Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/109757
Applications & Innovations to minimize the possibility of injury is where the workers stand when they are near traffic-control equipment. "History has shown many instances of employees picking up lane-closure signs who have been hit while standing at the back of the equipment," Sterndahl says. "We try to avoid this by having workers stand to the side of the truck." The company welded the rear gates closed so no one can get the equipment off the truck from the back. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports 51 percent of worker-on-foot fatalities that occurred within a highway work zone involved backing vehicles, according to a federal government report. Emerging technologies in the field of operations include after-market devices, such as cameras and proximity detection systems. The use of spotters and internal traffic control plans can also make backing operations safer. Struck-by injuries and caught between injuries are two of the four leading causes of workplace fatalities. OSHA Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) data indicates that, between 2005 and 2010, more than 350 workers died as a result of backing incidents. While these incidents can be fatal, workers can also suffer severe, non-fatal injuries. A review of OSHA's IMIS database found that backing incidents can result in serious injury to the back and pelvis, fractured bones, concussion, amputation and other injuries. 2 Don't Be Complacent On a jobsite that requires a rigid attention to detail, sometimes the simplest – and most important – safety practices can go overlooked. Many times, road crews forget to go back to the basics and become too comfortable when working around traffic. "Something I commonly share in safety meetings – and perhaps the best advice – is to always use caution," Sterndahl says. "Employees who have worked around high-speed traffic for many years almost get immune to it. This can create a dangerous situation if they become so used to it that they don't practice caution." One way to counteract this complacency is for the jobsite managers to talk to their crews and prepare them for each jobsite and the dangers they could encounter. Sterndahl has tailgate safety meetings specific to each jobsite, and they have companywide monthly safety meetings. New employees also receive jobsite and classroom training. "It creates a mindset in the new employee that they have an obligation to learn," Sterndahl says. "By design, we've minimized the number of work-place injuries." Another factor in avoiding numbness to the job is for crews to remember where they are and to keep a watchful eye on the passing cars. Although it may sound simple, many acciBetter Roads February 2013 31