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612 Work Zone Traffic Safety
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Introduction

Construction contractors, contracting agencies, and others responsible for work zone safety face the challenge of providing a safe workplace while ensuring the safe movement of the public through the work zone. Highway and street construction presents a complex work situation in which workers face multiple injury risks under conditions that may change without warning.

This training conforms with OSHA's recommendation that training should focus on identifying recognized hazards, analyzing the causes of accidents, and controlling hazards to prevent accidents. OSHA does not want safety training to focus only on its rules. If you are an employer, it is your responsibility to provide additional training for workers on the specific hazards of their job as noted in OSHA Pub 2254, Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and specific work zone rules in your state. If you are an employee, it is your responsibility to comply with your employers safety policies, procedures, and rules.

OSHA holds employers accountable to provide additional training for workers on specific hazards of their job as noted in OSHA Pub 2254, Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and specific work zone rules in your state. If you are an employee, it is your responsibility to comply with your employers safety policies, procedures, and rules.

Because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, consult current regulations for additional guidance compliance requirements.

  • OSHA construction rules within industry standard, 1926, Subpart O, address operation of vehicles and equipment within an off-highway job site not open to public traffic. However, Subpart O is not exhaustive in its coverage of machinery types or safety equipment, nor does it address work practices, traffic control plans, or shift work.
  • Flagging and signaling practices covering signs, signals, and barricades, are discussed in general terms in 1926 Subpart G. Subpart G defers to the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices MUTCD" on matters relating to hand signals, barricades, and traffic control devices.
  • You can learn more about the laws applicable to work zones in your state at the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, you should be able to:
ID Objective
TO 1.0 Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the final course assessment.
LO 1.1.1 Describe the hazards to which employees who work in traffic control zones are exposed.
LO 1.1.2 Identify the dangers while working on foot and while operating
LO 1.1.3 Describe important components in Temporary Traffic Control Plans.
LO 1.1.4 Describe the hazards and solutions to keep workers safe while working in traffic control zones at night.
LO 1.2.1 Discuss the hazards posed by blind spots while operating vehicles.
LO 1.2.2 Identify best practices while backing vehicles, including the use of spotters.
LO 1.2.3 Describe the use of cameras, proximity detection systems, and tag-based systems.
LO 1.3.1 Discuss best practices when using signs, signals, and barricades on the construction worksite.

Key: Terminal Objective (TO), Learning Objective (LO)