Fatal Facts: Roadway Work Zones: Hazards to Workers on Foot

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  Since the first roadways were constructed in Washington State, they have required periodic maintenance and repair to ensure a safe and enjoyable motoring experience for the public. These roadways have also provided easy access for the installation and maintenance of above and below ground water, sewer, electric, gas, telephone, and cable TV utility lines. In order to maintain the integrity of these elements of our infrastructure, workers may be required to be on, above, or below the roadways or their right-of-ways. Between 1998 and 2003, sixteen Washington workers were killed while performing their work duties in roadway work zones. Fifteen of these workers were on foot at the time of the incidents. They were struck and killed by passing motor vehicles and by construction equipment and vehicles. The victims were performing work zone traffic control flagging, litter control, construction, maintenance, and utility related work. Fourteen of the sixteen victims were male. They ranged in age from 26 to 56. Of the fifteen victims working on foot at the time of the fatal incidents, eight were struck by construction vehicles and equipment that were within the work zone and seven were struck by passing vehicles intruding into the work zone. Dump trucks either pulling forward or backing up were responsible for seven fatalities. What is a Roadway Work Zone? There is no consensus definition of a roadway work zone, but for the purpose of this document, a roadway work zone is an area of a highway or street (including the shoulder area and beyond) where road construction, road maintenance, utility work, litter control and right-of-way maintenance activities are present. The work zone is the area between the first traffic warning sign or flashing lights on a work vehicle and the last traffic control device, as well as non-roadway (e.g., shoulders and drainages) and ancillary areas that serve as staging or support areas for the work zone (e.g., temporary batch plants). A work zone is typically marked by signs, channeling devices, barriers, pavement markings, and/or work vehicles. This document highlights the hazards associated with road work zones by presenting five specific examples of fatal incidents, extracting common hazards found between the incidents, and then discussing recommendations for prevention. The following tragic stories highlight the most frequent types of incidents where workers were struck by vehicles and equipment. These incidents include: passing motorist's vehicles intruding into work zones, work zone construction vehicles striking workers, vehicles striking traffic control flaggers, vehicles intruding beyond the road shoulder, and a worker caught between construction equipment and a vehicle. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Automobiles Construction Industry Hazardous Substances Maintenance Mortality Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety
• Keywords:
  Construction Equipment Operation Equipment Operators Fatalities Ground Water Guidelines Hazard Controls Hazards Illumination Injuries Injury Prevention Law Enforcement Maintenance Workers Motor Vehicles Personal Protective Equipment PPE Protective Equipment Protective Measures Road Construction Road Surfacing Safety Equipment Safety Measures Surface Properties Traumatic Injuries Workers Work Zone

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• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051311
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 47-7-2004, 2004 Dec; :1-7
• Contact Point Address:
  SHARP Program, Washington Department of Labor & Industries, PO Box 44330, Olympia, WA 98504-4330
• Email:
  SHARP@Lni.wa.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20040901
• Source Full Name:
  Fatal facts: roadway work zones: hazards to workers on foot
• End Date:
  20070831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ff8c1425d131c4a9ca5fecb21149013607d3f5c38995747a4e8bd7ff41f087437d75377a9c2cb612f4f0b20ce220ab47a86257735868f4f372f2d576fecca7c3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228707/cdc_228707_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 403.71 KB ]