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Motor Vehicle Safety |
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The majority of fatalities
that occur in road construction work zones in the United States involve a worker
being struck by a piece of construction equipment or other vehicle. A worker in
this industry is just as likely to be struck by a piece of construction
equipment inside the work zone as by passing traffic.
Alliances
- Construction.
OSHA Alliance Program. This is one of OSHA's Strategic Management Plan
Focus Areas.
eTools
 Construction. OSHA. A
Spanish
version is also available. Construction can be a safe occupation
when workers are aware of the hazards, and an effective Safety and Health
Program is used. This eTool contains information that helps workers identify
and control the hazards that cause the most serious construction-related
injuries.
OSHA Standards
Motor vehicle hazards are addressed in specific standards
for the construction industry. This section highlights OSHA standards related to
motor vehicle safety.
Highlighted Standards
Construction Industry (29
CFR 1926)
- 1926 Subpart
O, Motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine
operations
- For additional information on specific state plans or other general
standards, see the general industry
Standards page.
Hazards and Solutions
Highway and street construction workers are at risk of
fatal and serious nonfatal injury when working in the vicinity of passing
motorists, construction vehicles, and equipment. According to
Building
Safer Highway Work Zones: Measures to Prevent Worker Injuries from Vehicles and
Equipment [US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-128], each year more than 100
workers are killed and over 20,000 are injured in the highway and street
construction industry. Vehicles and equipment operating in and around the work
zone are involved in over half of the worker fatalities in the construction
industry.
The following references provide
possible solutions in controlling and preventing motor vehicle hazards in the workplace.
- Work-related
Roadway Crashes: Challenges and Opportunities for Prevention. US
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-119, (2003,
September). Provides a comprehensive overview of crash data, the regulatory
environment, and risk factors that contribute to workplace crashes.
Identifies the groups of workers at greatest risk of traffic crashes,
summarizes key issues that contribute to work-related roadway crashes, and
recommends preventive measures for employers and other stakeholders.
- Evaluation of Systems to Monitor Blind Spots Behind
Trucks Used In Road Construction and Maintenance. US Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (2003), 6 MB
PDF,
21 pages. Researchers at NIOSH are investigating various technologies that
can be used to monitor these blind areas and provide information on nearby
obstacles to an operator.
-
Building
Safer Highway Work Zones: Measures to Prevent Worker Injuries From Vehicles
and Equipment. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No.
2001-128, (2001, April). Draws upon the collective knowledge, experience, and
expertise of numerous individuals and organizations who are intimately
involved with highway construction. Provides a listing of interventions from
which contractors, contracting agencies, and other entities may choose those
most appropriate to their situations and needs.
-
Test
Results for Collision Warning Systems on Off- Highway Dump Trucks: Phase 2.
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-100, (2000). Summarizes
ongoing research at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, Spokane Research Laboratory, in which collision warning systems for
surface mining dump trucks are being evaluated.
Workplace Vehicle Safety
Additional Information
- Working Outdoors in Warm Climates. OSHA Fact
Sheet, (2005, September), 26 KB
PDF,
2 pages.
-
CM Safety Resources. Construction
Management Association of America.
- IEC Safety.
Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC).
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