Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114368

Walter Jones, Occupational Health and Safety, Laborers Health and Safety Fund North America, 605 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 624-6960, wjones@lhsfna.org

In 2003, there were 1,028 roadway work zone fatalities. That is a sharp increase from 1998 when there were 772 fatalities reported. Common thinking is that roadway work-zone accidents are due to vehicle intrusion into the work zone. However, between 1992 and 1998, the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries reported 841 worker fatalities in highway and street construction. Of those fatalities, 492 occurred in work zones. Of those 492, 465 involved a vehicle or a piece of equipment. In 318 of the 465 vehicle- and equipment-related fatalities within work zones, a worker on foot was struck by a vehicle. The bottom line: workers on foot are as likely to be struck by a construction vehicle (154 fatalities) as by a passing traffic vehicle (152 fatalities). Inside the work zone the most hazardous activity is vehicles backing, which caused 51% of the 154 worker-on-foot fatalities in the work zones. The most hazardous vehicle in a construction work zone is the dump truck. To reduce the fatality rates the traffic flow of construction vehicles, equipment and workers must be controlled. Efforts must be made to isolate workers from vehicles, reduce the need for backing, and use spotters and new backing technologies. In addition, buffer spaces must be designed to protect workers from errant vehicle intrusions.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the top cause of work zone fatalities. Learn about internal traffic control plans. Learn about new technologies to prevent backing fatalities.

Keywords: Occupational Health, Workplace Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation