1. Construction Safety Talks
Traffic Some Things To Know Before You Give Your Talk.
Control Work zone injuries are getting a lot of attention from the Federal
Highway Administration, House Committee on Transportation, the
No. 81 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the
American Road and Transportation Builders Association, OSHA, and
other employee and regulatory groups.
Vehicle crashes killed 872 people in 1999 and injured an average of
How This Talk
40,000 people per year from 1995 to 1999, according to the Federal
Applies To My
Crew: Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Although motorists are more likely
than workers to be killed or injured in construction work zones, the risk to
construction workers is very real. Nearly 130 construction workers are
killed each year and more than 20,000 are injured in highways and street
work zones, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health. Those totals have been fairly constant in the last 10 years,
but have risen slightly in the past few years, according to the deputy
executive director of the Federal Highway Administration.
Members of your crew may have developed some bad habits over time.
They may say that they’ve always done it a certain way and nothing has
ever happened. They may also give you a hard time about discussing a
topic that they already know so much about. You can utilize the following
information to help your crew members understand the importance of
this topic and how it affects each of them.
What Can We Do To Prevent The Crashes And Injuries?
Safety Equipment
• Wear approved safety vests at all times when in work zones. The
bright colors are associated with stopping or danger.
Engineering Controls - Signs, Signals, And Barricades
• Use appropriate signs. Signs must be placed in the proper
locations as per the Traffic Control Plan , based on the Manual
On Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways,
and other state or local regulations. Some of the common
problems noted from historical losses are:
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2. 1. Insufficient advance warning
2. Inadequate guidance through work zone
3. Unprotected hazards
4. Poor work area housekeeping
5. Distractions to motorists
6. Congestion and capacity problems
7. Non-standard traffic control
Actions To Prevent Traffic Accidents & Injuries
• Preplanning by sharing the Traffic Control Plan with all employees. Everyone needs to
know their role in the plan.
• Employee training about the hazards in a work zone
• Maintaining good housekeeping and everyone’s role
• Reporting and repairing of control devices not in place or ineffective
Try This For Show And Tell!
• Pick one or two sections of the Traffic Control Plan which addresses placement and
alignment of traffic control devices. Review with the crew. Ask them to suggest what
might happen if these devices are moved or missing.
• Meet in an area with questionable housekeeping. Point out how traffic reacts to the
situation (swerving and sudden braking?). Most drivers don’t look far enough ahead to
anticipate obstacles from the construction activities.
Questions You Can Use To Get Them Talking:
• Ask the crew to share near miss stories. Identify the “problem” which lead to the near
miss and what controls might be appropriate.
Attended By:
The illustrations, instructions and principles contained in the material are general in scope and, to the best of our knowledge, current at
the time of publication. No attempt has been made to interpret any referenced codes, standards or regulations. Please refer to the
appropriate code, standard or regulation making authority for interpretation or clarification.
© 2003 Liberty Mutual Group – All Rights Reserved 2