Responsibilities

The nature of road work projects varies greatly, but work zone safety is always a critical component of the work.

A large project can be very complex, with many different stakeholders involved. Project owners, such as federal, state, or county departments of transportation, design and approve the project and hire a contractor to execute the work. The contractor employs traffic engineers, supervisors, workers, and others to execute the project. Required temporary traffic control (TTC) is extensive and constantly changing. OSHA regulations for the safety of workers must also be met. All stakeholders in the project bear responsibility for meeting safety requirements throughout the project.

Many road work projects are not so complex, but work zone safety is just as important. For example, utility work must often take place on roadways. These projects are generally short-term, completed in the daytime, and happen on lower-volume, lower-speed streets. The crew size is usually small, and only involves a few vehicles. Nonetheless, this type of workplace requires TTC and OSHA regulations apply. Employers must ensure these rules are being met, and employees are responsible for their implementation at the work site.

Whether a roadway work zone project is large or small, every party involved in the project must place the highest priority on safety. In this section, we will take a look at the roles and general responsibilities of employers, employees, and roadway users in achieving the goal of keeping workers safe.

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