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 In 1999, FHWA established the Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program External Link: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/
index.asp.
The Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule External Link: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/final_rule.htm was published on September 9, 2004 in the Federal Register. All state and local governments that receive federal-aid funding were required to comply with the provisions of the rule no later than October 12, 2007. The changes to the regulation will encourage broader consideration of the safety and mobility impacts of work zones across project development, and the implementation of strategies that help manage these impacts during project delivery. The Federal Highway Administration put together a fact sheet titled "Transportation Management Plans (TMP) for Work Zones" 105
KB (2 pages) External link: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/tmp_factsheet.pdf. This fact sheet pulls together TMP background information, development guidance and other tips to implement these TMPs in work zones.
 Building
Safer Highway Work Zones: Measures to Prevent Worker Injuries from
Vehicles and Equipment
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-128 (April 2001)
This document presents prevention measures to protect workers from hazards
posed by construction vehicles and equipment as well as by traffic
vehicles. These prevention measures are directed to varied stakeholders
with interest in work zone safety--road builders and maintainers,
contracting agencies, policy makers, and manufacturers--and address
issues ranging from the contract award process to use of high-visibility
apparel at work sites.
NIOSH, Diverse Partners Sign Roadway Work Zone Safety Agreement
NIOSH and partners have formed a new alliance to improve the safety of workers and motorists in roadway construction zones. The alliance will develop hazard awareness training and education programs aimed at Spanish-speaking and other vulnerable highway construction workers about safe practices in roadway work zones.
External Link: http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/roadway/roadway.html
Work Zone Safety Grants
External Links: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_grants.htm and
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/factsheet1409.htm
Section 1409 of SAFETEA-LU established a Work Zone Safety Grant program to provide highway work zone safety training and guideline development to prevent and reduce work zone injuries and fatalities. Nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations were eligible to apply for grants from the program. Through a competitive process, Work Zone Safety Grants were awarded to four organizations: Laborer's Health & Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA)/American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), Wayne State University, and Illinois Institute of Technology.
Recommendations for Evaluating & Implementing Proximity Warning Systems on Surface Mining Equipment
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2007-146 (June 2007)
Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Spokane Research Laboratory, studied technology and methods that could reduce accidents involving surface mining equipment that collides with other vehicles or workers, or drives over an unseen road edge.
Laborer dies when backed over by a TAC truck in residential roadway construction work zone
FACE Report 2007-02
Laborer Dies After Being Run Over by a Backing Dump Truck During a Nighttime Paving Project
FACE Report 2006-03
A Municipal Worker Struck by a Motor Vehicle While Patching a Pothole
State FACE Report 06MA027, Massachusetts
Three Construction Workers Killed after being Struck by a Bus in a Highway Work Zone
State FACE Report 05NY039, New York
Construction
Laborer Crushed by Asphalt Truck while Paving Interstate Highway
State FACE Report 95MA039, Massachusetts
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Fatal highway incidents remained the most frequent type of fatal workplace event, accounting for one in every four fatalities nationally in 2006. Fatal highway incidents fell by 8 percent in 2006, accounting for 1,329 worker deaths, the lowest since 1993. Nonhighway incidents (such as those that might occur on a farm or industrial premises) stayed about the same. The number of workers who were killed after being struck by vehicles or mobile equipment fell from 391 in 2005 to 372 in 2006.
Source: National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2006
124
KB (17 pages)
External Link: http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf
During the 1995 to 2002 period, 844 workers were killed while working
at a road construction site. During this same period there were 9325 deaths
in the construction industry. The 844 worker deaths in road construction
represent 9% of all deaths in construction. More than half of these fatalities
were attributable to a worker being struck by a vehicle or mobile equipment.
Workplace fatalities that occur at a road construction site typically
account for 1.5 percent to 2.0 percent of all workplace fatalities annually.
Source: Fatal occupational
injuries at road
construction sites
43
KB (5 pages)
External Link: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2004/12/ressum2.pdf
General Information – Crash Statistics and Prevention Strategies
In-house
Fatality Investigations Reports on Worker Deaths in Highway Work Zone
State-based
Fatality Investigations Reports on Worker Deaths in Highway Work Zone
These links provide lists of reports of fatality investigations of incidents
where workers in highway work zones were killed. These investigations
were conducted under the NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation
(FACE) program. Although most of the examples involve highway construction,
a few cases that occurred in maintenance and utility work zones are also
included.
NIOSH Hazard
Review: Work-related Roadway Crashes: Challenges and Opportunities for
Prevention
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-119 (September 2003)
A comprehensive review of safety issues for workers who operate motor
vehicles on the job. Identifies groups of workers at greatest risk for
traffic crashes, summarizes key issues that contribute to work-related
roadway crashes, and recommends preventive measures for employers and
other stakeholders.
Alerts
Publications
Roadway Safety
Equipment Blind Areas
Asphalt
Other Related Publications
Research in Progress at NIOSH
Ergonomic Evaluation and Improvement of Mobile Equipment
This project will evaluate exposure to whole-body vibration, awkward posture,
postural stability, and improper egress from equipment among operators
of mobile equipment, with a goal to reduce musculoskeletal injuries by
evaluating and improving the design of mobile equipment used in the mining,
construction and agriculture industries.
Project contact: Kumar N. Kittusamy, Sc.D.
Spokane Research Laboratory
(509) 354-8070; KKittusamy@cdc.gov
Project period: 2003-2007
Evaluating Roadway Construction Work Zone Interventions
This study is identifying and testing safety measures that will protect
workers on foot on highway work zone construction sites. The safety measures
being tested are proximity warning devices and internal traffic control
plans. Results will compare sites that don’t have the measures to
the sites with the measures in place.
Project contact: David Fosbroke
Division of Safety Research
(304) 285-6010, DFosbroke@cdc.gov
Project period: 2001-2006
Evaluation of Safety Training for Spanish Speaking Roadway Workers
The objective of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of bilingual
training materials for Spanish speaking and English speaking workers.
Special focus will be on trainings given by non-Spanish speaking supervisors
to Spanish speaking workers.
Project contact: Carol Mary Stephenson
Education and Information Division,
(513) 533-8581, CStephenson@cdc.gov
Project period: 2004-2005
Mobile
Mining Equipment Warning Systems
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-110 (December 2001)
A monitoring systems is being developed that will monitor the critical
operating parameters of lift trucks. By monitoring a lift truck’s
operation, it may be possible to determine why the accidents continue
to occur (page 28).
Project contact: John Owens
Spokane Research Laboratory
(509) 354-8000, JOwens@cdc.gov
Project period: 2002-2007
Safety
Enhancement for Off-Road Haulage Trucks
This report reviews results from testing proximity warning devices
on mining equipment. The researcher selected several proximity warning
devices and tested them on off-highway dump trucks. The researcher selected
the units that performed the best during these trials for further analysis.
The devices were evaluated on several factors including frequency of false
alarm, detection zone, ability to detect an object or person, and feedback
from drivers.
Project contact: Todd Ruff
Spokane Research Laboratory
(509) 354-8053, TRuff@cdc.gov
Project period: 2004-2007
Other Research Funded by NIOSH
Effectiveness of Active Speed Controls in Highway Work zones
NIOSH Office of Extramural Programs Annual Program Report - Fiscal Year
2004
2,437
KB (56 pages)
The objective of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of three
interventions on the reduction of travel speeds in highway work zones:
(i) Rumble Strips, (ii) Variable Message Signs (VMSs), and (iii) Police
Presence with Rumble Strips. (see research information on page 16)
Project Contact: Satish Mohan
Research Foundation of the State University of New York
smohan@eng.buffalo.edu
Safety of Nighttime Construction Activities
This research will evaluate safety issues in nighttime construction as
a necessary prerequisite to the development of strategies to improve safety,
quality and productivity of nighttime construction operations on highways
and in other sectors of construction.
Project Contact: Dulcy M. Abraham
Purdue University West LaFayette, West LaFayette, IN 47907-2108
dulcy@ecn.purdue.edu
Project Period: 2005-2010
Press Releases
2008 National Work Zone Awareness Week – “Slow for the Cone ZONE”
NIOSH eNews, April 2008
The National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), April 7-11, 2008
External Link: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm
Division
of Safety Research (DSR), Researchers begin identifying highway work sites
to evaluate new prevention measures, June 2004
NIOSH, OSHA,
Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Coalition Ally to Improve Roadway
Work Zone Safety, November 26, 2003
Ways to Prevent
Job-related Roadway Deaths, Critical Research Areas Identified by NIOSH
,
November 6, 2003
Press Release:
CDC Report Suggests Ways to Prevent Injuries, Fatalities to Workers in
Highway Work Zones, May 15,2001
NIOSH Report
Highlights Motor Vehicle Crash Risk for Workers, Recommends Practical
Preventive Measures, July 27, 1998
Related U.S. Government Web Sites
Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities
External Link: http://stats.bls.gov/iif/home.htm
Data on fatal and nonfatal injuries at work from the Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries, the annual Survey of Occupational Injury and Illness, and other
Department of Labor programs:
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
External Link: http://www.bts.gov
Comprehensive U.S. transportation statistics for all modes of transportation.
Federal Highway Administration
External Link: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov
Information on the U.S. highway infrastructure, safety initiatives, regulations,
environmental stewardship, and congestion mitigation.
- Safety
External Link: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/
- Work Zone Safety
External Link: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/index.htm
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
External Link: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov
Information on regulatory and voluntary programs for reducing injuries,
fatalities, and crashes associated with large trucks and buses.
- Safety
External Link: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/safety-initiatives/other/saftprogs.htm
- Regulations
External Link: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/49cfrv4_02.html#301/
 Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices
External Link: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/
Federal regulations for operation and set-up of temporary traffic control
zones, including highway work zones and emergency situations.
National Highway Institute
External Link: http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/home.aspx
The National Highway Institute (NHI) is a training arm of the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA). NHI provides leadership and resources for
the development and delivery of training and education programs to improve
the quality of our Nation's highway system and its inter modal connections.
Other Related Web Sites
AAA Foundation for
Traffic Safety
External Link: http://www.aaafoundation.org/home/
Provides research results and educational materials to promote traffic
safety. This site also has a useful work zone photo library.
American Road &
Transportation Builders Association
External Link: http://www.artba.org/news/news.htm
ARTBA holds annual meetings and conferences, maintains standing committees,
policy advisory councils, and professional development sections that work
on issues to promote the effectiveness and efficiency of the transportation
construction industry.
American Society of Safety Engineers
External Link: http://www.asse.org
Offers basic resources for safety professionals on work zone safety.
Associated
General Contractors
External Link: http://www.agc.org/page.ww?section=Highway+%26+Transportation+Division&name=
About+Highway+%26+Transportation+Division
Construction Safety
Council
External Link: http://www.buildsafe.org/
The Construction Safety Council is a non-for-profit organization dedicated
to the advancement of safety and health interests in the field of construction
throughout the world.
Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety
External Link: http://www.iihs.org/
Vehicle crash test results and a wide variety of educational materials
on traffic safety. Offers useful state-by-state comparisons of traffic
safety laws.
International Union of
Operating Engineers (IUOE)
External Link: http://www.iuoe.org/index.asp
Laborers' International Union
of North America (LIUNA)
External Link: http://www.liuna.org/
National Asphalt Pavement Association
External Link: http://www.hotmix.org/
The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) supports an active research
program designed to answer questions about environmental issues and to
improve the quality of HMA pavements and paving techniques used in the
construction of roads, streets, highways, parking lots, airports, and
environmental and recreational facilities.
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
External Link: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Provides information on vehicle testing and standards, occupant restraints,
impaired and drowsy driving, and national crash statistics.
National Safety Council
External Link: http://www.nsc.org/
In conjunction with ARTBA offers Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards.
Offers general work zone safety information for safety professionals.
 National Work Zone Safety
Information Clearinghouse
External Link: http://wzsafety.tamu.edu
Provides information for government, industry, and the public to promote
the safe and effective operation of highway work zones.
Share the Road Safely
External Link: http://www.sharetheroadsafely.org
Offers safety tips for safe passage of trucks through work zones.
Transportation Research Board
External Link: http://trb.org
Provides information from the arm of the National Research Council that
engages government, industry, and academia in promoting research, policy
studies, and information-sharing addressing all aspects and modes of transportation.
Offers publications for a fee including, Illumination Guidelines for Nighttime
Highway Work, Highway Maintenance Safety, Support, and Service
University of Michigan
Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)
External Link: http://www.umtri.umich.edu/
Provides research results from an interdisciplinary center with expertise
in large-truck safety, human factors, engineering, public policy, and
data collection and analysis.
Upcoming Conferences and Events
2008
2009
Page last updated:
May 15, 2008
Page last reviewed: April 29, 2008
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
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Highway Work Zones