Ergodyne GloWear 8371BK Class 3 Hi-Vis Long Sleeve Performance Shirt Black Front

The Ergodyne GloWear 8371BK Performance Hi-Vis Safety Shirt provides ANSI/ISEA 107 Type R Class 3 certified high-visibility protection with performance moisture-wicking fabric, long sleeve construction, and a distinctive black-front design — delivering the maximum ANSI 107 Class 3 visibility rating with professional black accent styling in a performance-fabric shirt for road construction, utility, and infrastructure workers who require the highest visibility class certification with a more professional appearance than traditional all-lime hi-vis designs. The 8371BK is Ergodyne's Class 3 performance long-sleeve hi-vis shirt combining two features that differentiate it within the GloWear shirt lineup: the "Performance" designation indicates moisture-wicking, quick-drying fabric construction appropriate for physically active work in warm conditions, and the "BK" designation indicates a black front section that reduces the all-lime visual profile of standard hi-vis shirts while maintaining the Class 3 background material and retroreflective tape requirements in the visible areas of the garment. ANSI/ISEA 107 Type R Class 3 provides the highest pre-defined visibility classification for highway workers: Class 3 requires a minimum of 1,240 square inches of fluorescent background material and 310 square inches of retroreflective tape, making the garment visible to oncoming vehicle drivers at greater distances and in lower-light conditions than Class 2 alternatives. Type R (Roadway/Highway) classification indicates the garment is designed and tested for use in road and highway work zones where vehicle traffic creates the primary conspicuity hazard. The performance fabric provides polyester-blend moisture management that moves sweat away from the skin surface during physically active work — relevant for road construction crews, flagger personnel, and utility workers performing sustained physical labor in summer conditions where body heat and perspiration management affect both worker comfort and garment wearing compliance through the shift.

Ergodyne GloWear 8371BK Class 3 Hi-Vis Performance Shirt — Key Features

• ANSI/ISEA 107 Type R Class 3 certified — maximum pre-defined visibility for highway work zones
• Black front design — professional appearance with compliance-maintaining lime hi-vis panels
• Performance moisture-wicking fabric — sweat management for sustained physical labor in warm conditions
• Long sleeve construction — arm protection and UV coverage for full-body outdoor work
• Retroreflective tape — nighttime and low-light conspicuity for multi-shift work zones

Specifications

Class 3 Hi-Vis with Black Accent: Professional Appearance for Road and Infrastructure Work

ANSI/ISEA 107 hi-vis requirements specify minimum quantities of fluorescent background material and retroreflective tape, but do not require that the entire garment be lime-green or orange. Black-accent designs like the 8371BK use non-fluorescent black material for portions of the garment — typically the front chest, collar area, or sleeves — while maintaining the required lime fluorescent panels on the sides, back, and upper chest where background material measurement is counted toward the Class 3 minimum. The result is a garment that meets all Class 3 conspicuity requirements from the driver's-eye perspective (the hi-vis panels and retroreflective tape are positioned to satisfy the angular coverage requirements for vehicle detection) while presenting a more professional two-tone appearance that has become standard in higher-profile road construction and utility programs. Black-accent hi-vis shirts have been adopted in programs where workers' appearance reflects on the contracting organization's professionalism — municipal road departments, utility companies, and highway construction contractors who want crews to present a neat, organized appearance while maintaining full ANSI 107 compliance. The "BK" variant of the 8371 differentiates from the standard 8370 (all-lime) by adding the black front for programs with appearance requirements or worker preference for the two-tone aesthetic. Performance fabric serves the physical demands of Class 3 workers: flaggers standing for extended periods in direct sunlight, road crew members operating compactors and laying asphalt, and utility infrastructure workers performing overhead line work all generate body heat and perspiration that moisture-wicking fabric moves away from the skin, maintaining dryness and reducing the cooling-through-evaporation interference that saturated cotton creates. Long sleeve construction provides arm UV protection and maintains the Class 3 background material coverage that the sleeve panels contribute to the garment's certification compliance.

Compliance and Certifications

• ANSI/ISEA 107 — Type R Class 3 certified
• MUTCD compliance — meets Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices hi-vis requirements for highway workers

Real-World Benefits

Black front design provides professional two-tone appearance that satisfies appearance requirements in road construction and utility programs while maintaining full ANSI 107 Class 3 compliance — addressing the organization image requirements of higher-profile public-facing infrastructure programs without compromising the visibility performance that Class 3 certification documents. Municipal road departments and utility contractors who have adopted black-accent hi-vis shirts report positive feedback from both workers (who prefer the professional appearance) and management (who see consistent, organized crew appearance in public-facing project environments).

Performance moisture-wicking fabric maintains worker dryness during sustained physical labor in summer road construction and utility work — reducing the discomfort of sweat-saturated hi-vis garments that cotton or lower-performance fabrics produce during active work in warm outdoor conditions. Road construction crews working asphalt paving and compaction operations in summer heat find performance fabric shirts significantly more comfortable than standard fabric equivalents during the prolonged physical exertion that paving operations require, improving wearing compliance through hot afternoon shift segments.

Applications and Use Cases

• Highway road construction — Class 3 performance hi-vis for asphalt, paving, and flagging crews — 8371BK for road construction workers in Class 3 required highway work zones where performance fabric supports physical labor in summer heat and black front accent provides professional crew appearance
• Municipal and utility programs — professional Class 3 hi-vis for public-facing infrastructure work — black front Class 3 for municipal road crews, utility workers, and infrastructure maintenance teams in public-facing environments where crew appearance standards complement ANSI 107 compliance requirements
• Multi-shift highway operations — Class 3 retroreflective for day and night work zone coverage — 8371BK for highway projects operating across day and evening shifts where Class 3 certification and retroreflective tape provide vehicle-driver conspicuity across all lighting conditions

Related Products

For GloWear 8370 Class 3 performance long sleeve without black front, see Ergodyne GloWear 8370 Class 3 Hi-Vis Performance Shirt. For GloWear 8369BK Class 3 standard fabric long sleeve with black front, see Ergodyne GloWear 8369BK Class 3 Hi-Vis Shirt Black Front. For GloWear 8294BK Class 2 performance shirt with black bottom, see Ergodyne GloWear 8294BK Class 2 Performance Shirt. Browse the complete Hi-Vis Safety Apparel collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the black front panel on the 8371BK compromise ANSI 107 Class 3 compliance?

No — the 8371BK's design maintains full ANSI/ISEA 107 Type R Class 3 compliance by positioning the lime fluorescent background material and retroreflective tape in the locations and quantities required by the standard. The black front material is positioned in areas where the standard allows non-fluorescent material, while the total lime background material and retroreflective tape across the garment meets Class 3 minimums. ANSI 107 does not require that the entire garment be fluorescent — it requires specific minimum areas and angular coverage. The 8371BK achieves this in a two-tone design that satisfies the standard's measurement requirements.

When is Class 3 required versus Class 2 hi-vis apparel?

ANSI/ISEA 107 and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provide guidance on classification selection based on work zone conditions. Class 3 is required for work environments where workers are exposed to traffic traveling over 50 mph, in complex traffic control zones where conspicuity is especially critical, during night work, and in weather conditions reducing visibility. Class 2 is appropriate for lower-speed environments (under 50 mph) with controlled work zones. For FHWA-regulated highway projects, the MUTCD specifies Class 3 for workers in the road right-of-way. Consult the applicable traffic control plan and your project's safety specifications to confirm the required class for your specific work zone conditions.

What is the care and maintenance for performance hi-vis fabric?

Performance hi-vis garments should be laundered according to the care label instructions — typically machine wash cold or warm with like colors, avoiding bleach, and tumble drying on low or line drying to preserve both the performance fabric and the fluorescent dye. Fluorescent background material fades with UV exposure and laundering cycles over time — ANSI 107 specifies a minimum luminance factor for compliant background material, and garments that have been washed frequently or exposed to significant UV may need replacement when visual inspection suggests significant fluorescence loss. Retroreflective tape should be inspected periodically for delamination, soiling, and reflectivity loss that would indicate replacement.