site safety || work zones€¦ · site safety || work zones volume 1 issue 50 remember these tips...

© Weeklysafety.com, LLC 1

According to the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) a “work zone is an area of a highwaywith construction, maintenance, or utility work activities. A work zone is typically marked by signs,channelizing devices, barriers, pavement markings, and/or work vehicles.”

Highway, road, street, bridge, tunnel, utility, and other workers for the highway infrastructure areexposed to hazards from outside and inside the work zone. This topic is intended to help workersrecognize some of the risks of work zones and tips to prevent potentially fatal incidents.

OSHA Standard 1926.200(g) Traffic signs. (g)(1) Construction areas shall be posted with legible traffic signs at pointsof hazard. (g)(2) All traffic control signs or devices used for protection of construction workers shall conform to PartVI of the MUTCD, 1988 Edition, Revision 3, or Part VI of the MUTCD, Millennium Edition, incorporated by reference inSec. 1926.6.

SITE SAFETY || Work ZonesVolume 1 Issue 50


➢ Workers need to be visible to any potential trafficand heavy equipment.

➢ Safety vests may need to be worn with hard hats tohelp the worker stand out and be visible to traffic.

➢ Safety vests should be selected according to:

• type of work,

• the possible hazards,

• the distance to potential traffic,

• the speed of potential traffic, and

• the time of day that the work will occur.

➢ See standards provided by ANSI/ISEA 107-2010.


Workers performing sidewalk repair near residential trafficarea. Note the type of vests worn – these vests could beconsidered ANSI Class 2 vests. (*1)

Workers at night on a major road with high traffic and posted speeds. Note the type ofvests worn. These vests cover arms, torso, and legs and could be considered ANSI Class 3vests. (*2)


➢ Work zones need to be clearly identified both for thesafety of the workers and the public.

➢ Federal and State standards regulate the type of signs,barricades, barriers or channeling devices.

➢ Posted speed, type of work, and time of day are allfactors that workers should know when required toestablish work zones.

➢ Workers should obey the requirements of the work zoneincluding wearing the correct safety equipment.

➢ Report damaged barriers, signs, missing cones or trafficcontrol devices immediately and replace them as soon aspossible.

Sample layout from the Manual on Uniform TrafficControl Devices (MUTCD). (*3)


(*4)


➢ Certain work zones will require the use offlaggers or flag-men.

➢ Flaggers must be properly trained andequipped with the correct tools to performthe work.

➢ Flagger stations should be set up correctlyaccording to the traffic controlrequirements.

➢ Flagger stations should be located so thatthat an errant vehicle has additional spaceto stop without entering the work space.

➢ The flagger should identify an escape pathto use to avoid being struck by an errantvehicle.


From the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). (*5)

OSHA Standard 1926.201(a) Flaggers. Signaling byflaggers and the use of flaggers, including warninggarments worn by flaggers, shall conform to PartVI of the Manual on Uniform Traffic ControlDevices (1988 Edition, Revision 3, or theMillennium Edition), incorporated by reference inSec. 1926.6.


Ninety-seven cones were set up on the front steps of the State Capitol, representingthe number of people who have been killed in Oregon work zones over the past tenyears. (*6)


Remember these tips to keepworkers safe in or near work zones:

➢ Workers need to be visible toany potential traffic and heavyequipment.

➢ Safety vests may need to beworn with hard hats to help theworker stand out and be visibleto traffic.

➢ Work zones need to be clearlyidentified both for the safety ofthe workers and the public.

➢ Flaggers must be properlytrained and equipped with thecorrect tools to perform thework.

➢ Flagger stations should be located so that that an errant vehicle has additional space to stopwithout entering the work space.

➢ Workers should obey the requirements of the work zone including wearing the correct safetyequipment.

➢ Report damaged barriers, signs, missing cones or traffic control devices immediately and replacethem as soon as possible.

© Weeklysafety.com, LLC

COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMERThis material is the copyrighted property of Weeklysafety.com, LLC. Purchase of this material from Weeklysafety.com, LLC grants the owner the right to use this material for workplace safetyand education purposes only. Use of this material for any other purpose, particularly commercial use, is prohibited. This material, including the photos, may not be resold.Weeklysafety.com, LLC does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or processdisclosed in these materials. Photos shown in this presentation may depict situations that are not in compliance with applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safetyrequirements. These materials are meant for informational purposes only and it is not the intent of Weeklysafety.com, LLC to provide compliance-based training. The intent is more toaddress hazard awareness in the construction and related industries, and to recognize the potential hazards present in many workplaces. These materials are intended to discuss FederalRegulations only, as individual State requirements may be more stringent. Many states operate their own state OSHA and may have standards that are different from information presentedin this training. It is the responsibility of the employer and its employees to comply with all pertinent OSHA safety rules and regulations in the jurisdiction in which they work.

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Unless specified below, all photos are the copyrighted property of Weeklysafety.com, LLC and may not be used in any other training materials or resold for any purpose.

For more information on this weekly safety topic, other topics that are available and the full list of FAQs please visitwww.weeklysafety.com or email [email protected].

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• (*1) Photo Credit – Derek Bridges. Evangelizing Safety Vests_1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/derek_b/4457428420/

• (*2) Photo Credit – We have moved!. 05_2013_06. https://www.flickr.com/photos/highwaysagency/14897258832/

• (*3) Photo Credit – Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm

• (*4) Photo Credit – Ryan McKnight. Road construction in Dupont. https://www.flickr.com/photos/branderguard/14356877519/

• (*5) Photo Credit – Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm

• (*6) Photo Credit – Oregon Department of Transportation. Too many cones. https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregondot/8871915456/

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/


site safety || work zones€¦ · site safety || work zones volume 1 issue 50 remember these tips...

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