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NIOSH Publication No. 2001-128:Building Safer Highway Work Zones: |
2001 |
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Contents
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| Foreword | |
| Acknowledgments | |
| Public Health Summary | |
| Introduction | |
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. 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 this industry.
Historically, efforts to reduce vehicle-related worker injuries in this industry have focused on improving traffic control devices and work zone configurations to minimize confusion of motorists passing through the work zone and to limit collisions involving motorists. The premise has been that by minimizing traffic collisions in work zones, worker injuries are minimized. However, fatality data indicate that workers being struck by a motorist passing through the work zone account for only half the vehicle-related fatalities among highway workers.
To better understand these injury risks, NIOSH reviewed the current literature on highway safety, analyzed data on worker fatalities in the highway and street construction industry, and held a workshop with individuals from government, labor, industry, academia, and state departments of transportation. During the workshop, participants were asked to discuss measures that could be taken by employers, manufacturers, and government and research agencies that would reduce or eliminate these hazards. This document draws on the collective knowledge, experience, and expertise of numerous individuals and organizations who are intimately involved with highway construction. By bringing together partners from all parts of the industry to discuss prevention of these injuries, NIOSH hoped to improve our understanding of the hazards faced by highway workers, raise the industry's awareness of these hazards, and initiate discussion among all concerned about measures that can reduce these hazards. The material presented in this document does not constitute an all-inclusive checklist. Rather, it is a listing of interventions from which contractors, contracting agencies, and other entities may choose those most appropriate to their situations and needs. More than 50 individuals participated in the workshop, and more than 30 individuals and organizations reviewed prior drafts of this document. Each of their contributions is sincerely appreciated.
Lawrence J. Fine, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Acting Director, National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health
The authors thank the following NIOSH personnel for their review and comments during the development of this document: Dawn Castillo; Lynn Jenkins; Tim Pizatella; Nancy Stout, Ed.D; and David Votaw.
Editorial review and production assistance were provided by Herb Linn, Paul Keane, and Joyce Spiker of the Division of Safety Research, NIOSH. Rosemary Cianfrocco of the Division of Safety Research, NIOSH, provided additional administrative and technical support.
The persons listed below assisted in the development of this document by participating in the NIOSH workshop "Preventing Vehicle and Equipment-Related Occupational Injuries in Highway and Street Construction Work Zones" and by reviewing earlier drafts. The authors gratefully acknowledge their contributions.
Ron Backer, Spokane Research Laboratory, NIOSH
Wayne Barnes, Ohio Department of Transportation
Douglas Bernard, Energy Absorption Systems, Inc.
George Bockosh, Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, NIOSH
Jim Boom, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Janice Comer Bradley, International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA)
Jim Britell, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Ken Brown, 3M Company
Michael M. X. Buchet, National Safety Council
James Byrnes, Mine Safety Appliance
Leo Carey, National Safety Council
John Chisholm, American Road and Transportation Builders Association
Donna Clark, American Traffic Safety Services Association
Bill Davenport, Deere & Company
Brian Deery, Associated General Contractors of America
Larry Edginton, International Union of Operating Engineers
Thomas Flaherty, Reflexite North America
Mark Fullen, West Virginia University Safety and Health Extension
Robert Gosnell, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Gordon Harner, Barrett Paving Materials, Inc.
Ken Hoffner, Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America
Carl Heinlein, Associated General Contractors of America
Ernest D. L. Huckaby, Federal Highway Administration
Lynn Jenkins, Division of Safety Research, NIOSH
Brook Jerzyk, Reflexite North America
Ken Kobetsky, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Thomas J. Lentz, Education and Information Division, NIOSH
Larry Liberatore, National Safety Council
Denny Lockard, Maryland State Highway Administration
Robert McArver, Jefferson Government Relations
Dave Malter, Malter Associates, Inc.
William Marquardt, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
Azita Mashayekhi, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
James Migletz, Graham-Migletz Enterprises, Inc.
Satish Mohan, State University of New York at Buffalo
Douglas Prince, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Robert Randolph, Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, NIOSH
Louis Ricca, Jr., Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Michael Robinson, Federal Highway Administration
Louis Rowe, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
David Rush, Virginia Department of Transportation
Randal Schumacher, Jefferson Government Relations
Charlie Sears, Federal Highway Administration
Joseph Sease, South Carolina Department of Transportation
Nancy Stout, Division of Safety Research, NIOSH
Marie Haring Sweeney, Education and Information Division, NIOSH
Harold Thompson, National Safety Council
Ralph Topete, National Safety Council
J. Dan Turner, Federal Highway Administration
Camille Villanova, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Thomas Werner, North Carolina Department of Transportation
Kenneth White, 3M Company
Anker Winther, New Jersey Department of Transportation
Daniel Zarletti, Kenny Construction Company
The persons and organizations listed below also provided valuable contributions to this document through their review and comments on draft versions.
James R. Andrews, Southern Illinois Builders Association
John A. (Jack) Baliker, Katy, Texas
Brian Deery, Associated General Contractors of America
Phillip Ditzler, Federal Highway Administration
R. Gary Fore, National Asphalt Pavement Association
Susan Gaynor, Houston, Texas
Linda M. Goldenhar, Division of Applied Research and Technology, NIOSH
Craig Hughes, Cedar Valley Corp.
Bill Kojola, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
Jack Kolberg, Northern Improvement Company
Leroy Mickelsen, Division of Applied Research and Technology, NIOSH
Richard C. Moore, Jr., Lehman-Roberts Company
James T. Patterson, Hilb, Rogal and Hamilton Company of Denver
Curt Peterson, Associated General Contractors of North Dakota
Earl S. Pollack, The Center to Protect Workers' Rights
Bradley M. Sant, American Road and Transportation Builders Association
Michael J. Shelly, Hypower, Inc.
Gary S. Sorock, Research Center for Safety & Health, Liberty Mutual Group
Russell B. Swanson, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
David A. Toy, Equipment Manufacturers Institute
Gregory G. Zigulis, University of Tennessee
Workers in highway work zones are exposed to risk of injury from the movement of construction vehicles and equipment within the work zones, as well as from passing motor vehicle traffic. Data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) indicate that of the 841 work-related fatalities in the U.S. highway construction industry between 1992 and 1998, 465 (55%) were vehicle- or equipment-related incidents that occurred in a work zone.
Highway workers routinely work in proximity to construction vehicles and motor vehicle traffic. Flaggers and other workers on foot are exposed to the risk of being struck by traffic vehicles or construction equipment if they are not visible to motorists or equipment operators. Workers who operate construction vehicles or equipment risk injury due to overturn, collision, or being caught in running equipment. Highway workers, regardless of their assigned task, work in conditions of low lighting, low visibility, and inclement weather, and may work in congested areas with exposure to high traffic volume and speeds.
The Federal Highway Administration has developed and maintained the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which provides for uniform design and setup of highway work zones. The primary focus of Part 6 of the MUTCD is the interaction between the road user and the work zone. The MUTCD contains exhaustive specifications for signage, pavement and curb markings, traffic signals, and marking of school zones, bicycle facilities, and highway-rail crossings. It also prescribes temporary traffic control measures for numerous scenarios involving lane closures, lane shifts, detours, shoulder work, median crossovers, mobile operations, and blasting. The MUTCD addresses topics such as training, personal protective equipment, speed reduction, barriers, and lighting, as they apply to highway construction.
OSHA construction industry regulations (29 CFR* 1926, Subpart O) address operation of vehicles and equipment within an off-highway job site not open to public traffic. However, Subpart O is not exhaustive in its coverage of machinery types or safety equipment, nor does it address work practices, traffic control plans, or shift work. Flagging and signaling practices are discussed in general terms in Subpart G, which covers signs, signals, and barricades. Subpart G defers to the 1971 MUTCD on matters relating to hand signals, barricades, and traffic control devices.
The references, additional readings, and on-line resources cited at the end of this document identify sources that provide more information on highway work zone safety. Additional information from NIOSH may be obtained through:
1-800-35-NIOSH
(800-356-4674)
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html
*Code of Federal Regulations. See CFR in references.
Construction contractors, contracting agencies, and others responsible for work zone safety face the challenge of providing a safe workplace while ensuring the safe movement of the public through the work zone. Highway and street construction presents a complex work situation in which workers face multiple injury risks under conditions that may change without warning.
| Highway workers are at risk of injury from passing traffic vehicles: |
| An 18-year-old flagger, outfitted in full reflective vest, pants, and hard hat, was directing traffic at one end of a bridge approach during a night milling operation. The work zone was correctly marked with cones and signs, and the entire bridge was illuminated with street lights. The flagger was standing under portable flood lights in the opposing traffic lane close to the center line, facing oncoming traffic. A pickup truck traveling in the wrong lane at an estimated 55 to 60 miles per hour struck the flagger head on and carried him approximately 200 feet. He died at the scene of multiple traumatic injuries [Minnesota Department of Health 1992]. |
| Highway workers are at risk of injury from construction equipment operating inside the work zone and in ancillary areas that support the work zone (e.g., temporary batch plants): |
| A 33-year-old construction laborer was working at a gravel-unloading operation at a highway construction site. His usual work assignment was to operate the generator for the conveyor system that moved gravel unloaded from belly dump trailers. A dump truck driver on the site was having difficulty opening the gates of his belly dump trailer. Attempting to assist the driver, the laborer went under the trailer to manually open the gates. The driver, not realizing the laborer was under the trailer, pulled away from the unloading platform and ran over him with the rear dual tires of the trailer. The laborer was pronounced dead at the scene [Minnesota Department of Health 1997]. |
| Highway workers are at risk of injury from construction vehicles operating inside work zones, as well as construction vehicles entering and leaving the work zone: |
| An 11-person construction crew was paving the northbound side of a 6-lane interstate highway. The far left and middle lanes of the highway were closed to traffic, with two pavers operating simultaneously in staggered positions. Hot asphalt was delivered to the site in tractor-trailers which queued on the left shoulder while waiting to back up to the pavers. A 34-year-old construction laborer was positioned adjacent to the far left lane, approximately 12 feet behind the paver’s work area, shoveling old asphalt from around a catch basin. A tractor-trailer pulled away from the paver in the middle lane and began backing. The driver stopped when he heard other workers yelling. Exiting the vehicle, he found the laborer run over by the four left rear wheels. The laborer was pronounced dead at the scene [Massachusetts Department of Public Health 1996]. |
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provides for uniform design and setup of highway work zones, and includes guidance for the development of temporary traffic control plans (TCPs) that determine the flow of traffic through work zones [FHWA 2000]. The Millennium Edition of the MUTCD, which went into effect on January 17, 2001, includes new signs and pavement markings, changes in both standards and guidance, new sections, and changes in Part 6, which covers work zones. The last full-scale revision of the MUTCD was in 1978; however, frequent updates have been made to specific sections of the MUTCD since that time. States have until January 17, 2003 to reach substantial conformance with the Millennium Edition of the MUTCD; therefore, both the Millennium Edition and the previous edition [FHWA 1998a] are listed in the reference section.
OSHA construction industry regulations (29 CFR* 1926, Subpart O) address operation of vehicles and equipment within an off-highway job site not open to public traffic. However, Subpart O is not exhaustive in its coverage of machinery types or safety equipment, nor does it address work practices, traffic control plans, or shift work. Flagging and signaling practices are discussed in general terms in Subpart G, which covers signs, signals, and barricades. Subpart G defers to the 1971 MUTCD on matters relating to hand signals, barricades, and traffic control devices.
Compliance with the MUTCD and OSHA regulations is a necessary first step in providing a safe work environment. However, these sources, taken together, do not provide comprehensive guidance to ensure worker safety in highway work zones. To identify gaps in standards and regulations and to compile additional prevention measures to enhance worker safety, NIOSH undertook a comprehensive review of scientific literature, fatality and injury data, and current safety research. NIOSH also convened a workshop attended by a broad range of stakeholders in work zone safety. The NIOSH workshop, "Preventing Vehicle- and Equipment-Related Occupational Injuries in Highway and Street Construction Work Zones," held in Washington, D.C., December 2 through December 4, 1998, investigated the following areas of concern:
The workshop was attended by over 50 individuals from government, labor, industry, academia, and state departments of transportation. In breakout sessions addressing the four topic areas, participants were presented with questions to stimulate discussion about preventing occupational injuries in highway work zones. Their shared information, experiences, research results, resources, opinions, and recommendations were the starting point for this document.
Through synthesis of current research on highway work zone safety with input provided by participants in the December, 1998 workshop, this document offers additional measures that contractors, contracting agencies, policy makers, manufacturers, law enforcement, and the research community can take to reduce occupational injuries in highway work zones. This document also includes an Appendix with descriptions of highway construction fatalities investigated through the NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program. Each fatality description includes case-specific prevention recommendations.
The measures described in this document reflect ideas for reducing highway work zone injuries generated by a broad cross-section of key stakeholders. Some prevention measures are ready to be used; others deserve additional consideration and research. The material presented here does not constitute an all-inclusive checklist. Rather, the document provides a listing of interventions from which contractors, contracting agencies, and other entities may choose those most appropriate to their situations and needs. Readers should not view these prevention measures as official NIOSH recommendations.
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Ordering information: To receive documents or more information about occupational safety and health topics, contact the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at NIOSH Telephone: 1-800-35-NIOSH or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-128 |
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998
Delivering on the Nation's Promise:
Safety and health at work for all
people through research and prevention
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