Addressing Hazards: Prevention & Protection

Employers who hire roadway workers are responsible for preventing workplace hazards that can cause injury and death, and should assign a competent safety specialist to handle the planning, implementation, and on-going oversight of worker safety. The safety specialist should be capable of addressing the requirements found in both the MUTCD and in applicable OSHA regulations.

The MUTCD, for example, details five key elements to support worker safety in these dangerous roadway workplaces. These elements can be summarized as follows:

1. Training - Train all workers regarding how to work near or next to moving motor vehicle traffic.
2. Temporary traffic barriers - Place barriers along the work area to protect workers from moving traffic.
3. Speed reduction - Consider methods and actions to reduce the speed of vehicle movement through the work zone area.
4. Activity area - Careful planning of the internal work activity area is needed to minimize the risk of back-over accidents.
5. Safety planning - Assess the worksite for basic safety hazards and take steps to reduce these hazards.

At a minimum, in all roadway work zones, employers and safety specialists must ensure that workers on foot are separated from moving equipment, construction vehicles, and motor vehicles to the greatest extent possible. To identify and address the full spectrum of hazards and risks to which workers are exposed, however, the safety specialist or other responsible party must undertake a comprehensive hazard assessment of the work zone.

To learn more about Roadway Work Zones visit our Worker Safety in Roadway Work Zones Online Training web page.