National Work Zone Awareness Week: April 4-8, 2011

Bill Messerschmidt

Manager

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

This week, April 4-8, is National Work Zone Awareness Week. This event is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) each year for the purpose of increasing drivers' awareness of the dangers associated with highway work zones.

The theme of this year's event, "Whose Life is on the Line?" references the fact that almost 80% of the individuals killed in work zone crashes are motorists - not highway workers.

In 2009, there were 667 people killed in highway work zones and maintenance zones. This is a substantial decline since 2000, when 1,026 people were killed. To help keep these numbers on the decline, the National Work Zone Information Clearinghouse has created a comprehensive website with links to training, safety equipment, statistics, and regulations. The site is a valuable resource for contractors, workers, supervisors, and traffic planners.

The FHWA's website contains a great deal of useful information on work zone safety, including tools for work zone management, process review, and performance metrics.

Work Zone Awareness Week Begins Today

Every year, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sponsors an educational campaign to raise awareness about highway work zone safety. According to the FHWA, about one worker is killed every 10 hours in a highway construction zone.

You can view the 2009 Work Zone Awareness Week poster here:

http://www.atssa.com/galleries/default-file/NWZAW-Poster-Vert-web.pdf

The FHWA also provides a great deal of statistical data on highway injuries here:

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/facts/