National Work Zone Awareness Week 2013

This April 15-19 is National Work Zone Awareness Week, or NWZAW. This is held every year to raise national awareness for motorists about the importance road worker safety and mobility in work zones. The event has been coordinated and sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Traffic Safety Services Asociation (ATSSA) since 1999, and many other transportation related organizations have joined the effort in recent years. While this is a nationally based event, state and local authorities have also been known to hold their own awareness events.
 
This year, the main focus of NWZAW will be to highlight work zone complications and complexities, and the dire need for group planning which incorporates all those who are involved with or affected by work zones. This includes DOT officials, road workers, inspectors, cyclists, motorists, public transportation workers, pedestrians, law enforcement, emergency response and utility workers to name a few.
 
During 2003-2007, 639 workers were killed in the US while performing road construction work, with 50% of those were the direct result of being struck by mortorists or heavy equipment. In 2011, transportation incidents accounted for more than 2 out of 5 fatal work injuries, with 57% of those being roadway accidents involving motor vehicles. And while the number of motorists increases each year, it's a growing problem and awareness is critical.
 
If your business or occupation involves the risks of roadway safety, we encourage you to help raise awareness of NWZAW with your employees or co-workers because every little bit can help to save lives. Learn more HERE.
 
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Social media is a part of our marketing these days. Companies, the Federal Government (including the Obama Campaign) and now even state governments, realize the power of a well-run social media campaign to get the word out.

 

Last month, Connecticut DOT announced that "Work Zone Wally" is the name of its new orange work zone safety mascot. The name was chosen by the public through voting on Facebook and Twitter. The campaign to name the mascot was conducted over a few months, with the goal of spreading the word that safety in work zones is a serious issue.

 

As described in an article from the Fairfield Patch, Almost 100 names were nominated, according to a press release sent by the department, and after that field was narrowed down to six, voting commenced on both social networks.

“Every mascot deserves a name, and we were so happy with the public’s enthusiasm and response to this campaign,” said Terri Thompson, Transportation Supervising Engineer for the CT Department of Transportation.

 

The quote on the CT Facebook page states, "Obey the Orange Campaign Developed to Raise Awareness about Work Zone Safety."



 

 

Traffic Control

 

Highway, road, street, bridge, tunnel, utility, and other workers for the highway infrastructure are exposed to hazards from outside and inside the work zone. Falls, electrical, struck-by, and caught between are the common hazards found in this type of work. Browse our products for aiding in the guidance and set-up of work zone signs, barricades, cones, flagging, stop/slow paddle signs, and roll-up mesh signs. Whether you're managing lane closures for road construction or blocking access to dangerous construction areas, we have a solution for you.