Hazards

Workers in any construction, utility, or public works job performed on a roadway are subject to a variety of hazards.

Primary among these are the vehicle and equipment hazards present all around the workers as they perform their work duties. Vehicles can include the cars, trucks, and buses passing through the roadway work zone area, or the vehicles moving within the work space. Potentially dangerous work space equipment includes dump trucks, diggers, bulldozers, and other machinery used in the process of road building, repair, and maintenance. One of these vehicles hitting a person is referred to as a "struck-by" accident.

As we have mentioned, the roadway work zone may also include many of the hazards encountered in general construction work places. These include such construction hazards as falls, caught-in or caught-between accidents, and electrocutions.

The roadway work zone may also pose threats to a worker's health. Conditions such as high amounts of silica dust (which is damaging to a person's lungs) and excessive noise (which is damaging to a person's hearing) may be present.

Often, the nature of the work itself entails additional hazards. For example, utility work can entail electrical hazards; underground work can require workers to be in confined spaces; and overhead work, such as tree trimming, can bring workers into contact with high-voltage electrical lines. Although these hazards are outside the scope of this course, they are all significant.

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