Road Construction Collision sets off Chain Reaction

Any construction work is risky but when you combine the risks involved with work on the road it is even more so. Not only are construction workers at risk but passing motorists can also be caught in the crossfire of any safety incidents that may occur. An accident which took place in Buffalo, in the USA is an example of this.

A man has been accused of vehicular assault and drug charges after his actions set off a chain reaction accident in a construction zone. The man hit into the back of the vehicle in front of him as they were stopped at the road construction site. That vehicle subsequently hit into the tractor in front of it.

The following explains what happened:

Robert Frost, 38, of Angola, was behind the wheel of sports utility vehicle stopped behind a tractor trailer driven by Samuel Fixico, 27, of Sanborn while merging into the construction zone at about 10 p.m. Thursday, troopers said.

Bryan P. Mackinnon’s vehicle hit the SUV from behind, pushing it into the back of the tractor-trailer, troopers said.

Frost, Mackinnon and his passenger, Patrick D. Slisz, 27, of Blasdell, were taken to Erie County Medical Center, where they were treated and released. Fixico wasn’t injured.

Troopers reported finding 31.9 grams of marijuana in Mackinnon’s car.

In addition to the felony vehicular assault charge, Mackinnon, 36, was charged with a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of marijuana, as well as driving while ability impaired by drugs, following too closely and unsafe speed in a work zone, troopers said. Slisz was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Source: http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/police-blotter/blasdell-motorist-charged-after-chain-reaction-accident-in-thruway-construction-zone-20130913

Although as a workman you have little control over the actions of public motorists there are some things that you can do to make your site and ultimately yourself safer.

Perhaps one of the most important issues, if not the most important is advanced warning for motorists. Motorists need to be made aware in advance that they will be approaching a construction site and they need to slow down accordingly. By not warning them in advance, workers are being endangered especially if motorists continue at high speeds and fail to brake in time to avoid an accident.

To control the risks associated with working on roads or road-related areas, consider road closures, footpath closures, detours and signage. Also periodically drive through the worksite to check that all signs, markings and delineation devices intended to warn road users are satisfactory and in their correct position.

Ensure that all workers are clear of the work area during lunch breaks and work breaks. Also ensure that mobile plant and heavy machinery are parked clear of the traffic lanes.

Remove or cover signs such as “Traffic Controller Ahead” if workers leave the site or work is on hold. Also instruct traffic controllers to remain on the job where there are traffic hazards, or where only one lane is open to traffic.

Reposition barriers, signs and tapers as necessary to adjust the length of single lane traffic operation, keeping it to a minimum. Keep records of any changes made, and the time these occurred. Also make sure you coordinate the maintenance of the travelled path with other job operations.

Road Construction Workers Unearth Fossil in Brisbane

An amazing discovery has been made by construction workers in Brisbane engaged in road construction works. The workers found animal and plant fossils, thought to be about 50 million years old.

The fossils were found by a piling rig contained in a layer of oil shale more than 15 metres below the ground on a construction site at Geebung on Brisbane’s north side during building excavation works.

Academics have called the find unusual and significant, containing fossils of ancient crocodiles, fish, freshwater shells and plants. It was particularly unusual, because it was discovered in an urban area, far away from where discoveries of this nature are usually found.

An article on Abc.net.au explains what happened,

4823104-3x2-340x227Project engineers have been talking to experts from the Queensland Museum, who say the fossils are those of ancient crocodiles, fish, freshwater shells and plants.

Academics say the suburban site was completely unknown to them.

Professor Suzanne Miller, the chief of the Queensland Museum, says the find is not only unusual but significant.

“It’s very unusual to find materials being uncovered in these urban sites. I mean, most discoveries of this nature are found miles from anywhere,” she told The World Today.

“First of all it’s very unusual to have an urban construction site that finds it, and secondly to have the people on the construction team realise that there was something unusual and to make that call was incredibly fortunate for us.”

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-16/workers-make-surprise-fossil-find-in-brisbane/4823002

Professor Miller goes on to call on the community to help by volunteering to help sift through the soil from the site so that it can be transferred to the museum. As she explains, the discovery may provide vital information that could help us piece together a part of our planet’s history perhaps even telling us what the world was like after dinosaurs were wiped out.

According to academics there may be real potential in the site to discover something unique for the state of Queensland and unique for Oz. The findings could have huge global significance an interest.

Professor Miller went on to state according to the article,

“This is one of those sites that’s showing us all these smaller animals that co-existed in one place in one habitat at the same time, just after the massive extinction that wiped out a vast amount of life on the planet.

“It’s a really critical time for understanding how life then went on to evolve, but it’s quite a bit before the time of the famous Australian megafauna where you have the giant kangaroos and so on.

“It’s a bit of a missing link in the geological and fossil history, not just of Australia but within the world.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk says the find will not hinder the timetable for the project, although engineers are now liaising with researchers in case more unusual remains are unearthed.

Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-16/workers-make-surprise-fossil-find-in-brisbane/4823002

According to the Lord Mayor the construction project will continue as planned, as it is a $200 million road congestion and safety project. The real value is in the soil which will be conserved and taken away to the museum to be further examined by experts.

 

White Card News: Construction Worker dies in Road Construction Zone Accident

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A picture of the overturned vehicle which crashed into a road construction site killing one person.

Source: http://www.oceancountysignal.com/2012/08/15/driver-escapes-injury-in-rollover-accident-on-the-garden-state-parkway/

Tragedy has struck an American road construction zone in South Dakota highlighting the danger that road construction workers are placed in every day.

The accident happened on Tuesday evening last week when a vehicle collided with a construction zone adjacent to the roadway. The details of the accident are still under investigation however the picture above shows us how serious this crash was. Read what the post on OceanCountrysignal.com reported on the incident,

One person was killed in a vehicle accident Tuesday evening in a construction zone in the Industrial Park, close to the intersection of North Enterprise Street and Capital Avenue Northeast, police Capt. Dave McNeil said.

Details of the accident were still under investigation as of Tuesday evening, McNeil said.

It was unclear what vehicle or vehicles were involved in the accident.

The victim, whose name will not be released until family members are notified, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, said Michael Carlsen, Brown County coroner.

Read the full article at: http://articles.aberdeennews.com/2013-07-23/news/40755398_1_vehicle-accident-brown-county-sheriff-battalion-chief

Something this incident makes perfectly clear is that road construction zones are construction sites like any other and so the hazards associated with them need to be treated as any hazard on any construction site would be. One of the biggest differences though, which needs to be taken into consideration is that road construction workers aren’t always in control of their own safety – drivers can place road construction workers lives at risk, sometimes with tragic circumstances.

While no one has control over another’s actions, as road construction workers and principal contractors of road work sites we can manage the hazards presented by civilian drivers.

Contractors should ensure the drivers are aware of the road construction zone well in advance so that they have sufficient time to adjust their driving and speeds. Road signs, markings, delineation devices should be used to warn drivers of road works ahead of them.  Also periodically drive through the worksite to check that all signs, markings and delineation devices, as seen by other road users, are satisfactory and in their correct position that is adequately visible.

Workers that do not need to be exposed to hazards, shouldn’t be. In the same regard, any workers who are on a break need to be in an area away from the hazard and clear of the work site.

Mobile plant should be parked in a safe spot, away from traffic lanes. Instruct traffic controllers to remain on the job (though relieve them as necessary) where there are traffic hazards, or where only one lane is open to traffic.

Reposition barriers, signs and tapers as necessary to adjust the length of single lane traffic operation, keeping it to a minimum. Keep records of any changes made, and the time these occurred

Once work on the site has finished or workers leave, remove or cover signs such as Traffic Controller Ahead/PREPARE TO STOP.