Welcome to Nationwide Work Zone Consciousness Week, which takes place from April 21-25, 2025, with partnerships between state departments of transportation, nationwide street security organizations, authorities businesses, non-public firms, and people. The target is to encourage drivers to make use of additional warning in work zones, however additionally it is a possibility for building professionals to establish dangers and give you security methods. Let’s spend a while the actual dangers in at the moment’s work zones, and find out how to mitigate them.
The Risks on the Street
In accordance with the Nationwide Work Zone Security Info Clearinghouse, a challenge of the American Street and Transportation Builders Assn., there have been 821 complete deadly crashes in 2022, which is the newest yr information was collected. That’s far too many lives.
A part of the problem right here is drivers on the street are sometimes distracted—one thing we now have been speaking about right here on the weblog and on the podcast The Peggy Smedley Present. We have to take steps to cut back distracted driving usually. NAHB (Nationwide Assn. of House Builders) acknowledges the challenges of distracted driving and has created assets and tips for its members to assist encourage protected driving practices to, from, and across the jobsite. There may be a lot work to be completed on this space, however for at the moment’s weblog let’s flip our consideration to security methods for employees in work zones.
Methods for Security
Builders and contractors are taking steps to make sure larger security in work zones. Let’s contemplate the instance of Skanska. The challenge improvement and building firm has taken a number of steps to enhance security in work zones.
For instance, on the State Route 57/60 interchange enchancment, the group carried out every day security conferences, steady SMS coaching for environmental well being and security groups, and specialised gasoline tester coaching. Enhanced lighting, clear signage, and proactive roadway upkeep additional guarantee safety for crews and commuters. The end result was a powerful 135,467 work hours with zero lost-time accidents and 0 OSHA violations as of July 2024.
As one other case, the State Route 71/91 interchange reconstruction is designed to ease congestion and enhance security throughout Riverside, Orange, and San Bernardino Counties, and introduced advanced engineering challenges comparable to putting in massive piles and working heavy equipment in various circumstances. To handle these dangers, Skanska applied site-specific security measures, together with specifically engineered bridge designs and adjustable boundaries to take care of protected site visitors circulate.
In fact, these are just some examples. Whereas there are actually steps building firms can take to enhance security on the jobsite, it’s the accountability of the driving force to decelerate, concentrate, and make work zones a safer place for everybody. Are you doing something for Nationwide Work Zone Consciousness Week? What concepts do you must make our work zones a bit of bit safer?
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