Highway Work Zones and Signs, Signals, and Barricades
Overview
Highway, road, street, bridge, tunnel, utility, and other workers for the highway infrastructure are exposed to hazards from outside and inside the work zone. Falls, electrical, struck-by, and caught between are the common hazards found in this type of work. Guidance for the set-up of work zone signs, barricades, flagging, etc. are found in the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)." The MUTCD is referenced in 1926 Subpart G.
- Federal Highway Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Contains links to their statistics and related information.
- Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule. Provides the text of the final rule which updated and broadened 23 CFR 630 Subpart J and informational materials.
- Work Zones
- National Work Zone Awareness Week
- Reducing Highway Fatalities
- Current Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. 2009 edition, (December 2009).
- Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Part VI: Standards and Guides for Traffic Controls for Street and Highway Construction, Maintenance, Utility, and Incident Management Operations, 1988 edition, Revision 3, September 3, 1993.
- Highway Work Zone Safety. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety & Health Topics. Provides resources for workers in highway construction work zones that 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.
- Building Safer Highway Work Zones: Measures to Prevent Worker Injuries From Vehicles and Equipment. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication. No. 2001-128, (April 2011). Presents a list of interventions discussed during a workshop with over 30 industry participants. It is available at no charge by calling NIOSH at toll-free 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674).
How can OSHA Help?
OSHA has developed this webpage to provide workers and employers useful, up-to-date information on Highway Work Zones and Signs, Signals, and Barricades. For other valuable worker protection information, such as Workers' Rights, Employer Responsibilities and other services OSHA offers, read OSHA's Workers page.
Standards and Guidance
Provides standards and guidance for the construction industry related to highway workzones.
OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletins
Provides bulletins related to highway workzones.
