Roadside Work Safety Tips
26 Nov 2020 Traffic Control
If you are planning a construction project that will involve working on roadways, it is important to ensure that your workers have rules and guidelines that will keep them safe on the jobsite. At Valley Traffic Systems, they know that the safety of everyone in a construction zone—workers, pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists—should always come first. That is why they have put together some simple roadside work safety tips to help you create a safer working environment for everyone.
1. Create a Traffic Management Plan
Every road construction project, no matter how big or how small, should have a traffic management plan in place that outlines how traffic will be conducted around or through the work zone. A successful traffic management plan will also provide details on how equipment, construction vehicles, and workers will interact inside the construction area.
2. Create Separate Spaces
Since road construction areas tend to be extremely busy with a lot of moving parts, it is important to use cones, barrels, and barriers to clearly mark out separate parts of the work zone. This will make it easier for workers to determine where materials should be stored, where the heavy equipment will be used, where other vehicles will be parked, and which areas are safe to move around in on foot.
3. Uses Personal Protective Equipment
Ensuring that all workers are wearing proper personal protective equipment—hard hats, high-vis clothing, ear protection, steel-toed boots, etc.—at all times can help prevent injuries from occurring onsite.
4. Ensure Clean Lines of Sight
Blind spots can be extremely dangerous in construction zones, especially when numerous pieces of heavy equipment are being moved at the same time. While safety devices, such as mirrors, visual aids, and backup alarms, can help prevent accidents, everyone working on the construction site should also make sure to maintain visual contact with drivers as much as possible.
5. Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Workers should always be aware of their surroundings when working on a construction site. This means that you should always try to face traffic or should have a spotter available who can monitor the movement of vehicles and heavy equipment while your back is turned.
If you would like to learn more roadside work safety tips, or if you are interested in their traffic management services, please contact Valley Traffic Systems at the location nearest you or by filling out a contact form on their website.
