WORK ZONE SAFETY: DANGERS AND SOME SOLUTIONS

Construction zone fatalities increased 43% between 1982 and 1987, at a time when all highway deaths rose 6%. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) conducted some on-site inspections and discovered not all state agencies, or all contractors, are following accepted work zone practices. Problems include misleading road markings and signs, excessive edge drop-offs, portable concrete barriers not connected or anchored, and improper flagging techniques. Enforcement seems to be necessary. There is also the cost of setting up work zones. Bids for road projects are quoted that included work zone costs amounting to 2.5% to 7% of the bids. While 43 states require traffic maintenance as a separate bid item, it doesn't appear that all are living up to the letter of the law in building the cost of safety into the contract. Regarding recent ideas to improve work zone safety, there have been several. A new concrete barrier, smaller than the Jersey types and hinged together, and a machine which can pick them up and move them laterally 6 to 16 ft. in one pass while traveling in either direction, have been approved by the FHWA on an experimental basis. The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) has initiated a design competition to generate ideas on how to protect maintenance workers. Prototypes of winning designs will be built and demonstration projects set up. A British manufacturer has developed a pothole filler that sweeps, fills and compacts the material while allowing the worker to remain in the tractor. The remainder of this article discusses work zone accident costs, pedestrian safety, and training materials aimed at improving work zone safety.