The year is quickly coming to an end and soon we may be dealing with slick roads and cold temperatures. The weekend time change also shortened your workday. Work zones can be dangerous during any season considering all of the factors that workers are dealing with out on the roads.
We receive monthly reports put together by Mark Bortle from the Iowa DOT listing information about work zone accidents. The information is divided into categories that focus on where the accident took place, fatality and injury numbers, and the 10 year averages for the categories. As you would probably guess, city streets have one of the lowest percentages of accidents with fatalities. The 10 year average for accidents on city streets that result in a fatality is only .5%. Injuries and property damage statistics from cities tell a different story, 34.5% of accidents cause injury and 80% cause property damage. These percentages are higher than interstate highway and county road numbers and just below those calculated from state highways.
Out of the eight fatalities that have occurred this year in work zones, all fatalities have been motorists. No matter whom the numbers point too, your employees still need to do their part to keep themselves and motorists safe. Remind everyone to turn on lights and flashers for safety. Strobe lights, beacons, and flashers might get the attention of a driver that has missed all of the signage and cones that workers have set up. Look at traffic in the area. A main street leading to a school or large employer can get extremely busy during certain times of the day, creating more chances for an accident. Save tree trimming or street light repair in these areas for lower traffic volumes. Always be aware of boom swing when using bucket trucks. Avoid the chance of making contact with oncoming traffic and equipment. Set up signs and cones to give motorists plenty of advance warning. Don’t assume that they will see your big truck or end loader in the middle of their lane. Consider staging trucks or equipment behind the work area to serve as a buffer for workers. Finally, make sure that everyone is wearing their high visibility clothing and that your signage and cones are in good condition. Weather and time of day play a big part in work zones and your projects don’t always coincide with the better of these two factors. Do your part to help minimize work zone accidents. Go above and beyond normal procedures at night or in poor driving conditions. Help Mark and the IDOT create accident reports with more zeros in the injury and fatality categories.
Out of the eight fatalities that have occurred this year in work zones, all fatalities have been motorists. No matter whom the numbers point too, your employees still need to do their part to keep themselves and motorists safe. Remind everyone to turn on lights and flashers for safety. Strobe lights, beacons, and flashers might get the attention of a driver that has missed all of the signage and cones that workers have set up. Look at traffic in the area. A main street leading to a school or large employer can get extremely busy during certain times of the day, creating more chances for an accident. Save tree trimming or street light repair in these areas for lower traffic volumes. Always be aware of boom swing when using bucket trucks. Avoid the chance of making contact with oncoming traffic and equipment. Set up signs and cones to give motorists plenty of advance warning. Don’t assume that they will see your big truck or end loader in the middle of their lane. Consider staging trucks or equipment behind the work area to serve as a buffer for workers. Finally, make sure that everyone is wearing their high visibility clothing and that your signage and cones are in good condition. Weather and time of day play a big part in work zones and your projects don’t always coincide with the better of these two factors. Do your part to help minimize work zone accidents. Go above and beyond normal procedures at night or in poor driving conditions. Help Mark and the IDOT create accident reports with more zeros in the injury and fatality categories.
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