Highway Work Zone Safety Program |
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Rodney E. Slater
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Register
September 8, 1994
[Federal Register: September 8, 1994] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration [FHWA Docket No. 94-17] Highway Work Zone Safety Program AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice describes an initiative being considered by the FHWA for inclusion in the National Highway Work Zone Safety Program (NHWZSP). The purpose of the program is to enhance safety at highway construction, maintenance, and utility sites by improving the quality and effectiveness of traffic operations, safety appurtenances, traffic control devices, and traffic maintenance bidding practices. The FHWA requests comments on this proposed program. DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 7, 1994. ADDRESSES: Submit written, signed comments concerning this program to FHWA docket No. 94-17, Federal Highway Administration, Room 4232, HCC- 10, Office of the Chief Counsel, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20590. All comments received will be available for examination at the above address between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Harry W. Taylor, Safety Technology & Information Management Division, 202-366-2175 or Mr. Joseph Solomey, Office of Chief Counsel, HCC-20, 202-366-1374, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington D.C. 20590. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Most highway work zones occur due to road and structural improvements, maintenance activities, or utility work performed by contractors, public employees or by various utility companies at the request or approval of a government agency. As such, these State and local governments have primary responsibility for planning and controlling work zones to ensure the safe and convenient travel of the general public as well as the safety of the workers. The FHWA views its role as providing leadership, guidance and oversight to improve work zone safety of Federal-aid projects. The FHWA has exercised its leadership and guidance through the years by updating its regulations; maintaining procedures, technology and safety information bases; initiating revisions to the National Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) relative to work zone operations; developing national training courses for improving the design and operations of work zones; conducting related research; holding national work zone safety conferences; and issuing technology transfer syntheses to assist in the rapid transfer of work zone technology and procedures. As required by Section 1051 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 (Public Law 102-240, December 18, 1991, 105 Stat 1914, 2001), the FHWA has completed its initial draft of a National Highway Work Zone Safety Program. By publishing the initial draft listed below, the FHWA is requesting public comment prior to implementation of the final program. Highway Work Zone Safety Program A. Introduction Section 1051 of ISTEA requires the Secretary of Transportation to ``* * * develop and implement a work zone safety program which will improve work zone safety at highway construction sites by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of traffic control devices, safety appurtenances, traffic control plans, and bidding practices for traffic control devices and services.'' Section 1051 is the result of Congressional concern for the continuing number of fatalities and injuries that annually occur in work zones and its desire to improve the situation nationally. In response to that concern, the FHWA has developed this program based upon FHWA experience, National Transportation Safety Board findings, annual work zone safety reports and other relevant information such as research reports, and technical articles. The following discussion is intended to cover the key components of the program in sufficient detail to permit government, industry, and the public to comment on the appropriate scope and content of the work zone safety program. B. Objective and Scope The objective of the National Highway Work Zone Safety Program (NHWZSP) is to enhance safety at highway work sites. The program is applicable to all public highways and streets, but will emphasize activities pertinent to the National Highway System. The intent is to have a continuing program with biannual reviews and updating where necessary. C. Work Zone Program The program has been divided into four components, (standardization, compliance, evaluation, and innovation) to provide a broad based, cooperative work zone safety initiative. Included under each component are current, planned or recommended activities that will aid in its implementation. In addition, an individual activity can often support other components than the component it is listed under. 1. Standardization--Update Existing and Initiate New Standards Related to Work Zone Safety Standardization and uniformity are essential to communicating needs and requirements to implementing agencies and industries, assuring adequate safety for the traveling public and workers, and promoting better understanding and compliance by all concerned. To achieve this end, FHWA will undertake the following actions: a. Update 23 CFR Subpart J, ``Traffic Safety in Highway and Street Work Zones.'' Review the current work zone problems and update the guidance to reflect current needs and emphasis including reinforcement of guidance on bidding practices, work zone clear zones, work zone crash data collection and analysis, and work zone speed limits. b. Develop retroreflectivity guidance for work zone signs and pavement markings. Include this guidance in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Part VI, ``Standards and Guides for Traffic Control for Street and Highway Construction, Maintenance, Utility, and Incident Management Operations,'' when it is next updated. Develop a training program to implement the new guidance. A copy of Part VI of the MUTCD is available in docket number 94-17 for review. c. Establish the crashworthiness of work zone safety appurtenances by implementing a crash testing program for evaluation and any needed redesign of generic appurtenances. The crash test program will adopt the procedures included in the National Cooperative Highway Research Report (NCHRP) 350, ``Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features'' and develop any clarification or additional guidance that may be needed. (NCHRP Report 350 may be obtained from the Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, D.C. 20418.) 2. Ensure Compliance Experience in work zone operations leads to the belief that simply ensuring compliance with existing standards and guidelines at all times would substantially improve the safety and operation of work zones. The causes of noncompliance include the failure of the implementation of work zone traffic control plans to keep pace with the changing construction activities, as well as the gradual deterioration of devices over time. To address these issues, the FHWA will: a. Identify and promote the use of procedures and specifications which help achieve or maintain an acceptable level of quality for traffic control plan setups, including traffic control devices and safety appurtenances used in highway work zones. For example, develop inspection methods that identify devices which have been improperly installed or inadequately maintained for immediate correction and which will increase contractor's accountability. b. Promote the development and implementation of public awareness and education programs designed to alert and affect behavior of the drivers, including drivers of heavy vehicles, pedestrians, new drivers, older drivers and bicyclists who traverse highway work zones. c. Provide highway agencies with guidance and criteria on certification programs for flaggers and work site safety supervisors. d. Develop a document on ``Good Practices for the Safety Management System'' which will include management of work zones. 3. Improve Evaluation of Work Zones Evaluation is a necessary tool for diagnosis of failures and identification of successes in work zone operations. Through evaluation, it is possible to discern opportunities for new countermeasures and to measure the benefit of current ones. Activities in this area will include: a. The FHWA in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will develop guidelines for the collection and reporting of data on deaths and injuries occurring in highway work sites. b. The FHWA will provide an annual report to the Secretary on efforts being made by the States in reducing deaths and injuries occurring at highway work sites and the effectiveness of such efforts. c. The FHWA will annually review a sampling of active highway construction, maintenance, and utility projects. The review will include a detailed analysis of traffic control plans and their revisions, the validity and condition of the traffic control devices (both day and night), and appropriate management and enforcement activities. d. The FHWA will assist State highway agencies in evaluating their programs and procedures for collecting and analyzing work zone accident and incident data. 4. Implement Innovative Technologies and Procedures Innovation can help improve safety and traffic flow in critical situations. This innovation is not only in the development of new products and procedures, but also involves the more effective use of existing ones by providing training. The FHWA will: a. Demonstrate, evaluate, and complete (where necessary) the development of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) Work Zone Safety Products, such as: the flashing stop/slow paddle, intrusion alarms, direction indicator barricades for lane closures, portable crash cushion trailers, and opposing traffic lane dividers. All of the products are designed to make the work zone safer. b. Encourage the increased use of innovative protective devices for work zones of short-term and intermediate-term stationary duration, such as Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMA), by providing state-of-the- practice reports and training aids to the field. c. Conduct research on condition-responsive work zone traffic control systems and operations applicable to longer-term construction areas. As an example, the ``Vehicle Queue Backup Warning System'', should be designed to warn motorists and workers of situations which could produce hazards such as a traffic stoppage. d. Develop for State and local government use, a comprehensive work zone safety training program, which will encompass courses ranging from an understanding and application of basic concepts to procedures for developing complex work zone strategies. The work zone training program developed through the FHWA's National Highway Institute (NHI) will include the following courses: (1) Design and Operation of Work Zone Traffic Control, (2) Inspection of Construction Zone Hardware, (3) Developing Traffic Control Plans and Strategies, (4) Transportation Alternatives During Highway Reconstruction, and (5) Work Zone Safety for Maintenance Operations on Rural Highways. e. Encourage the trial use of the Community/Corridor Traffic Safety Program (C/CTSP) concept on large complex highway construction projects or a series of projects along a single route. The C/CTSP is a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach to solving safety problems, looking not only at highway problems, but also possible problems with the driver or the vehicle. f. Encourage the use of techniques identified in the 1992 report to Congress entitled, ``Traffic/Congestion Management During Highway Construction'' to minimize disruptions to traffic during construction of highway projects. D. Work Zone Program Implementation The FHWA will co-sponsor a National Work Zone Conference (late 1994) with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA). Other organizations cooperating in the planning of the conference and which will have representatives attending are the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE); the American Society of Civil Engineers; the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association (IBTTA); International Association of Chiefs of Police; National Association of County Engineers; and the Highway User Federation for Safety and Mobility. The intent of the conference is to: a. Discuss the FHWA work zone safety program content and receive input for further modification, b. identify the latest technology, procedures, and effective programs that can contribute to improving the safety of work zones, c. develop renewed emphasis and interest for work zone safety activities. The FHWA Division Administrator will work in partnership with the State highway and other appropriate agencies to develop and implement a Statewide highway work zone safety program based on the four program components. Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48; Sec. 1051 of Pub. L. 102- 240, 105 Stat. 1914, 2001.) Issued on: August 31, 1994. Rodney E. Slater, Federal Highway Administrator. [FR Doc. 94-22094 Filed 9-7-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-22-P