Safety Stand-Down events put the brakes on injuries at Georgia road sites

ATLANTA – The Federal Highway Administration, the state of Georgia, local government organizations and employers are partnering with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to sponsor one-hour events to train road workers on the dangers of distracted drivers, flying debris and other objects during National Highway Work Zone Awareness Week, April 3-7.

The Safety Stand-Down events encourage employers to voluntarily stop work for one hour at Georgia construction sites on a designated day to review best safety practices and discuss the hazards of objects and vehicles striking workers, the leading cause of roadside-related construction deaths. The events will take place from 7 to 8 a.m. EDT on the day chosen.

“Our alliance partners have come together to honor the working mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons who died because a driver risked a text message, a phone call or other distraction,” said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA’s regional administrator for the Southeast. “The Safety Stand-Down events allow employers to identify hazards and how employees can avoid them. It also reminds the construction industry and the public at-large of the importance of safety in these work zones.”

The Stand-Down is being organized by the Georgia Struck-By Alliance, which includes OSHA; the Associated General Contractors of Georgia Inc.; 3M^TM Scotchlite^TM Reflective Material; Georgia Department of Transportation; Federal Highway Administration’s Georgia Division; Georgia Highway Contractors Association; Georgia Utility Contractors Association Inc.; Georgia Tech Research Institute; Lamar Advertising; Georgia Power; Pike Corporation; Ansco & Associates LLC; Construction Education Foundation of Georgia; National Safety Council, Georgia Chapter; Comcast; Local Government Risk Management Services; and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

An informational flier and toolbox in English and Spanish is available from the Associated General Contractors of Georgia. For more information, contact Christi Griffin in OSHA’s Atlanta-West Area Office at 678-903-7301; Bill Fulcher in the Atlanta-East Area Office at 770-493-6644; or Margo Westmoreland in the Savannah Area Office at 912-652-4393.

Through the agency’s Alliance Program, OSHA works with groups committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.