Tuesday, April 20, 2010

National Work Zone Safety Week


Contributed by Sandy Paquette, Trainer, Evergreen Safety Council
The National Work Zones Safety Week (April 19 – 23) will kick off in New York City this year. The theme this year is “WORK ZONES NEED YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION” The goal is to remind drivers how they can help keep everyone in a work zone safe.

Nationally in 2009, 720 workers and motorists were killed in highway work zones and more than 40,000 were injured. Eighty five percent of those killed in the work zones are drivers and passengers. These people could be your family, friends, or a neighbor down the street. Help to encourage everyone to pay attention in work zones and help save lives.

Join Evergreen Safety Council to support the men and women working to improve our highways, roadways and streets by promoting safer driving through our work zones by going orange for work zone safety week.

Here is how you can participate. Take a picture of you, your company, agency, family, friends, team mates, and/or fellow students wearing orange or use your imagination and have fun. Then email or submit it to workzonesafety.org web site. Click on the National Work Zone Safety week link, which will take you to the location you can email or submit your picture through Flickr.com...And don’t forget to say why you are going orange.

Evergreen Safety Council promotes safe driving both in and out of work zones through our EverSafe Driving program and by our work zone safety training programs.

Here are some tips for safer driving through the work zone.
• Pay attention to what the signs are telling. They tell you about the work underway.
• Watch for brakes lights, look down the road 12 to 15 seconds, in the city that is about one block
• Be alert as you scan ahead to vehicles around you possibly in your blind spot
• Don’t Tailgate
• Be prepared to slow down when conditions indicate road, weather, and workers just feet away.
• Follow Flagger instructions, they are there for your safety too
• Be patient
• Wear your seat belt.

Go to http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ on their home page, type in the search box National Work Zone Safety week and you will see more information on local events planned.

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