Tag Archives: traffic safety

General Safety Issues

Top 7 Road Construction Work Zone Safety Tips

Top 7 Road Construction Work Zone Safety Tips

Whether you are traveling or constructing roads or houses – safety if the main focus point. We all agree on the statement that it is very important to have self-protection to be safe from any type of mishap respectively. There should be valid rules for the person who personally belongs to the construction field. It is very important to save them from any type of serious mishap respectively. As we all know very well that the field of construction is really needed to provide the complete safety precautions to their employees in the field so they can efficiently provide the best services in a better way.

There are multiple options available in selecting the asphalt paving company if you need to maintain the best surface of the road. While paving the road there are different types of challenges which a professional company has to face. These challenges are as follows:

  • Providing the best security solutions to the other people which provide them the safest way to pass through the under-construction area
  • Place the signboards on the different sections of the road to notify people regarding the work in process notice
  • Employees should wear the safety helmet and jacket to be easily recognized in the field
  • Employees should spread the safety precautions to the vehicles and the pedestrians to avoid any type of serious injury
  • It is compulsory to provide the alternative road to the people while the respective road is under-construction
  • Work should be completed efficiently within a specified time of period

These things are very important to provide the common people the best safety precautions. Here we will discuss some important but useful tips for the asphalt pavers while completing the project respectively.

  • Make a strong strategy

It is very much important to make a strong strategy while starting the paving process to build a strong road for the people. The suggested plan should be normal traffic control which will not disturb the people to reach their places. You should apply the best strategy to control the traffic in a way that people can easily pass through it. While operating the heavy machinery on the site you should have to maintain the area in such a way that will not disturb the normal traffic on the road.

  • Make a proper plan for traffic control

It is compulsory to have the better plan to control the traffic area of the respective place. You can place the warning signs on the relevant places to update people about the construction process so they can also use the strategy for the respective place.

  • Use cones to mark the area

As we all know very well that road construction areas really need to have care and precautions for the other traffic. This is why the best thing would be the road traffic cones on the respective area of the road which will directly indicate the traffic to use the diversions for the other safe route.

  • Wear safety equipment

It is also very much important to wear the safety equipment on the construction site to identify yourself as a worker of the specific place. It will also notify the traffic to reduce the speed limit due to work in progress. It is very much important to wear the sharp colors equipment to notify people from a far distance.

  • Use Helmet

The helmet is the most important equipment in this whole process to be safe from any type of serious injury. Usually, the helmet saves the person from any type of hard thing to get hit on the head. Head injury is the most crucial injury and could cause the death of the worker on the spot.

  • Start your day with the new goals

When you will start the new day with updated goals you will definitely get the best result out of it. Driveway paving contractors will discuss the fresh updates with their whole crew and they also remind them to complete the task within a specified time period. It will also identify them about the things which they have to complete within a whole day.

  • Make a site safety program

It is very important to provide the best safety to the people around you. You have to make a strategy to keep the other people safe from any type of mishap during the work in process. While making the construction program for the road, it is important to have the best ideas on how to keep other people safe from any type of disturbance. There should be valid spaces for the traffic which can easily be moved without any disturbance.

General Safety Issues, High Visibility Safety

YOUNG PEOPLE AND MOTORCYCLISTS MORE LIKELY TO BE HURT ON UK ROADS (GUEST POST)

Written by Matthew Crist in association with Canter, Levin and Berg. Solicitors with decades of experience when it comes to car accident claims.

It may not be a shock to some, but people aged between 20 and 24 are more likely to be injured on the road than any other group according to a recent report into road accidents.  The revelation comes after a national travel survey of 17,000 people published by the Department for Transport (DfT)As many as 6.7% of 20 to 24-year-olds said they had been injured in a road accident in the period 2010 to 2012 compared with the all-adult (16 and over) average of 3.8%.  That’s almost twice the national average.

The news doesn’t get much better for drivers aged between 25 and 29 of whom 5.8% suffered a road accident injury in 2010-12.  Yet again, the more vulnerable of road users face a greater likelihood of being killed or injured on the roads.

Motorcycle users, per mile ridden, are roughly 35 times more likely to be killed in road traffic accidents than car occupants, while pedestrians and pedal cyclists are roughly 11 times more likely to be killed.

Perhaps the biggest surprise to come out of the survey is how few people over 60 were involved in a road traffic accident over the same period. Just 1.8% of those aged 60 and over had been injured in a road accident in the three-year period.

There is little doubt that these figures have been pushed up by the number of young drivers who are involved in road traffic accidents each year, a number that shows little sign of falling.  Although many people claim they have been hurt on our roads, not all of the injuries and most were relatively minor.

Of the slight injuries, whiplash accounted for 57% over the 2010-12 period, followed by minor bruising or cuts.  Fractures and broken bones were the main serious injuries, followed by severe shock.  Of those who responded to the survey 77% who reported injuries sought some form of medical attention, with 38% having treatment at accident and emergency departments – showing the incredible strain that accidents on the road place on the UK’s health system.

Once again it’s rural roads that see more injuries. Despite carrying only around 40% of traffic, quieter country roads saw almost 60% of all of the road accidents reported in this period.  Surprisingly, only 5% of deaths and injuries occur on motorways, despite these roads carrying 20% of traffic.

Our thanks to Matthew Crist for this informative article.  I am curious to know if the U.S. statistics would match up close to these figures.  (Tomorrow’s post will give you some information on world-wide statistics).  One suggestion to pedestrians and cyclists would be to wear high-visiblity vests or gear in order to be seen by drivers. pb

 
General Safety Issues, High Visibility Safety

DEVELOP WORK ZONE TRAFFIC SAFETY PLANS

DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS

U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA chief encourages safe cleanup efforts

The U.S. Department of Labor is always concerned that the loss of life or serious injury to recovery workers won’t be added to tragedies caused by calamitous weather.  Quoting Ed Foulke, Head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “I encourage you to take proper precautions to avoid serious injury.  Identify the risks.  Wear personal protective equipment when working in cleanup areas.”

These words can apply to the many disasters in our country: tornadoes, floods, and fires.  Using professionally trained personnel and volunteers, recovery crews need to be informed of the special hazards they are facing before they begin their efforts, and particularly how to stay protected in areas with moving equipment and traffic.

An example of such planning includes:

  • Develop a traffic control plan, and properly train all workers involved.
  • Provide the crew with high visibility apparel and headwear that is visible day or night, and conspicuous to motorists and equipment operators.
  • Signs need to be placed well ahead of the work area to give motorists advance notice.
  • Traffic Controls such as barriers, cones, and a flag person are to be utilized.
  • Flag personnel must wear high visibility headwear and clothing.  They should stand alone while doing their duty.  Other workers should never gather around the person who is flagging traffic.
  • Crew members need to be trained not to stand between mechanical equipment and fixed objects or blind spots.

Blog4Safety says “Thank You” to the many unsung heroes who do this type of work every day as their regular job, or volunteer in times of need.
Source: OSHA
USDOL

Uncategorized

ON THE ROAD AGAIN…..TURN THAT CELL PHONE OFF!

The following information is for your good and the good of all others on the road – using cell phones while driving is dangerous, and puts you and others at risk!  Many countries, as well as some cities and states in the United States have made it illegal to talk using a hand-held phone while driving.  California drivers under age 18 may not use cell phones while driving, except in emergency situations.

If you simply must use a cell phone on the road, here are some tips to keep you safe:

  • Stop the vehicle while placing calls.
  • Use hand-free or speaker phones.
  • If you have to text, for Pete’s sake, pull off the road!
  • Focus on your driving; do not make emotional or important business calls that divert your attention.
  • Keep your phone within easy reach.
  • Let your passenger make the call for you, or let your passenger drive while you make the call.

There are many folks who make their living driving all day (or night).  Employers should ensure mobile workers are using their cell phones safely, and not risking their life or others due to improper cell phone usage.  Companies should create and enforce policies regarding hands-free operation of cell phones in order for their remote workers to be less distracted while driving.  Some prefer to use answering services for their drivers to access once they arrive safely at their destination.

How on earth did we ever make it without these wonderful little gadgets?  They are a welcome convenience to our busy lives; however, we need to exercise caution if we choose to use them while driving.  If we don’t pay attention, the results could be devastating.

General Safety Issues, High Visibility Safety, Weather Protection

Are You Bright Enough For Your Work?

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Until the document regarding American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel (ANSI/ISEA 107-1999) was published, there was no authoritative guide for performance specifications, design, and use of high visibility and reflective apparel, which included vests, bib-jumpsuit coveralls, jackets, harnesses and trousers.  The many workers that need this protection are now assured of being seen, both day and night, when they wear apparel that conforms to these regulations.  These conspicuity classes of garments are based on wearer’s activities:
Class I:

  • Occupations requiring full and undivided attention to approaching traffic, moving no faster than 25 mph.
  • Non-complex work backgrounds.
  • Working away from traffic.
  • Examples: Sidewalk maintenance workers, parking lot attendants, roadside “right of way”, delivery vehicle drivers (if criteria is met for Class I), shopping cart retrievers, and workers in warehouses with equipment traffic.

Class I garments should have a visible background of 217 sq. inches, and visible reflective of 155 sq. inches.
Class II:

  • Occupations for workers that need greater visibility in inclement weather, or have greater risks than Class I; whose activities are near roadways where traffic speeds exceed 25 mph but less than 50 mph.
  • Complex work backgrounds.
  • Diversion of traffic attention.
  • Examples: Ship cargo handlers, roadway construction, airport baggage/ground crew, emergency response/law enforcement, forestry, railway workers, school crossing guards, trash collection and recycling, delivery vehicle drivers where criteria is met.

Class II garments should have a visible background of 755 sq. inches, and visible reflective of 201 sq. inches.
Class III:

  • Occupations of workers who face serious hazards and have high task loads that require attention away from their work.  Garments should provide enhanced visibility to more of the body, such as arms and legs.  Workers in locations where traffic exceeds 50 mph, should have the highest level of conspicuity.
  • Workers who are exposed to extreme weather conditions.
  • High risk workers and limited sight distances jobs.
  • Examples: Utility workers, roadway personnel, survey crews, emergency response, equipment operators, railway workers, accident side investigators.

Class III garments should have a visible background of 1240 sq. inches, and visible reflective of 310 sq. inches.

Always be sure that the label on the vests identifies the vest maker and that it meets ANSI/ISEA.  It should display a picture of the vest, class and brightness level, and garment care guide.
Source: ANSI, Occunomix