Tuesday, January 22, 2013

OSHA standards for highway work zone inspection



On October 16 of last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a directive that details how compliance officers should check road construction products. 

For those like myself who are involved in keeping highway work zones safe, it's helpful to know what OSHA inspectors will be looking at before they arrive. If they're looking at it, it's likely a problem area. This is your chance to stay on top of problems and keep ahead of those OSHA visits.

The directive offers guidance on how OSHA inspectors should inspect road construction sites while applying OSHA standards and following safety precautions that apply specifically to work “on or near” roads, such as sidewalk and utility construction, “where vehicular traffic exposes construction workers to struck-by hazards.”  

The directive explains that inspections of road construction sites will focus on construction work and temporary traffic controls. The process also requires inspectors to request a copy of the project’s safety plan and the worksite’s safety measures.  

Additionally, the directive requires each of OSHA's 10 regions to designate a staff member as the “traffic control coordinator” who will provide support to investigations of traffic control issues and ensure that compliance officers receive training on inspecting roadway worksites.

Get informed BEFORE they arrive.

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