Work Zone Safety and Traffic

ManagementAlazar Tesfaye, PE

Traffic Operations EngineerColorado DOT

Transportation Systems Management and Operations Division

Rahel Desalegne, PE, PTOESenior Traffic/ITS Engineer

TranSmart Technologies, Inc.Safe Roads To Health

First ERA-EEO Transportation and Safety Symposium

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, December 30, 2014

What is a Work Zone?

A designated area on a street or highway where construction is taking place.

“An area of a traffic-way where construction, maintenance, or utility work activities are identified by warning signs/signals/indicators, including those on transport devices that mark the beginning and end of a construction, maintenance, or utility work activity…signals” FHWA

Importance of Work Zone Safety andTraffic Management Injury and fatality exposures are higher in

highway work zones for workers, motorist and pedestrians

Work zone traffic control/management influences drivers’ perception of risk

Provides information on potential hazards Minimizes aggressive behavior Assists in navigation Keep work zones safe for workers, motorist

and pedestrians.

Importance of Work Zone Safety and Traffic Management

Work Zone Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) and management are used to improve safety in work zones

TTC combines highway/traffic engineering features with what rational drivers expectation

TTC considers: Various age groups of drivers and pedestrians Complexity of work zone information handling Limited capability of humans for detecting,

processing, and remembering information

Work Zone Challenges

Day & night time condition awareness

Traffic pattern changes Incident management

Construction worker & road user safety

Work zone congestion & delay Roadway capacity & speed

reductions Alternate routing & travel route

availability

Types of Work Zones

Each Work zone is different

Many variables affect the needs of each work zone:

Location of work Duration of work Highway type Geometrics

»Vertical and horizontal alignment, intersections, interchanges, etc.

Road user volumes»Road vehicle mix (buses, trucks, and cars) and road user speeds

Type of Work Zones Major factor in determining the number and types of devices used in

Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) zones

As per the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), five categories of work duration are defined:

Long-term stationary is work that occupies a location more than 3 days

Intermediate-term stationary is work that occupies a location more than one daylight period up to 3 days, or nighttime work lasting more than 1 hour

Short-term stationary is daytime work that occupies a location for more than 1 hour within a single daylight period

Short duration is work that occupies a location up to 1 hour

Mobile is work that moves intermittently or continuously.

Long Term Stationary Work(more than 3 days)

Typically utilize a full range of TTC procedures and devices TTC elements may include:

»Larger channelizing devices, temporary roadways, and temporary traffic barriers

»Retro reflective and/or illuminated devices

Source: www.ncdot.org

Intermediate-Term Stationary Work (up to 3 days, or nighttime work lasting more than 1 hour)

May not be practical to use the same procedures or devices for long-term stationary TTC zones, such as altered pavement markings, temporary traffic barriers, and temporary roadways.

Increased time to place and remove these devices could significantly lengthen the project, thus increasing exposure time.

Intermediate-Term Stationary Work

Source: www.elcosh.org

Short-Term Stationary Work (more than 1 hour within a single daylight period)

Most maintenance and utility operations are short-term stationary work Devices having greater mobility might be

necessary »Signs mounted on trucks »Use channelizing cones

Appropriately colored or marked vehicles with rotating/strobe lights may be used in place of signs and channelizing devices

»May be augmented with signs or arrow panels

Short-Term Stationary Work

Source: www.abcosafety.com

Mobile Work Zone

Often involve frequent short stops for activities

Such as pavement marking, litter cleanup, pothole patching, or utility operations, and are similar to short-duration operations

TTC zones may includes:

Warning signs, high-intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe lights on a vehicle, flags, and/or channelizing devices

Flaggers A shadow vehicle equipped with an arrow panel or

a sign following the work vehicle

Mobile Work Zone

www.workzone.eng.wayne.edu

Work Zone Traffic Control Guidelines

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provides minimum Federal requirements

Various demanding situations may warrant enhanced safety precautions, such as: Nighttime work Inclement weather conditions Unusual roadway geometry and environment Combinations of the above

Going beyond existing standards/guidelines may be necessary to ensure highest levels of traffic and worker safety

Work Zone Traffic Control Guidelines

MUTCD provides clear guidance

Work Zone Elements

Advance warning area

Transition area

Buffer space

Activity (work) area

Termination area

Work Zone ElementsAdvance warning area

Advises drivers about what to expect in the upcoming work zone area or areas

Work Zone ElementsTransition area

Redirect traffic from a normal traffic flow to a new flow

Work Zone Elements Buffer space

Provides protection for workers

Work Zone Elements Activity area

The area where work takes place which may also include a “lateral” buffer space.

Work Zone ElementsTermination area

Shall be used to return road users to their normal path

Shall extend from the downstream end of the work area to the last TTC device

Key elements that SHOULD be considered to improve worker safety:

Training Worker safety apparel Temporary reflective traffic

barriers Speed reduction measures Planning of activity area Planning for worker safety

Worker Safety Considerations

Worker safety apparel

Workers SafetyWhat’s wrong in this picture?

Workers SafetyWhat’s wrong in this picture?

Flagger Safety

What’s wrong in these pictures?

Transportation Management Plan Objective is:

Ensures the safety of road users and workers

“Transportation Management Plan (TMP) lays out a set of strategies for managing the work zone impacts of a project” FHWA

Shows how traffic will be managed during construction

Required on ALL Federal-aid projects

Scalable to the type of project being considered

TMP Contents

Transportation Management Plans (TMP) Required on all projects Temporary Traffic Control Plan (TTCP) Transportation Operations Plan (TOP) Public Information Plan (PIP)

Significant Project TTCP, TOP and PIP Required

Non-Significant Project TTCP Required TOP and PIP Recommended

TMP Development

TMP development begins in the project planning and scoping phase Involves planning and design staff Incorporates big picture issues Further details as project progresses Allows more accurate programming and budgets

»Maintaining traffic schemes (Temporary structure for maintaining traffic, crossovers, etc.)

»Temporary ITS applications»Coordination with corridor and network projects

TMP Implementation

Performance Performance monitoring

»Worksite trailers»Travel time»Queues»Cameras / Detectors

Crashes»How much did accidents decrease because of mitigation

measures and comparable projects»Did accident severity decrease

Measurements versus expectations»How did actual measured delay compare with expected delay

(travel time, queues)

Project documentation

Employers' ResponsibilityOn the worksite:

Always keep other workers in mind Set up a means of communication with

workers around you Never allow unauthorized workers to ride on

equipment Make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) a

requirement to all workers (ie. Reflective vest, hart hat, etc.)

Know the Job! Know the internal traffic control plan Know the work zone and your position in it Use designated equipment routes and areas Identify rollover hazards such as unleveled

areas, embankments, and unstable soil

Employee’s Responsibility

Employee’s ResponsibilityPut into practice

all training provided by the employer

Always wear high visibility clothing and other PPE as required

Safety Awareness

As a motorist: Pay attention to the orange

diamond shaped warning signs

Stay alert

Minimize distractions

Follow posted speed limits

Be prepared for the unexpected

Source: www.wdot.wa.gov

Additional InformationAmerican Society of Safety Engineers

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Federal Highway Administration

Federal OSHA

Questions?

Thank you