FHWA Work Zone Program
SLIDE 1
FHWA Work Zone Program
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Safety Integration
Washington, DC
July 22, 2008
SLIDE 2
Work Zone Traffic Crashes
- 1,010 fatalities in 2006
- 2.3 % of total (42,642)
- 2.7/day (1 every 8 ½ hours)
- 10 yr. total (‘96-’05) – 9,355 fatalities
- Approx. 40,000 injuries annually
SLIDE 3
WZ Safety Grants
- Section 1409 of SAFETEA-LU
- Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule
- Temporary Traffic Control Devices
- Purpose – Prevent highway work zone injuries and fatalities
- Target audience – Craft, traffic control, utility workers, and law enforcement
- Nonprofit & not-for-profit organizations
- $5 M/year (FY ‘06-’09)
- 20% match
SLIDE 4
WZ Safety Grants
- Facilitate compliance with Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule
- Provide training resources for line workers and traffic control specialists
- Develop Guidance for assessing effectiveness of work zone design and layout
- Help fund a valuable compilation of work zone related information and resources on the web
SLIDE 5
WZ Safety Grantees
- ATSSA
American Traffic Safety Services Association - LHSFNA/ARTBA
Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America/American Road and Transportation Builders Association - WSU
Wayne State University - IIT
Illinois Institute of Technology
SLIDE 6
Area 1 – Highway Work Zone Worker Safety Training
Objective
- Continuation and expansion of existing training programs
- Development of new training programs
- Conduct training nationally for a wide range or work zone worker populations
SLIDE 7
Area 1 – Courses Developed/Provided (Multilingual)
- OSHA 10-hour construction course
- Traffic control workers/flaggers
- Runovers and Backovers
- Night work (for workers)
- Hazards of weather
- Sprains and strains
- Flagger Instructor
- Traffic Control Technician
- Traffic Control Supervisor
- Utility Traffic Control
- Nighttime Traffic Control
- Emergency Traffic Control
- Law Enforcement Officer
- “What Everyone Should Know”
SLIDE 8
Area 1 – Numbers Trained (as of 7/1/08)
- Roadway Safety Plus – 3,000+
- OSHA 10-Hour – 2,500
- ATSSA Worker Safety Training – 4,930
- WSU Utility Work Zone Pilot - 223
SLIDE 9
Area 2 – Highway Work Zones Guidelines Development
- To help agencies/groups achieve the prevention and reduction of work zone injuries and fatalities
- Assist with implementation and attainment of compliance with work zone safety and operations rules/regulations, policies, and standards
SLIDE 10
Area 2 - Subject Areas
- Positive protective devices (barriers)
- High visibility garments
- Work zone planning/data & impact analyses
- Pedestrian/bicycle safety in work zones
- Maintenance work zone safety
- 14 ANSI standards
- Positive separation/protection of workers
SLIDE 11
Area 2 - Products
- Work zone safety audit guidelines and training materials
- Utility work zone safety guidelines and training curricula
- Guidelines/training modules
SLIDE 12
AREA 3 – Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Training
- To help agencies/groups implement guidelines
- To promote best practices to prevent work zone injuries and fatalities
- Training for implementing Federal and/or State regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines
SLIDE 13
Area 3 – Subject Areas
- Nighttime work
- Work zone full closure
- Positive protection
- Variable speed limits
- Work zone road safety audits
- ITS uses in work zones
- Pedestrian accommodation
- Impact analysis
- Performance measures
- Law enforcement
- Public information and outreach
SLIDE 14
AREA 3 - Products
- Traffic control design specialist
- Urban work zone design
- Work zone strategies
- Analytical tools for work zone planning
- Pedestrian and bicycle considerations
- Maintenance and short duration activities
- Utility Traffic Control
- Variable speed limits
- ITS applications
- Train the Trainer Workshops (utility)
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SLIDE 16
NWZSIC
- Began 1998
- Site: www.workzonesafety.org
- Updates on Work Zone Safety Grants
- Site redesign completed
- Upgrade web infrastructure
- Expand and update content
- Outreach and promotion
SLIDE 17
Clearinghouse Resources
- World’s largest “cyber-library” of information on road construction safety:
- Best practices
- Laws and regulations
- Public awareness campaigns
- Work zone products
- Accident and fatality data
- Over 100,000 users each year
- Free, customized research
- Training and educational materials
SLIDE 18
New Features
- The Clearinghouse “Listserv” - serving over 500
registered users. Subscribers may view questions
live, via a daily digest or through listserv archives - FHWA “Work Zone Safety Grants” page
SLIDE 19
New Features
- The “Work Zone Wizard” blog led by Jerry Ullman
of the Texas Transportation Institute
- The “SafetyZone” e-newsletter - featuring timely
information, articles and resources
SLIDE 20
Relevant Legislation
- Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule (Subpart J)
- Temporary Traffic Control Devices Rule (Subpart K)
- Final Rule on Worker Visibility
- Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
SLIDE 21
Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule (Subpart J)
Purpose - Systematically consider WZ safety and mobility impacts, and develop strategies to help manage impacts
- Timeframes
- Published Final Rule September 2004
- Must implement Rule provisions by October 2007
- Key Elements
- Work zone safety and mobility policy for the systematic consideration and management of work zone impacts.
- Processes and procedures to implement work zone policies.
- Project-level procedures to assess and manage the work zone impacts of individual projects.
SLIDE 22
Temporary Traffic Control Devices (Subpart K)
Purpose - Decrease the likelihood of worker fatalities or injuries caused by motor vehicles and construction vehicles
- Timeframes
- Published November 2006
- Must implement Rule provisions by November 2008
- Key Elements
- Workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway who are exposed either to traffic or construction equipment within the work area shall wear high-visibility safety apparel.
SLIDE 23
Worker Visibility Rule
Purpose – establish minimum requirements and provides guidance for protection of workers and motorists in work zones
- Timeframes
- Published December 2007
- Must implement Rule provisions by December 2008
- Key Elements
- Positive protection devices must be considered through an engineering study
- Other traffic control measures, including the use of law enforcement should be considered and are eligible for federal-aid funding
- Develop and implement guidelines to help maintain the quality and adequacy of the temporary traffic control devices for the duration of the project
SLIDE 24
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
Purpose – establishes the proper and adequate placement of standard highway signs, signals, pavement markings, channelizing devices, and other traffic control devices on roadways and in work zones.
- Timeframes
- Published 2003
- To be updated in 2010
- Key Elements
- Part 6 – Temporary Traffic Control
- Chapter 6C – Fundamental principles of traffic control
- Chapter 6H – Typical applications
Last modified: 7/22/2008
Categories: FHWA Work Zone Safety Grant Program
