A new alliance forged between the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will focus on increasing protections for workers in highway work zones.
”Protecting our workers is always a top priority,” said AGC COO David Lukens during an event held at the Department of Labor in Washington, DC, this week. “This new alliance reinforces our commitment to the safety of our men and women working to improve the nation's highway infrastructure.”
OSHA, NIOSH and AGC hope to reduce and prevent exposures to roadway work zone safety and health hazards, focusing on flag-man safety, safer deployment of traffic control devices, positive protection, night work, plus the reduction of speeding and accidents in work zones.
The groups also plan to develop training and education programs on work zone safety and health issues targeted to Spanish-speaking and other “hard-to-reach” highway construction workers, as well as to develop and disseminate information through print and electronic media, outreach through alliance partners' conferences, local meetings and other events.