Summer 2008 Newsletter, Volume III

10,000 and Growing

Brad SantAmerican Road & Transportation Builders Association

Through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration, training is being presented across the country in an effort to reduce the number of fa-talities and injuries on roadway con-struction sites. Since 2004, approxi-mately 10,000 people have received training and/or ma-terials based on the acclaimed “Roadway Safety” program for roadway construc-tion. This interactive training program, developed through a unique collaboration between la-bor, management and government, is quickly becoming the standard for training in the industry.

The Program is organized into indi-vidual modules that provide informa-tion about the most common hazards

workers and motorists are likely to encounter during roadway construc-tion activities. Topics include night time construction, run-overs and back-overs, falls, excavations, work-ing outdoors, flagger safety, equip-ment operations, driving safety and much more. The innovative approach to the program’s design allows the in-formation to be presented as an over-

view of hazards or, by activat-ing additional imbedded tiers of information, instructors can also provide more in-depth

training on a number of different top-ics. Additionally, the information is available in many different media types—from interactive computer-based training to large “flipbooks” conducive to job site discussions.

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Gerald Ullman and Melissa FinleyTexas Transportation Institute

In a recent survey, AASHTO mem-bers and other highway construction industry experts identified the need for better guidance on setting speed limits and managing speeds in work zones as one of the top priorities for the FHWA work zone safety grant program. Slower speeds are as-sumed to result in safer work zones for both workers and the motoring public. Unfortunately, getting drivers to slow down through a work zone is not easy or inexpensive to accom-plish in most instances.

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FHWA Roadway Work Zone Training Consortium Partners

FHWA Roadway Work Zone Training Consortium

Inside

ANSI A10.47 Work Zone Safety for Highway Construction Standard . . . . . Pg. 2

Special Sneak Preview: MUTCD TA Interactive Training Exercises for Roadway Consortium Near Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 2

Since 2004, approximately 10,000 people have received training and/or materials based on the acclaimed “Roadway Safety” program for roadway construction.

Managing Speeds in Work

Zones: The Need For

Guidance

This month, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A10 committee will hold a meeting on proposed safety standards in construction and demolition. Up for consideration is the A10.47 standard, “Work Zone Safety for Highway Construction.” It is cur-rently under development by the A10 work zone subcommittee. The A10.47 standard has an exten-sive section specifically defining roadway construction terminol-ogy. It further details appropriate procedures and precautions in the following areas:

• Traffic Control • Flagger Safety • Runover/Backover Prevention • Equipment Operator Safety • Excavation, Electrical and Power Tool Safety • Fall Prevention • Materials Handling • Health Hazards • Night Work • Personal Protective Equipment

Much of the expertise and informa-tion available in A10.47 is made possible by a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Work Zone

Safety grant. Through this pro-gram, the FHWA provides fund-ing to help organizations facilitate highway work zone safety training and develop guidelines for injury and fatality prevention. The ANSI standard is part of the “guideline development” category of the grant program. For more information on the FHWA grant program, visit the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse at www.workzonesafety.org.

Adapted with permission from Lifelines Online, Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America

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The ANSI A10.47 Work Zone Safety For Highway Construction Standard

Special Sneak Preview: MUTCD TA Interactive Training Exercises for Roadway

Consortium Near ReleaseRod Wolford and Beth LarsonFOF Communications

Roadway consortium members are testing a Beta version of new interactive computer-based training exercises built around the MUTCD Technical Applications (TAs).

The new exercises allow trainers to break down and explain each of the four components of a TA, down to the finest detail. This includes explanations of sign and device spacing, lateral and longitudinal

buffer spaces, lateral offsets, work area locations and traffic spaces.

Trainers can also select spe-cific TAs to modify interactively on screen to demonstrate the impact of road type and speed limits. The illustrations change to show how MUTCD options and guidance for each TA in the MUTCD affect TA appearance. The selected TAs are based on survey results among stakeholders conducted earlier this year by the consor-tium. A “custom build” option is

part of the interactive package. A trainer can specify speeds and road types and then drag signs and devices onto the road and move them around to demonstrate various configurations.

The interactive MUTCD TA exercis-es will be released later this year in Version 9 of the Roadway Safety Training program (RSP). The con-sortium expects the interactive TA exercises to be a valuable addi-tion to the RSP. Version 8 is still available for download at www.workzonesafety.org.

A sample MUTCD TA interactive exercise screen. On this sample screen from the Beta version of the MUTCD TA exercises a trainer can: a) Click buttons to show various MUTCD tables, for example 6C-4 describes formulas for device setup. b) Set the speed limit. c) Setting the speed limit changes the maximum device spacing and taper lengths. d) Set the lane offset, which also changes device spacing and taper lengths. e) See the wide shot of the setup so that the trainer and the trainees can always see an overview of the detail under discussion. f) See the detail of the area under discussion, with appropriate visual and text reminders. g) Switch between metric and Standard/English measures.

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The program was also developed to meet the needs of the roadway construction industry that employs many non-English speaking work-ers. Materials have been devel-oped in English, Spanish and Portu-guese. When using the interactive program, instructors can switch instantly between the various lan-guages. In addition, each slide contains optional audio narration that can be activated allowing an English-speaking instructor to pro-vide simultaneous verbal training in Spanish and/or Portuguese. Also, all measurements in the program can be changed instantaneously between the Standard/English sys-tem and metric.

The program is now being offered at no cost across the U.S. through an extensive outreach program by the American Road and Transporta-tion Builders Association (ARTBA), the National Asphalt Pavement As-sociation (NAPA), the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the International Union of Operat-

ing Engineers (IUOE) and others. Organizations may request training by contacting any of the developing partners at the addresses listed at the end of this article.

After using the Roadway Safety program, one OSHA official com-mented, “We used the programs in their entirety, took parts out for em-phasis on other presentations, and made files of the pamphlets for our own presentations. As far as how it was received I must say that your materials have made an impact on the Heavy Highway Industry. . . Your discs and pamphlets are used by most contractors and we hear only rave reviews on the materi-als when we get evaluations after the classes. You do a bang up job and I can only hope to continue the honor of using your training materi-als to improve Safety and Health . . . I can never repay you for the good the materials have done.”

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To request materials or training, please contact the following individuals:

ARTBA: Omar Lopez olopez@artba.org -for training and materialsLHSFNA: Erin Winkler ewinkler@lhsfna.org -for training and materialsNAPA: Don Elisburg delisbur@infionline.net -for materials onlyIUOE: Emmett Russell Erussell@iuoe.org -for materials onlyAASHTO: Marty Vitale: MartyV@aashto.org -for materials only

OSHA 10-hour training conducted through the FHWA Grant for

the Navajo Nation

As the Roadway Safety consortium works to develop better guidance on this particular topic, it is useful to revisit some common perceptions and questions that exist with regards to managing work zone speeds.

Do Slower Speeds Improve Safety?

It is generally perceived that safety is improved when traffic is going slower. Logically, crashes and their resulting injuries are likely to be more severe at higher operating speeds than if speeds are lower. In addition, a vehicle traveling at a slower speed will have a little more time to react and recover in emergency situations, should the need arise. However, how fast the traffic is moving does not have a strong correlation with crash frequency. In other words, traf-fic moving along at a steady pace, albeit a fast one, may be safer than forcing the traffic to slow down quickly causing rear end collisions. Consequently, reduc-ing vehicle speeds too dramatically or too quickly can sometimes reduce safety.

Does Posting Lower Work Zone Speed Limits Decrease Speeds?

One of the biggest misconceptions in work zone speed management is that simply lowering the speed limit will actually reduce motorists’ speed. Unfortunately, numerous studies have shown that just posting a reduced speed limit by itself will not slow drivers down. Drivers will only reduce their speeds through the work zone if they clearly perceive a need to do so. Indeed, speeds will

generally decrease somewhat in work zone situations where drivers see a reason for them to slow down, such as when large equipment and work crews are out next to mov-ing traffic. Enforcement of the new posted speeds by law enforcement officers in the work zone will also slow traffic. It is the situation they see, and not the reduced speed limit itself, that causes drivers to reduce their speed. In these instances, reduced speed limits reinforce driv-ers’ perceptions of the need to slow down.

How Can We Further Reduce Mo-torists’ Speeds?

Management techniques can be used to encourage compliance, including portable changeable message signs (PCMS) with radar, speed display trailers, transverse rumble strips, drone radar and tradi-tional and automated enforcement techniques. Most of these tech-niques will only reduce speeds by a few miles-per-hour. The exception is the presence of law enforcement, which can yield up to 15 mph de-crease in some situations. Enforce-ment is also the most expensive technique.

Consequently, its use must be man

aged much more carefully than the other techniques. Some states are now experimenting or consider-ing use of photo enforcement radar, which early studies have shown can be very effective at reducing traffic speeds through work zones and is less labor intensive.

How Can We More Easily Deter-mine and Use Appropriate Work Zone Speed Limits for Condi-tions?

Unnecessary speed limit reductions do not reduce vehicle speeds and can be counterproductive to safety.

However, there are often times over the course of a project where reduced vehicle speeds may be necessary. As a result, a single speed limit is not always appropriate for a particular work zone, and mechanisms for allow-ing different speed limits to be posted based on current condi-tions are needed.

Changing signs can be a very te-dious task to complete on a daily or weekly basis. The following new technologies can be used to

more easily change speed limits.

• Static speed limit signs with flashing beacons (flashing beacons are activated when reduced speed limit in effect, similar to school zone beacons);

• roll-up speed limit signs that can be mounted on portable sign stands; and

• variable speed limit signs.

Currently, some state laws may prevent the use of some of these devices. In addition, research is ongoing to determine their effective-ness and practicality.

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This material is based upon work supported by the Federal Highway Administration under grant agreement No. DTFH61-06-G-00007. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the Author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Federal Highway Administration

Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America American Road & Transportation Builders Association

National Asphalt Pavement AssociationInternational Union of Operating Engineers Laborers’-AGC Education & Training Fund

American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials CNA

Texas Transportation InstituteJames E. Bryden, PEFOF Communications

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Work Zone Safety Grant Information

FHWA Roadway Work Zone Training Consortium

FHWA Roadway Work Zone Training Consortium Partners

Background . . . Work zones remain a dangerous element of the transportation network, represent-ing over 1000 fatalities annually. The work zone related injuries and fatalities involve motorists traveling through the work zone, as well as workers working on roadway construction/maintenance/utility projects. The trends of growing traffic, increased road construction, and public frustration with work zones have con-tributed to the growing intensity of work zone safety impacts on workers and traveling public. The impacts raise an urgent need for guidance and training for work zone workers, the public, and transportation agen-cies and groups towards prevention of highway work zone injuries and fatalities.

Grant Tasks . . . The objective of this grant is to provide assistance for highway work zone safety train-ing and guideline development towards the improvement of highway work zone safety. The Roadway Work Zone Training Consortium will perform the following tasks under this grant: Highway Work Zone Worker Safety Training; Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Development; and Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Training.