The Federal Highway Administration, the state of Georgia, local government organizations and employers are partnering with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to sponsor one-hour events to train road workers on the dangers of distracted drivers, flying debris and other objects during National Highway Work-Zone Awareness Week, April 3-7.
The Safety Stand-Down events encourage employers to voluntarily stop work for one hour at Georgia construction sites on a designated day to review best safety practices and discuss the hazards of objects and vehicles striking workers, the leading cause of roadside-related construction deaths.
“Our alliance partners have come together to honor the working mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons who died because a driver risked a text message, a phone call or other distraction,” said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA’s regional administrator for the Southeast, in a release. “The Safety Stand-Down events allow employers to identify hazards and how employees can avoid them. It also reminds the construction industry and the public at-large of the importance of safety in these work zones.”
