Meeting the Work Zone Visibility Deadline
Next year's federal mandate strongly endorses the value of the ANSI 107 standard for protecting workers in low-light roadway conditions.
AS the November 2008 deadline approaches for compliance with the Federal Highway Administration's new high-visibility mandate, it is critical that individuals in affected industries know how they will be affected by the changes to come. Affected occupations include road workers and first responders exposed to the low-visibility hazards of moving vehicular traffic. Agencies to which the mandate applies should understand the new requirements and the options available to make the best choices for worker safety, compliance, and, not least, comfort.
The worker visibility provisions published by FHWA on Nov. 24, 2006, 23 CFR Part 634, Worker Visibility, state that all workers within the right of way of a federal-aid highway who are exposed either to traffic or construction equipment within the work area shall wear high-visibility safety apparel that meets the Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of the American National Standard for High Visibility Apparel (ANSI/ISEA 107-2004). This specification addresses a growing concern for worker safety in low-visibility vehicular traffic conditions. According to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), struck-by vehicle accidents accounted for 336 fatalities across all industries in 2003.1 More than 40,000 injuries resulted from motor vehicle crashes in work zones. Road workers are eight times more likely to be injured than the average worker and twice as likely to be hurt as other construction workers.2
Roadway workers are not the only ones at risk of being struck by roadway traffic or moving equipment. According to the CFOI for 2003, 84 truck drivers; 21 security services workers; 13 law enforcement officers; nine electric, gas, and sanitary service workers; seven building and grounds maintenance workers; and five firefighters were struck and killed by vehicles while working near a roadway. In a 2005 "Report to Congress" prepared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the writers reported a link between some struck-by vehicle accidents and low visibility, and they recommended that first responders and motorists outside their vehicles along a roadway wear high-visibility safety apparel.3
Better Highway Vision
The federal mandate is an important development because it reflects FHWA's commitment to emphasize the need to be seen as a critical issue for worker safety on federal-aid highways. It also strongly endorses the value of ANSI 107 as the baseline for helping to protect workers in hazardous, low-light roadway conditions.
As they prepare for the November 2008 compliance deadline, occupational industry specifiers should become familiar with the high-visibility safety solutions available to satisfy both the regulations and the specific needs of their workers. One of the most important attributes to workers is comfort, and this can be achieved within the ANSI 107 standard if the right garment is chosen for the right application.
In general, employers typically think of safety vests when they think of compliance with ANSI 107. Vests might be the right choice in some instances, but they may not always be the best choice when it comes to worker comfort. It is important to remember that ANSI 107 is an apparel standard and allows for a much wider range of choices than just vests. When selecting high-visibility apparel, it is critical to consider specific worker needs: The key is to select apparel that offers optimal visibility plus comfort for daytime, low-light, and nighttime conditions in a variety of work environments. Employers can assess their worker needs by referring to Appendix B of ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 for performance class selection guidelines per work zone conditions.
States Embrace Hi-vis
States and other agencies have until Nov. 24, 2008, to comply with the provisions of 23 CFR Part 634, which the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration established on the same month and day in 2006, requiring the use of high-visibility safety apparel for workers who are working within the rights of way of federal-aid highways.
In its final ruling on worker visibility, FHWA noted that high visibility is one of the most prominent needs for workers who must perform tasks near moving vehicles or equipment. "The need to be seen by those who drive or operate vehicles or equipment is recognized as a critical issue for worker safety. Because workers must devote their attention to completing their assigned tasks and might not completely focus on the hazardous surroundings in which they are working, it is imperative that the approaching motorist or equipment operator be able to see and recognize the worker," FHWA wrote in the rule.
In its research on the use of hi-vis safety apparel in construction and maintenance work zones in 30 states, FHWA found that more than 90 percent (28 out of 30) of the states' DOTs have already adopted policies that require highway construction and maintenance workers in highway work zones to wear high-vis safety apparel. Also, most agencies specify the ANSI Class 2 standard and are furnishing the apparel for their own employees.
The impending law specifies that affected workers must wear safety apparel that meets the Performance Class 2 or Class 3 requirements of the ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 standard but otherwise leaves design features open for agencies to specify to meet special needs. If an employer determines that the material must be fire resistant, for example, it can include a provision in the specification for the garments that it purchases. The standard for Class 2 or 3 permits lime green, orange, or a combination of the two colors. Employers have flexibility to specify either of these colors or a combination. |
This article originally appeared in the August 2007 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.