Southern California Trade

1
Southern California Trade Contractors
Association Bi-Annual Safety Presentation, 2014
Highway Construction Work Zones and Traffic
Control A training Program developed under a
Susan Harwood grant from OSHA
2
Introduction

• Highway Construction and Work Safety
• Concern to many
• Construction workers, contractors, highway and
  safety agencies, regulatory agencies,
  transportation professionals and engineers, trade
  associations, etc.
• Highway construction is one of the most hazardous
  occupations in the USA
• In the highway and street construction industry
• Over 200,000 workers are injured a year
• Over 100 workers are killed each year

3
Fatality Statistics by Industry Type
Risk of death of Highway and Street Construction
workers is 2 to 4 times that of the remainder of
the construction industry. Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries (CPO1) Bureau of Labor
Statistics
4
Fatality Statistics by Industry Type

• Highway work spaces are unique
• Worker exposure to potential hazards include
• Construction related hazards
• Vehicle intrusion in the work place
• Workers directing passing traffic and
  construction traffic
• Interaction between workers, machinery,
  equipment, trucks and vehicles within the work
  space
• Restricted work space
• Night operations
• Pressure to complete project early exacerbates
  the situation

5
Causes of Highway Worker Fatalities

• 120 to 130 workers die each year in highway and
  road construction (HSC) activities
• Majority of the fatalities (74) for HSC workers
  are due to
• One-foot workers struck by passing vehicular
  traffic (23)
• One-foot workers struck by construction vehicles
  (18)
• Construction vehicle operator and occupant events
  (e.g., rollovers) (18)
• Highway traffic accidents (15)
• Sources BLS CFOI data, 1992-1996 and SIC 1661
  contractors OSHA 200 data as posted on the
  National Work Zone Safety Information.
  Clearinghouse website at http//wzsafety.tamu.edu/
  files/factsheet

6
Causes of Highway Worker Injuries

• Majority of serious injuries are due to
• Over-exertions (27)
• Falls (23)
• Being struck by other objects (17)
• Tools, materials, equipment parts, trees. Etc.
• Source BLS CFOI data, 1992-1996 and SIC
  Contractor OSHA 200 data (data log and summary)
  as posted on the National Work Zone Safety
  Information Clearinghouse website at
  http//wzsafety.tamu.edu/files/factsheet

7
Causes of Highway Worker Fatalities

• The number of injuries and fatalities from
  traffic crashes far outweigh the number of HSC
  workers that are injured or killed
• Traffic crash data
• In the USA, in 2001
• 2.9 million people were injured in traffic
  crashes
• 42,116 people were killed in traffic accidents
• Highway Work Accident Data
• In the USA each year, over 20,000 HSC workers
  are seriously injured
• In 2001, 132 HSC workers were killed in the USA

8
Highway Safety vs. Construction Safety

• For year 2001
• Highway traffic crashes-motorists
• 1,586 injuries per 100,000 licensed drivers
• 22 persons killed per 100,000 licensed drivers
• Highway and street construction workers
• 6,765 injuries per 100,000 workers
• 44.6 persons killed per 100,000 workers

9
National Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends
Source Fatal Accident Reporting System
10
National Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends
National Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends

• Between 1992 and 1998
• A total of 152 HSC workers were killed from
  being struck by a vehicle from passing traffic
• On average 25 workers are killed per year from
  intruding vehicles

11
Distribution of Work Zone Fatalities by
Occupation on Average
Source NIOSH/CDC. Deaths Caused by Vehicles and
Heavy Equipment on Construction Sites, Sept. 2002
12
Events Leading to HSC Worker Fatalities
(Source Bureau of Labor Statistics)
13
Hazard to On-Foot Workers Type of Barrier
No Rigid barriers to separate workers from
passing traffic
14
Hazard to On-Foot Workers Too Close to Traffic
Lane
Truck may be traveling at a high speed
15
Overhead Power Lines
Truck/equipment in potential contact with
overhead power lines, which may result in
electrocution
16
Improper Personal Protective Equipment
No steel toed shoes
No shirts (and other PPE)
Using cell phone in middle of the lane
(distraction)
17
Importance of Training

• Improve knowledge, skills, ability and attitude
  in order to perform construction related
  activities safely and efficiently
• Increase awareness of job hazards and methods to
  abate them
• Improve safety for workers and reduce
  injuries/fatalities

18
Other Training Material Available

• Occupational Safety and Health Administrators
  (OSHA)
• 10 hour training course on Roadway Construction
  Industy
• Htpp//www.artba.org/pdf/2003
• Michigan Road Builders Association, (MRBA)
• Heavy/Highway Construction Safety Best
  Practices
• Southern California Contractors Association, INVC

19
Importance of Training

• Improve knowledge, skills, ability and attitude
  in order to perform construction related
  activities safely and efficiently
• Increase awareness of job hazards and methods to
  abate them
• Improve safety for workers and reduce
  injuries/fatalities

20
Other Training Material Available

• Occupational Safety and Health Administrations
  (OSHA)
• 10-hour training course on roadway construction
  industry
• http//artba.org/pdf/2003 10 hour overview.pdf
• Southern California Contractors Association, Inc.
  
• Safety Manual for Workers on Roadways open to
  Motorists
• http//www.sccaweb.org/safetytraining.htm

21
More Training Materials Available

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and
  Health/Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  (NIOSH/CDC)
• Building Safer Highway Work Zones Measures to
  Prevent Worker Injuries from Vehicles and
  Equipment
• http//www/cdc.gov/niosh/201128.html

22
Southern California Trade Contractors
Association Bi-Annual Safety Presentation, 2014
Mark Hebson, Administrative Agent 22925
Arlington, Suite 1 Torrance, CA 90501 Phone
[phone] Fax [phone] Website
www.socattrade.org