonstrate that they will increase worker safety by taking this alternate approach. A variance can only be granted by an Office of the Board, and generally takes several months to process.