Road Safety: Ensuring The Safety Of Workers And Commuters During Road Construction

Road construction projects do pose the risk of physical danger to the workers and the commuters who are always present around the construction site. That is why it’s essential to take proper precautions and ensure the safety of the people during construction, regardless of their involvement in the project. Lack of safety measures can lead to accidents, which can then result in injuries and even death. 

Reducing the possibility of accidents on the construction site is very important. Since road construction projects are usually equipped with heavy machinery and tools that can be dangerous when mishandled, necessary protective measures should always be observed for the safety of both the workers and the commuters. Let’s discuss some of the most important ways to reduce accidents and increase the safety of everyone on the construction site.

Ensuring The Safety Of Workers And Commuters During Road Construction

Pre-Construction Planning

Pre-construction planning should be done before the start of any construction projects. On road construction sites, comprehensive planning should be done to ensure the safety of everyone who will be working on the project, as well as those who will have no choice but to be exposed to the project site, like the commuters. 

Pre-construction planning involves the identification of potential hazards in the site. This preparation is meant to be a preventative measure for the project planners to locate and pinpoint the possible risks that workers and commuters may encounter during the construction. 

Identifying potential hazards allows the project management to prepare and reduce the possible safety risks on the site. In addition to the preparation for potential hazards, pre-construction planning also involves the anticipation of accidents and the careful preparation of the proper response protocol if they ever take place.

Construction Worker And Commuter Education 

Ensuring the safety of both the construction workers and pedestrians also involves the dispersion of proper information that can be helpful with or without a threat to safety. Workers should have sufficient training on the proper usage of heavy machinery, as well as handling it in rare cases of malfunction. They should also be properly informed on how to use and wear proper protective gear to enhance their safety on the construction site without compromising their work efficiency.

On the other hand, commuters should also be properly educated on how to navigate near a construction site. Commuters should be well aware of the meanings of signages, barricades, and cones that are placed around the site for their safety. In addition to that, commuters should also be aware of the safety precautions around a construction site if they ever find themselves near one. This, and the sufficient knowledge on detours and alternative routes during road construction, will increase commuter safety while reducing the worker’s need to constantly supervise every single commuter who nears the area.

Planning Traffic Control and Adjustment In Traffic Enforcement

Preventative safety measures for workers and commuters should not be limited to the construction site. Both workers and commuters should benefit from adjusted traffic controls accommodating the unavailability of the road that is undergoing construction. In addition to the signages, barricades, and traffic cones, the presence of traffic enforcers should also be helpful in maintaining the safety and order of the commuters going around the construction site. Proper adjustment to the traffic controls should also be enforced to prevent potential accidents that might occur in road construction projects without updated traffic control signals.

The Importance Of Worker And Commuter Safety In Every Road Construction Site

Road construction may be disruptive to many commuters, but it is important to note that each project is for the benefit of the residents at the end of the day. However, this does not mean that road construction sites should always have the right of way and adjust the whole traffic system without considering the pedestrians and the convenience of the commuters. In road construction, there should be enough considerations for the convenience and efficiency of both the commuter experience and the construction workers so that the project can be finished without accidents involved. 

Both the workers and the commuters should always observe proper adherence. This will significantly reduce the potential risks that they can experience inside and near the construction site. By respecting and observing all safety measures, road construction can be completed efficiently.

References:

• Arrive Alive (n.d.) Safety of workers and flagmen in areas of road construction. Retrieved from: https://www.arrivealive.mobi/safety-of-workers-and-flagmen-in-areas-of-road-construction
• Alsultan, S.M., Alqahtani, F.K., Alkahtani, K.F. (n.d) Health and Safety in Temporary Work Zone Road Construction. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.