Vancouver Island tradesman James Flawith says every night when he gets home from work, his three boys tackle him to the ground, strip off his safety gear and parade around the house in it.
Flawith says, as a trade worker, he is required by law to wear bright, contrasting, high-visibility clothing to protect himself from the hazards of the job site.
“I wanted to get my boys same high-visibility safety shirts of their own, but after looking in retail stores and searching online, I couldn’t find anything that replicated what I would wear on the job site,” he told Global News.
Flawith says the gear he managed to find was either of subpar quality or part of a Halloween costume.
“It just did not cut it,” he said.
So he decided to make safety gear designed specifically for children on his own.
After coming up with basic prototypes, he says his boys loved it and would not stop wearing their safety gear around the house. His wife was a fan too because it made it easier for her to see the boys running around when they were out walking the dog or playing at the park.
“The hazards of the road don’t care if you are playing or working,” said Flawith. “It does not matter if you are a kid or an adult trade worker, if you are not wearing bright, high-visibility clothing, you are at a greater risk of an accident.”
PHOTO GALLERY: James Flawith’s children wearing the safety clothing he designed
Flawith started a Facebook page to get feedback from other parents on what they thought about safety gear for children.
He says he got a lot of support for the idea, with many parents suggesting possible uses for the gear, such as skiing or skateboarding, field trips and even just walking to and from school.
Some parents were even wondering where they can purchase the gear.
So Flawith took it a step further, designing four basic gear items, including a rain jacket, work shirt, warm fleece and viz vest, while also obtaining a manufacturing contract.
About a year after he first got the idea, Flawith says they now have more than 4,000 children safety garments on their way to Vancouver. He is expecting the line to launch in November.
Flawith says the whole idea is completely foreign to him and he had to learn a lot of things on the fly.
“I am not a businessman, I am not an entrepreneur, I am a father,” says Flawith. “I wanted to protect my children from careless drivers, from speeding vehicles and from getting lost. I developed these products to protect my children and felt obliged to try to help other parents protect their children as well.”
He is now using hashtag #vizyourkids to raise awareness about his project.
WATCH: James Flawith talks to BC1 about his clothing line to protect kids
Sam Corea with ICBC says wearing reflective clothing or gear is one of the safety tips in their fall pedestrian safety public awareness campaign this year.
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“We know that all pedestrians, including children, can help stay safe by wearing bright and reflecting clothing, especially at this time of the year as weather changes and daylight hours decrease,” said Corea in an email statement.
Niela Melanio with BCAA echoes that sentiment, saying reflective clothing that’s been fully tested and proven to keep kids visible to drivers on dark streets is one way to help keep them safe.
Melanio says they encourage parents and guardians to teach and remind their kids about road safety, especially with Halloween coming up.
But Flawith says he just wants to help keep children safe.
For more information on the “Lil Worker Safety Gear” project, go here.
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