Safety Responsibilities: Employers

Employers are responsible for employee safety during roadway construction projects. An employer must make sure the roadway work zone is a safe place to work. Employers must make sure that workers are safe during the movement of vehicles, equipment, and workers inside the work site. Employers are also responsible for the control of dangerous motor vehicle traffic passing through the area of a roadway work site.

Because OSHA regulations reference the MUTCD as the compliance guide for traffic control during roadway construction, employers must follow the MUTCD carefully. Examples of areas of employer responsibility include providing worker safety apparel, erecting temporary traffic barriers, and planning and executing methods for work zone safety.

OSHA requires construction employers to provide safety training. In the dangerous work environment of roadway construction, this training is critical. Employers must never leave this responsibility to a later date. It is important to avoid the assumption that a worker can learn all they need to know "on the job." If a worker is not informed about the significant hazards he or she faces in a roadway work zone, the employer is not complying with the required regulations.

To learn more about Roadway Temporary Traffic Control visit our Construction Roadway Temporary Traffic Control Online Training web page.