IMPROVING the health and safety of both workers and motorists in roadway construction zones are key objectives of an alliance formed this year among the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and its construction industry allies, organized labor, and the federal government.
“ARTBA and its members from the public and private sectors feel strongly they have a moral obligation to protect the safety of workers and motoring public in roadway construction zones,” said Tom Hill, ARTBA chairman. “That's why the association has a long-standing relationship working with the federal government and labor groups to develop an array of educational initiatives and training programs aimed at improving safety on America's highways and in road construction zones. The alliance, announced formally November 18, 2003, has, in many ways, already been in practice for more than 20 years.”
Alliance members include the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), The Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Coalition, which includes ARTBA, the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
“This Alliance bolsters our efforts to protect the health and safety of workers in roadway work zones,” said John Henshaw, OSHA administrator. “Together, we create the synergy to focus more effectively on work zone safety and health issues on a national level and develop innovative solutions for reducing injuries and fatalities.”
Together the groups will develop hazard awareness training and education programs aimed at training workers, educating the roadway construction industry, and reaching out to non-English-speaking construction workers about safe practices in roadway work zones.
Alliance members will also share research findings with the construction industry so that the interventions and best practices described in training and outreach activities are based upon the most accurate scientific data.