ANSI A10.47- 2009 Work Zone Safety for Highway Construction

Scott Schneider, CIH and Travis Parsons Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America

Agenda

Introductions History Overview of the Standard Major Issues

History of the Standard

First proposed in 2004 Intended to fill a gap Few OSHA or ANSI A10 standards addressed road/highway construction One of the few A10 “vertical” standards to address hazards in one industry sector

Outline of the Standard

1) Scope and Purpose, Exceptions, Referenced Standards 2) Definitions 3) Traffic Control 4) Flagger Safety 5) Runover/Backover Prevention 6) Equipment Operator Safety 7) Excavation Safety 8) Electrical Safety

Outline of the Standard

9) Power Tool Safety 10) Fall Prevention 11) Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems 12) Protection from Health Hazards 13) Illumination for Night Work 14) Personal Protective Equipment 15) Paving Operations

Scope, Purpose, Exceptions

Scope: Covers workers doing construction, maintenance or repair work on any area of a highway Purpose:    To prevent worker injuries and illnesses To establish safe work practices and To prevent vehicular crashes Exceptions:  Practical difficulty    Unnecessary hardship New developments But must provide equivalent protection

Referenced Standards

ANSI standards FHWA standards- MUTCD ASTM standards OSHA standards NCHRP 350 ANSI standards often go beyond Federal regulations and represent best practices

Definitions

41 definitions, such as      Competent persons Highway Internal Traffic Control Plans Positive Protective Devices Transportation Management Plan

Traffic Control

Must comply with the latest MUTCD Must pre-plan the job for Safety, Materials, Staffing, Traffic control Must prepare a traffic control plan, communicate it to the authority in charge before work and when it changes

Positive Protection

Positive Protection is required when:     There is no means of escape (e.g. bridge and tunnel work) 2 weeks or longer duration High speed traffic (≥ 45 mph) with high volumes Workers working close to the traffic lane

Traffic Control Setup/Removal

Requires proper training and supervision Use automatic deployment devices where feasible or protected area of a vehicle with fall restraint Deploy and retrieve in a safe direction Add a Truck Mounted Attenuator or law enforcement if high speed traffic Inspect setup:   Daily by a qualified person More often if heavy traffic, frequent damage, poor visibility, bad weather or vehicle intrusion Remove or cover signs when not working Distinguish Construction vehicles with lighting and signage for work zone access Close traffic lane when working in aerial lifts over a traffic lane or shoulder

Speed Management

Reduce speeds when needed by use of:        Reduced speed limits Speed advisories Increased fines Photoenforcement (where allowed) Speed displays Law enforcement Portable Changing Message Signs (PCMS)

Flagger Safety

Use flaggers only when other means of slowing traffic are infeasible Position flaggers   in the safest location, facing traffic,   in a closed lane or on shoulder and only in an open lane once traffic has stopped Single flaggers are only allowed on the shoulder when there is good visibility Use more than one flagger if low visibility If exposure to traffic cannot be minimize  Give visual warnings of the flagger  Use Jersey barriers, spotters and/or visual assistance devices (such as hardhat mirrors)

Flagger Safety 2

Wear Class 2 clothing during the day and Class 3 clothing at night Illuminate flagger stations at night Provide an escape plan Flaggers must be provided with adequate breaks, replacement flaggers Flaggers must use stop/slow paddles and only use flags in emergency situations Traffic control devices must conform to the latest MUTCD Traffic signals should not be in conflict with flagger signals

Flagger Training

Flaggers must be trained on:  Communication skills    Escape procedures Using signaling devices Traffic control procedures    Recognizing dangerous situations Emergency response Personal protective equipment  Other worksite conditions Employer must keep training records for at least a year

Flagger Safety cont.

Flaggers must use two way radios when visual/audio contact between flaggers is not possible Automated Flagger Assistance Devices (AFADs) should be used only when 1 lane of approaching traffic and must be illuminated at night Flaggers must not respond to or retaliate against frustrated motorists. They should notify their supervisor Intrusion warning devices should be used

Runover/Backover Prevention

Mirrors must be working properly Workers must be protected from traffic by Jersey barriers, spotters and other assistive devices Workers must not stand or walk on the side of a raised dump body Back up alarms must be supplemented with mechanical backing assistance devices Backup alarms must be supplemented by visual alarms at night If not feasible, then spotters must be used

Spotters

Spotters must be:      Trained Not stand in the path of equipment Remain in the driver’s sight Train drivers to stop if they can’t see the spotter Wear high visibility clothing

Internal Traffic Control Plans

Internal Traffic Control Plans must be developed  They must be communicated to all workers and vehicle operators    They can only be modified by the supervisor or safety person Everyone must be notified of any changes They must include:  Diagram     List of equipment and personnel Hazard checklist Safety notes Communication plan

Worker Access-Egress

Site-specific plan for worker access egress required to cover  Parking  Sanitation  Breaks  Paths to minimize pedestrian exposure to vehicles

Equipment Operator Safety

       Equipment must be inspected and defects corrected prior to use Equipment must be locked and tagged out for maintenance and repair work as required by A10.44

Rollover Protection and Seatbelts are required on most construction vehicles Seatbelts must be worn during operation Seatbelts and their anchor points must be inspected Operators must be qualified for the type and size of equipment they will be operating No riders are allowed unless equipment is designed for multiple occupancy

Electrical Safety Underground Utilities

Determine the location of utilities before work starts (e.g. 811) Maintain markings until work is complete Use hand digging, vacuum excavation, etc. when close to determine exact location Excavations must be protected during the operation from workers and the public

Electrical Safety Overhead Power lines

      De-energize overhead lines and transmission towers whenever possible prior to work Treat them as energized unless written verification from owner/utility Daily briefing before work begins Contact owner/utility before work begins Minimum clearance distances specified, increased in wind/rain/fog  Accurate measuring devices required  Proximity alarms, boom guards, insulating links should be used Qualified spotters required for work near energized lines

Overhead Lines cont.

     Keep all workers away from high reaching equipment until operator/qualified person determines it is safe Avoid using tag lines or use non-conductive ones Do not store materials or equipment near powerlines Plan the job to avoid powerlines Plan, mark and inspect travel routes for high reaching equipment  Tie down equipment during transport  Do not move haul or dump trucks with the box raised without a spotter

Fall Prevention

       Slips and Trips- Provide clear pedestrian walkways, working/walking surfaces Heights- Use guardrails, where feasible, and fall protection (A10.32) above 6 feet Floor openings- Keep them covered, secured and designed for twice expected weight  Inspected by qualified person  Follow A10.32 fall protection if cannot be covered Equipment access-egress- Provide safe access ladders, free of debris Ladders- Keep in good working order, train workers, require 3 point contact, follow OSHA subpart X and ANSI A10.14

Scaffolds- Follow A10.8

Excavations- Ensure all workers are protected from falls into excavations, guard crosswalks over 6 ft with guardrails

Health Hazards

  Hazards covered include, but not limited to:  Heat/cold    Noise Airborne hazards (silica, lead, etc.) Dermal (cement)   Chemicals Sunlight/Solar radiation  Lack of sleep Control hazards using the hierarchy of controls engineering controls, then administrative controls and lastly PPE

Illumination/Night Work

     Night projects require an illumination plan to describe lighting locations, illumination levels, light and power sources, glare control Illumination levels and uniformity set for different tasks Discontinue work if lighting fails, except in emergencies Vehicles lights must be in good order, supplemented Glare must be minimized, e.g. with balloon lights

Personal Protective Equipment

        High visibility clothing- Follow MUTCD Head protection- Follow ANSI Z89.1- Class C, E, G helmets Eye/Face Protection- Follow ANSI E87.1, OSHA 1926.95

Hearing Protection- Follow ANSI A10.46, Use engineering controls first Weather protection- Should wear appropriate clothing Gloves- Use when needed Respirators- Required when needed, Requires Respiratory Protection Program as in 1910.134 and ANSI Z 88.6

Footwear- Follow ASTM F2413, Sandals and Athletic footware prohibited

Other Requirements

Power tools   Guarding and grounding (GFCIs) required Gloves required to meet ANSI S3.40 for reduced vibration Musculoskeletal Problems- Follow A10.40

Excavation Safety- Follow A10.12

Paving Operations- Follow ANSI A10.17

Questions??