Skip to main content

Innovation to drive US work zone death cuts

Innovation must drive new strategies to reduce the near 600 deaths and 40,000 injuries that occur annually in US roadway construction zones, according to a leading American highway industry association figure. Speaking during the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) Brad Sant, ARTBA’s top safety expert, said: “Just last week, ARTBA renewed its innovative alliance with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and industry partne
April 25, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Workzones on highway projects present major safety risks to on-site personnel according to ARTBA.
Innovation must drive new strategies to reduce the near 600 deaths and 40,000 injuries that occur annually in US roadway construction zones, according to a leading American highway industry association figure.

Speaking during the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) Brad Sant, ARTBA’s top safety expert, said: “Just last week, ARTBA renewed its innovative alliance with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and industry partners. The alliance is unique in that it includes multiple federal agencies, organised labour, representation from state agencies and employer associations—all working together to ensure our workplaces are safer for all involved.”

The 2012 NWZAW, running until April 27, 2012, kicked-off with an April 23 national news conference at a Route 141 construction zone in St. Louis.  The event, hosted by the 2699 Missouri Department of Transportation, aimed to publicly highlight the safety risks for motorists and workers associated with driving through these sites. 

Sant, ARTBA’s senior vice president of safety and education, also highlighted a new course, ‘Preventing Runovers and Backovers’, developed in partnership with OSHA and the 5159 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), as a first-of-its-kind programme to address the problem of ‘struck-by’ incidents in roadway construction. 

“For over a decade the industry has identified runovers and backovers as the primary safety concern for our workers,” said Sant. “Now, with backing from OSHA and NIOSH, ARTBA is providing the industry with the first, comprehensive course to address the problem, and we are giving away this training and material for free.”

Related Content

  • Cultivate better on-site safety awareness by leveraging technology with Leica Geosystems
    August 10, 2023
    When a vital fiber-optic cable was cut during construction work in Germany, the impact was huge. There were telecom disruptions affecting the greater Frankfurt area, all departures and landings at Frankfurt Airport were suspended, and Lufthansa’s global IT system crashed. Leica Geosystems says it is vital to put in place “strategies to protect people, equipment, and assets… and to emphasise the crucial role digital solutions play in ensuring safety.”
  • US road safety record
    April 26, 2012
    The latest official statistics from the US on road accidents show that fatality levels on the nation's roads have dropped to the lowest figures seen for more than six decades. The information was released by US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, revealing that highway deaths fell to 32,885 for 2010, the lowest level since 1949.
  • Workzone safety a source of concern in Europe
    February 15, 2012
    Work-related road safety is an emerging source of concern throughout Europe, which needs renewed commitment from all those involved. It is estimated that in the EU-15, 39% of fatal work accidents are road traffic accidents, and this number would even be considerably higher should accidents while commuting to and from work be included.
  • Transportation construction a positive
    April 3, 2020
    The US transportation construction sector is a positive in challenging times.