Department of Labor, industry partners to promote road construction worker safety during 2023 National Work Zone Awareness Week

ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will join construction organizations in Georgia to promote worker safety and encourage industry employers to hold safety stand-downs at roadwork sites and in traffic work zones during National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 17 to 21.

From 2003-2020, more than 2,200 workers – an average of 123 each year – died in struck-by incidents at road construction sites, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. From 2011-2020, 577 workers were fatally struck by vehicles at road construction sites.

OSHA is collaborating with the Georgia Struck-By Alliance participants to encourage safety training focused on preventing struck-by accidents at Georgia construction sites. The Associated General Contractors of America Inc. is providing employers with a variety of resources to support the initiative, including guides for offering “Toolbox Talks” with workers.

“OSHA and the Georgia Struck-By Alliance want construction leaders throughout the state to pause work and conduct safety stand downs during National Work Zone Awareness Week,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta. “The stand downs are intended to remind workers about safety and the risks of not following safety rules. Too many workers are hit and killed in U.S. roadwork zones. OSHA and its partners are doing our best to prevent these tragic incidents from happening.”

In addition to construction employers, the Georgia Struck-by Alliance includes trade associations, local government agencies, and other stakeholders. OSHA offers the following tools to promote National Work Zone Awareness Week:

• Fact sheets for flagging and work zone safety tips.
• Tips for traveling safely in work zones.
• Georgia Department of Transportation videos on close calls and work zone safety.
• Facts about work zone safety from the GDOT.
• Suggestions to prepare for a successful stand-down.

For more information, contact OSHA’s Atlanta-West Area Office at 678-903-7301, the Atlanta-East Area Office at 770-493-6644, or the agency’s Savannah Area Office at 912-652-4393.