labor lawAdivision of labor law center

On a highway construction site on Interstate 495 near Alexandria, Virginia, an important campaign was kicked off on behalf of highway workers.

It was “Signs for Change,” this year’s campaign for work zone safety awareness. Each year, National Work Zone Awareness Week draws attention to safety needs. This year’s focuses on work zones. At the same time, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is joining with the Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Partners Alliance to urge awareness of highway construction zones. Together they will also stress the need to focus on other safety and health matters.

This year’s campaign got underway on April 3 at the Interstate 495 site.

Oklahoma highway worker safety numbers show that more than 100 highway crew members die and another 20,000 are injured every year during street and highway construction season.

Edwin G. Foulke Jr., the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, describes highway construction zone work as “one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States.” He said highway workers need “not only OSHA’s support, but the support of everyone who gets behind the wheel on a daily basis.” Last year, he said, there were 1,100 work zone fatalities, and he described that as “a tragedy.

“I am hopeful that campaigns like this will help reduce those numbers,” he stressed.

“Acute trauma” is one of the major causes of death for members of highway crews on the work site. The OSHA definition of acute trauma is graphic: “an injury or wound to a living body caused by the application of external force or violence.” That usually means being hit by a car. However, half of the injuries are caused when a highway crew member is struck by a piece of construction equipment or a truck within the highway work zone itself. This highlights the need for clearly visible reflective vests.

NIOSH – the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control – has issued a report that says drivers should watch for roadside construction zone warning signs, and slow down.

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