Summer hadn’t even started, though work zones were being set up, when a  into an excavator at a road project outside Stanfield in April, injuring an Oregon Department of Transportation worker.

Coincidentally, this incident happened during National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 17-21), underscoring the risks to the public, but especially roadway workers, that escalate in summertime, when road improvement projects swing into high gear.

Conditions when work is underway – temporary barriers, narrower and uneven roadways, unusual traffic flow and other distractions – create a shared concern. Work zone safety is important any time of year, but there is an uptick in accidents and fatalities during the summer months.

Nationally,  shows fatalities associated with work zones are also increasing year over year – hitting 954 in 2021, versus 863 a year earlier. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that an average of 55 workers/pedestrians die each year after being struck by vehicles in work zones.

This trend is especially a concern for Oregon, which  doesn’t rank well against other states in terms of overall highway fatality rates and disbursements for improvements (in the bottom 15 for both categories).  for the state; even without seasonal work zone complications, Oregon has among the worst traffic conditions for drivers.

Plan for success

Raising public awareness of the risks is essential. The state of Oregon lays out work zone guidelines and resources to that end, covering everything from effective setups of work zones to flagger training and certification.

It’s necessary for the public/private partnership to be geared to minimize accidents as work is underway. Each work zone project should have its own plan for safety – a Traffic Control Plan (TCP) that raises awareness of the risks to workers and the public alike. It should include:

• a construction management outline, which involves the creation of a traffic management plan early in the project design phase. It outlines the impacts of the work zone on workers, drivers, and pedestrians.
• a temporary traffic control plan, setting out how traffic will be controlled during the projects, using flaggers, signage and traffic control devices.
• a public information plan, which alerts the public of upcoming projects that may impact traffic and travel routes.

Work zone risks

The TCP should be based on a thorough assessment of the conditions that will be present and could influence work zone risks. These include:

• surrounding environment. Is the work zone in a city, on a freeway system traversing an urban area, or in a rural setting? This element influences safety considerations. In a city, plans for rerouting traffic must anticipate all types of vehicles – from cars to scooters – as well as pedestrians. It’s also important to anticipate the unexpected. For example, animals running through a rural work zone at night pose potential hazards.
• the nature of the tasks on the site. This adds to the workers’ (and drivers’) risk exposure. Each task, whether installing signs, flagging, repairing utilities, paving, or surveying should be evaluated for its effect on the overall safety of the worksite, with controls for identified hazards put in place before work starts.
• work zone characteristics. Lane closures can be confusing to drivers and road surface changes can increase the risk of accidents. Road markings may also be altered during the project. It’s important to train workers so they know what to expect. It is also key to post sufficient warning signage about changes in conditions for driver awareness.
• traffic flows. How much traffic – or how little – can influence work zone dangers. Numerous factors, from speeding or texting drivers to flashing lights and heavy equipment on the work zone perimeter, can distract drivers and workers alike. TCPs are important for safety, because they can help manage the flow in the work zone, including vehicles, equipment, and foot traffic.
• traffic control systems. These systems, such as point-to-point cameras, are integral to a work site safety plan; placement should be carefully planned to mitigate risk. The substantial benefits of point-to-point cameras have been proven.  they resulted in the posted speed limits being adhered to by 99 percent of drivers, versus just 40 percent before installation.

Being aware of the issues and implementing safety controls will go a long way toward ensuring progress on complicated, high-profile work zones – and keeping workers and the public at large safe in the process.

Emily Lubman is the director of risk management for global insurance brokerage HUB International. She has extensive experience helping clients in Oregon minimize employee and public safety losses, achieve regulatory compliance, and build a robust safety culture. Contact her at 541-650-6796.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91ÊÓƵ guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.

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