By Tiffany Y. Latta
Staff Writer
An average
of nearly one crash occurred in state construction zones every two hours
on Ohio roadways last year, leading to more than 1,000 injuries and 17
deaths.
So two state agencies teamed up Monday as part of an effort to keep road construction workers.
“Safety
is our No. 1 priority,” Ohio Department of Transportation Director
Jerry Wray said. “These project sites and roadways are our employees’
offices and … we want to make sure everyone stays safe during the work
day so they can make it home safely to their families.”
Wray was
joined on Monday near a construction zone by the Enon Road and
Interstate 70 ramp by ODOT District 7 Director Randy Chevalley and Ohio
Bureau of Workers Compensation Administrator Steve Buehrer.
Construction
crews are adding a third lane in each direction between Enon Road and
U.S. 68, one of the work zones where crews have been hit by vehicles
recently during their work day.
Work should be done on the ramp within the next month, according to District 7 officials.
In
2014, more than 5,100 crashes occurred in ODOT work zones. Last month a
construction worker was killed on I-70 in Englewood following a semi
crash.
The work that road crews do is dangerous, Wray said, and
they must be vigilant, have the right equipment and take safety
precaution to ensure employees stay safe.
Locally, District 7
seeks better, safer ways to work, officials said. Its safety and health
committee holds quarterly meetings focusing on topics such as mowing,
construction zones, and snow and ice safety.
Along with the
meetings, new safety items such as LED lights for hard hats and
reflective arm and leg bands are being added to increase visibility and
protection while crews are working.
But at the same time, Wray and
other state officials said motorists must eliminate distractions while
driving such as texting, and slow down and move over when they travel
through construction zones.
“Be patient and be aware that this is a
very difficult and dangerous situation,” Wray said. “One of the things
that I’ve experienced and Randy has experienced and a lot of our folks
have experienced is being on a construction site and having nothing
between you and the traffic but some barrels or some barriers.
When an
18-wheeler goes by or even a small car goes by at 45 or 55 mph, that is a
scary thing.”
Buehrer said BWC is pleased to work with other
state agencies on the Keep Ohio’s Workers Safe project as Gov. John
Kasich has encourage more government entities to team up.
Everyday
Ohio workers are injured daily working on a bridge or roadway, he said.
Every year, two or three of them are killed on the job.
“One of
the priorities Gov. Kasich has given to us is to make sure that we’re
doing everything we can to bring people … home safe at the end of the
workday,” Buehrer said.
The state has tripled the safety grants
available to public and private employers to buy safety innovations and
equipment to keep employees safe, Buehrer said.
“We’re seeing an
incredible decrease in the number of accidents that are being reported
to the Bureau of Workers Compensation … Just a decade ago, there were
over 200,000 injuries getting reported to BWC on an annual basis, the
last two years that number has fallen to 97,000, more than half. We need
to continue to drive that number down and drive fatalities down,”
Buehrer said.
He and Wray said the Move Over law, which was
expanded in 2013 to include construction, maintenance and utility crews,
has been effective in improving safety for workers.
District 7 has had several crews hit by motorist, Chevalley said.
“These
crews are working in dangerous situations every day and even with the
top training and safety equipment we need the motoring public’s help to
keep them safe,” Chevalley said.
Driving tips to make work zones safer
Don’t speed — Reduce speed to 45 mph through a two-mile work zone adds less than a minute to a commute.
Stay Alert
— In work zones, traffic lanes may shift or close; large, slow-moving
equipment may enter or exit the highway, or other drivers may respond
unexpectedly. Watch for barrels and directional signs, obey flaggers and
be aware of workers and other drivers.
Know Before You Go — Visit Ohgo.com for up-to-date construction information.
By the numbers
5,100: Crashes in Ohio Department of Transportation construction zones last year
1,000: Approximate number of injuries from crashes in ODOT construction zones last year
17: Deaths from crashes in ODOT construction zones last year
Source: Ohio Department of Transportation
