Employers throughout the nation are charged with keeping their workplaces safe for those who work there. This is true whether one works in an office setting or a large warehouse. It is also true for employers who have workers on roads throughout North Carolina.
There are a variety of steps that can be taken to try to ensure the safety of road workers. Recently, authorities in the state of North Carolina launched an initiative to keep highway workers safer. The governor declared the month of April to be “Work Zone Safety Awareness Month.” This is an important initiative since according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation there is routinely an average of 300 such work sites throughout the state.
Perhaps the number one way to keep highway workers free from bodily damage is for drivers to travel at speeds that are not too fast. Drivers going too fast can find it difficult to stop when a worker or other pedestrian steps into his or her path. For similar reasons, distracted driving is also an issue.
Workers who are hurt in work zones when cars hit them can suffer a wide variety of injuries. In addition to broken bones, head injuries, internal injuries and spinal injuries could occur. While some of these injuries may heal quickly and leave little or no lasting effects, others result in long term problems. In certain situations these injuries can make it impossible to work, resulting in the loss of money.
Of course the best outcome for any worker is to not be injured in the first place. This is the goal behind North Carolina designating April as “Work Zone Safety Awareness Month.” Hopefully it will have a positive impact.
Source: Dig Triad, “Work Zone Safety Awareness Month Proclaimed In NC,” April 16, 2013
