Summer Brings Peak in Construction Projects and Traffic

With summer comes peak vacationing times and an increase in traffic. The summer is also a time in which road construction becomes more commonplace. Obviously, if proper precautions are not taken, this can be a recipe for tragedy. However, proper safety precautions on the part of drivers and construction workers can help alleviate much of the danger, and, fortunately, these do not differ much—if at all—from season to season. Here’s some important information about construction projects and traffic.

In the case of drivers, it is only necessary to apply common sense in navigating construction zones. These include not speeding, merging safely, driving only in designated non-construction areas and, overall, maintaining an awareness of one’s surroundings.

When it comes to construction workers, callousness holds consequences far more severe than those confined to cars—construction workers comprise the largest proportion of deaths in construction zones. Keeping this in mind, workers must take thorough measures to guarantee their safety.

Hydration is of paramount importance. True, summer brings with it increased traffic, but it also brings with it higher temperatures. Maintaining a constant flow of liquids (chief among these should be water) will lower the risk of dehydration and heatstroke.

Also, in order to stay safe, one should always don safety equipment. These include hardhats and quality footwear. In addition, one should wear visible clothing, especially if working late into the night. Given the loudness of the equipment on sight, proper ear protection is also valuable.

While cones will almost certainly be employed to help partition work zones from drivable areas, it is in the best interest of workers to also delineate areas where large, powerful, and potentially dangerous equipment may be being used. If there are moving vehicles, it is supremely important to be within their line of sight. Workers should never assume that others see them; rather, they should make sure to stay visible, leaving nothing to chance.

Lastly, be on the same page as coworkers. This will help everyone get up to speed on weather, traffic, and other conditions.

The hike in summer traffic brought about by vacationers can make for a potentially unsafe environment for workers if they are careless. It is vital that workers have safety in mind in all their proceedings. Doing this will prevent both a loss of life and a loss of capital effected by lost labor.