Zurich Safety Program Hopes to Reduce Highway Worker Injuries

With federal stimulus money paving the way for new highway construction nationwide, and more people driving versus flying during the summer vacation season, highway workers face increasing danger.

To help mitigate highway worker safety exposures, Zurich in North America and The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) have developed a new educational campaign to increase awareness of dangers while helping to reduce highway worker injuries and fatal accidents.

“This program is designed for all individuals involved in highway, street and road construction, utility installation, roadway maintenance and landscaping,” said Forrest Ropp, Zurich’s senior risk engineering consultant and project leader.

Ropp said the Highway Worker Safety Program is customizable program consisting of eight interactive modules that address areas such as traffic control, asphalt paving, bridge work, concrete paving, demolition work, earthwork and grading operations, short-term and mobile operations and utility and drainage work. The modules can be presented individually or in any combination depending on the need and availability of personnel.

Ropp said the program focuses on the leading causes of highway worker fatalities and serious soft tissue injuries and contains a hierarchy of safety controls, more than 80 minutes of video, trainer and trainee presentation materials, resource guides and module quizzes. The presentation package includes one Interactive DVD and one DVD-ROM with editable PowerPoint Presentation, one printed version of the Instructor’s guide, and five printed versions of the Participant’s Manual.

“There isn’t an infrastructure project in this country that’s worth the life of a single construction worker,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America, which helped develop the new program. “This program is designed to help reduce instances where vital road work turns fatal.”

Sources: Zurich North America,
www.zurichna.com
The Association of General Contractors of America,
www.agc.org