This document discusses construction worker safety in road work zones. It notes that over 130 workers die each year in road construction, mainly from being struck by traffic or equipment. The main hazards are construction equipment and traffic passing through work zones. To stay safe, workers should wear highly visible clothing, stay alert to equipment, avoid walking in traffic lanes, and notify supervisors of any safety issues. Demonstrating a truck's blind spot can help illustrate the importance of visibility.

1. Construction Safety Talks
Night Some Things To Know Before You Give Your Talk.
Paving On average, 130 workers die each year in road construction
activities.
No. 79
• Pedestrian Workers Struck-by Traffic - 23%
• Pedestrian Workers Struck-by Construction Vehicles - 18%
• Work Zone Vehicle Operator and Occupant (e.g. Rollovers) - 18%
How This Talk • Highway Travel Traffic Accidents - 15%
Applies To My
Crew: The main hazards in a work zone are:
1. Construction equipment working within the work zone
2. Construction equipment entering or leaving the work zone
3. General vehicular traffic passing through the work zone
Things we can do protect ourselves.
• Use highly visible and reflective apparel, including vests
(minimum), hard hats, armbands, and gloves. It is your
responsibility to ensure the apparel is maintained to
preserve its highly visible and reflective characteristics.
Frequent washing is needed. Check with your supervisor
when you feel replacement is needed.
• Consider the use of strobe lights within vests and/or on hard
hats to further increase your visibility to drivers at night.
• Know where you are in relation to the traffic areas. Never
assume a driver sees you because he or she is “looking” at
you. They may not see you!
• Stay alert to back-up alarms and protect yourself from
backing equipment by stopping what you’re doing until the
danger passes.
• Do not drive machines, equipment, or vehicles you are not
trained and authorized to operate.
• When traveling in work zones stay as far away from traffic,
both inside and outside the work zone, as possible. Avoid
walking adjacent to trucks and equipment in use. Watch
your speed.
• Avoid walking in the vehicle's travel lanes inside or outside
the work zone. Do not cross highway lanes that are outside
the confines of the work zone.
© 2003 Liberty Mutual Group – All Rights Reserved 1

2. • Notify supervisors of any traffic control devices that are out of alignment or not
functioning as designed. If authorized and it is safe to do so, make the repairs or
adjustments.
• When traveling in front of or behind an occupied vehicle or piece of equipment
get the operators attention, visually or audibly, confirmed by a wave or gesture
from the operator, before proceeding.
• Never ride on equipment or in vehicles that are not designed for passengers.
(e.g. in back of a pickup, an extra rider on a roller, holding onto the side of any
equipment, etc.)
Other things can be done to keep us safe, including:
• Maintaining and cleaning traffic control devices so their reflective nature is
maximized.
• Ensuring truck mounted attenuators (TMA) are moved as the work progresses.
This must be done by the authorized employee responsible for this equipment.
• Ensuring adequate lighting is provided for the site, and located so it minimizes
the impact of glare on on-coming traffic.
• Notifying supervision of ALL near miss incidents associated with vehicles. This
will help identify areas where improvements are needed, before they result in an
accident.
Try This For Show And Tell!
Have a worker stand behind a dump truck, in the center. Instruct this worker to walk
straight back until the driver signals that s/he can see the worker in both mirrors. String
caution tape from this worker to the rear corners of each side of the truck. This is the
dump trucks’ blind spot.
Questions You Can Use To Get Them Talking:
• Who is responsible for fixing traffic control devices that have been blown over or
hit by a vehicle?
• Has anyone seen a near miss incident involving a vehicle or piece of paving
equipment?
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.