MAKING WORK ZONE SAFETY A PRIORITY

Every day, roadway workers face serious risks simply by doing their jobs near live traffic. Work zones are among the most dangerous environments in construction, and the consequences of unsafe driving through these areas are often fatal.

According to national data, nearly 900 people are fatally injured in work zone crashes each year, and thousands more are injured. Alarmingly, most of those killed are drivers or passengers, but roadway workers are also at constant risk. For the construction industry, this danger is especially critical: struck-by incidents account for roughly one in five construction worker fatalities, making them a leading cause of fatalities cited by OSHA.

These realities make work zone safety a shared responsibility, one that extends beyond roadway crews to employers, fleet operators, and every driver passing through a work zone.

National Work Zone Awareness Week, taking place this year from April 20-24, serves as a national call to action for safer behaviors in and around work zones. The annual event is coordinated by an Executive Committee of national partners, including American Traffic Safey Services Association, Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, OSHA and more than a dozen additional agencies committed to improving work zone safety.

Written by the Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Alliance