Ring Power Training Department Offers Tips for Keeping Safe in a Work Zone
National Work Zone Awareness Week Serves as an Extra Safety Reminder for Motorists and Construction Workers
Yesterday marked the start of National Work Zone Awareness week. The week serves as an extra reminder to use caution in work zones.
This extra reminder is for everyone: it is for road users — motorists, commercial vehicle operators, workers, equipment operators, flaggers, construction engineers, laborers, designers, traffic control providers and utility workers.
Whether you’re working onsite or just a driver passing through — there are things we all can do to minimize risks and stay safe.
As a driver, it’s easy to get frustrated when traveling through a construction zone. Orange cones, slower speed limits and traffic interruptions can seem like a real hassle. But this work is necessary to keep the roads we travel each day in driving condition, and improve the infrastructure to meet increased traffic demands.
It’s always important to stay alert when driving — especially during construction zones. Put your phone down, head up, keep both hands on the wheel and stay alert. Pay special attention to signs and workers alerting you as you travel through construction zones. Allow extra time to get to your destination. Remember, those workers are someone’s family member. It’s important they make it home safely after their shift. By being an alert motorist, you can help ensure they make it home to their loved ones.
As a worker in a work zone, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings. Not only is it important to pay attention to passing traffic; it’s equally important to pay attention to the other people and equipment working around you.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, the leading cause of highway construction worker injuries and fatalities is contact with construction vehicles, objects and equipment.
When working around vehicles and Heavy Equipment it’s important to be aware of blind spots. A blind spot is the area around a vehicle or piece of construction equipment that is not visible to the operator; either by direct line-of-sight or indirectly by use of internal and external mirrors. Blind spots create hazards such as running over or striking pedestrians; smashing site materials and tools; striking other equipment or vehicles; rollover on steep slopes; and contact with utilities.
Ground workers often need to be near moving equipment and vehicles to perform their work. Construction equipment is typically large and has an enclosed cab, which can make the blind areas around this equipment very large and hard to see. The bigger the equipment, the larger the blind spots or hazardous area for pedestrians and ground workers. Tools and attachments on vehicles can create greater blind spots, reduce visibility, or swings that increase the risk to workers being stuck or pinned.
Be alert. Watch out for heavy equipment moving with raised buckets. Be ready for possible sudden movements or changes in direction of equipment operation. Know the equipment swing radius — how far can it reach, move or rotate?
By taking the time to slow down and stay alert, we can all help ensure that everyone stays safe in the work zone.
For more information on training and the Safety Awareness programs Ring Power offers, visit http://ringpower.com/training/safety-awareness-level-training.aspx.