ATSSA/FHWA Work Zone Safety Grant FOCUS - February 2007

Three areas A1, A2, and A3

AREA 1: Highway Work Zone Worker Safety Training
Highway Work Zone Workers
Safety Training

AREA 2: Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Development
Highway Work Zone Safety
Guidelines Development

AREA 3: Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Training
Highway Work Zone Safety
Guidelines Training 

 ATSSA's Work Zone Safety Grant Newsletter

New Course on Temporary Traffic Control Training Course A four-Hour Awareness Program The WESK (What Every Supervisor Should Know About Temporary Traffic Control Training) course is a four-hour awareness level class for persons responsible for managing work zone training functions including; safety officers, supervisors, or any other person whose decisions may impact traffic safety. Lack of training is one of the leading causes of tort liability. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices states that ... each person whose actions affect temporary traffic control (TTC) zone safety, from the upper-level management through the field workers, should receive training appropriate to the job decisions each individual is required to make. Only those individuals who are trained in proper TTC practices and have a basic understanding of the principles should supervise the selection, placement, and maintenance of TIC devices used for TIC zones and for incident management. The course will discuss the who, what, and why of training including why training is needed, who needs training, what type of training is needed, what training avenues are available, where one should go for comprehensive TIC training, and information on how to ensure that workers and other decision- makers are working as safely and effectively as possible. This course is intended to assist you in putting together a comprehensive training program for your employees. It will also offer an in-depth review of ATSSAs Work Zone Safety Grant and how you can take advantage of the unique opportunities offered under the grant. lnitial courses will be available Oct. 1, 2007 in the 16 states identified by FHWA as having opportunities to make significant progress toward national road safety goals and states with ATSSA chapters. A complete list of courses should be available by Dec. 30, 2007.Price: $25 public officials $50 all others Visit www.atssa.com for course information ATSSA SAFER ROADS SAFE LIVESThe American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) was awarded a four-year, $11.9 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2006 to provide roadway safety training nationwide for workers and others who make their livelihood on America’s roadways.

Initial training efforts will focus on 16 specific states that have been identified by the FHWA as having opportunities to make significant progress toward national road safety goals.

“America’s roads have never been safer,” said Federal Highway Administrator J. Richard Capka, “but highway work zone accidents continue to increase. Safety is our top priority, and safety training programs like this will do much to protect construction crews in every state.”

Under the requirements of the grant, ATSSA will perform tasks in highway work zone worker safety training, highway work zone safety guidelines development, and highway work zone safety guidelines
training areas. The training component of the grant is comprised of a wide variety of courses that  includes training for traffic control technicians, traffic control supervisors, designers, roadway flaggers, emergency responders (police, fire, EMS Trafficand towing), and utility workers. Recipients of the training will be state and local public officials, contractors and others.

For up-to-date information on the Work Zone Safety Training Grant, visit ATSSA.com or e-mail the Director of Training, Donna Clark, at DonnaC@atssa.com.  

 

ManWork Zone Safety Grant Information

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the Work Zone Safety Grant Program is to develop guidelines and provide training to improve highway work zone safety.

STATEMENT OF WORK

ATSSA shall perform tasks within the following work areas: Highway Work Zone Worker Safety Training; Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Development; and Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Training. 

 

Area 1AREA 1: Highway Work Zone Worker Safety Training

The Work Zone Safety Grant will provide much needed funding for the continuation and expansion of existing training programs, and for the development of new training programs. The objective for this area is to award funding to qualified applicants to conduct training nationally for a wide range of work zone worker populations to prevent injuries and fatalities in highway and roadway work zones. ATSSA will:

  • Establish national level training programs that will provide safety training for one or more worker groups. The training program should cover multiple regions/States. Activities for this task may include, but are not limited to, identifying gaps and needs, selecting/developing training curriculums and materials, and recruiting trainees. The trainees should include workers and employers of private sector, and workers and supervisors of public agencies.
  • Implement and conduct the worker safetytraining program.
  • Develop and carry out an outreach plan for the training courses.
  • Develop a training evaluation plan, and conduct evaluation of effectiveness of the training offered.

The FHWA anticipates that the grants be used to provide training for the following highway work zone
worker groups on elimination of major occupational safety and health hazards posed to work zone workers for injuries, fatalities, and health problems:

  1. Safety training for “craft” workers and other related disciplines involved in highway and road survey, construction, and maintenance activities;
  2. Safety training for work zone traffic control workers, including those who set up traffic control and worker protection devices and those who direct traffic in a work zone;
  3. Safety training for utility workers who perform utility work activities that result in partial or full closure of a roadway;
  4. Safety training for highway work zone law enforcement personnel and responders to work zone incidents.

ATSSA will begin offering the following courses to qualified applicants beginning Oct. 1:

  • What Every Supervisor Should Know
  • Traffic Control Technician
  • Traffic Control Supervisor
  • Flagger – Train the Trainer
  • Design and Operation of Nighttime Temporary Traffic Control in Work Zones
  • Emergency Traffic Control for Emergency Responders
  • Safe and Effective Use of Law Enforcement Personnel in Work Zone
  • Utility Operations

To add your name to the ATSSA contact list for updates and grant information, please send your contact information to Tammy Loving at TammyL@atssa.com 

Area 2AREA 2. The Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Development

The objective of Area 2 is to develop guidelines that will assist state and local government  transportation agencies and other groups achieve the prevention and reduction of work zone injuries and fatalities by implementing and attaining compliance with work zone safety and operations  rules/regulations, policies, and standards.

ATSSA will develop guidelines on a national scale that can be adapted/customized to a state or local application. ATSSA may develop guidelines in a format of best practices, a handbook, and/or recommended processes and procedures. Guidelines should address work zone safety and operations issues and practices of importance to practitioners and the Federal Highway Administration. In addition, the guideline or set of guidelines developed for each of the strategies should cover all elements of a construction project including, but not limited to, work zone planning and programming, work zone design and construction, work zone safety design and management, work zone impact assessment and mitigation, work zone law enforcement, and work zone public information and outreach.

ATSSA will perform the following tasks:

  • Identify federal, state, and local work zone regulations and policies, as well as available
    guidelines
  • Identify and assess gaps and needs for work zone safety guidelines
  • Identify intended users/audiences for the developed guidelines
  • Develop guidelines according to the needs identified, which will assist agencies and
    groups towards the prevention and reduction of work zone injuries and fatalities
  • Develop an outreach plan and materials to promote the use of developed guidelines
  • Develop a training plan and materials for the training on implementing the developed
    guidelines
  • Develop an evaluation plan for evaluating the effectiveness of developed guidelines and
    training activities

Details on the subject areas will be highlighted in the next issue of FOCUS.

ATSSA SAFER ROADS SAVE LIVES American Traffic Safety Services Association 15 Riverside parkway, Suite 100 Fredericksburg, Va. 22406 (800) 272-8772 atssa.com  

Area 3AREA 3: Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Training

Work Zone Safety Grant Partners - ATSSA will work with various partners over the next four years to help administer and promote the products and services associated with the grant. The partners are Science Applications International Corp. J.M. Morales and Associates National Sheriff’s Association Consultants:Ernie Huckaby James E. Bryden, P.E. Visit www.atssa.com for the most current information.The objective of this area is to provide training to state and local transportation agencies and other transportation groups/organizations on implementing work zone safety guidelines, and to promote best practices to prevent work zone injuries and fatalities. ATSSA will focus on training for implementing existing Federal and/or state regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines for Traffic Control Design Specialist, Urban Work Zone Design, Work Zone Strategies, Analytical Tools for Work Zone Planning, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Considerations in Work Zones.

ATSSA will perform the following tasks:

  • Establish national work zone safety guideline training programs by identifying and assessing gaps and needs, selecting and/or developing training curriculums and materials, as well as identifying and recruiting trainees.
  • Implement the training programs to conduct work zone safety guideline training.
  • Develop and carry out an outreach plan for the training activities and courses.
  • Develop a training evaluation plan and conduct evaluation of the effectiveness of the training
    offered.

Posted: 10/8/2008

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