Roadway Safety in Work Zones | North Risk Partners

Work zones are stretches of highway where construction, maintenance, and utility tasks take place. These areas can pose several safety hazards for workers, motorists, and pedestrians. With these risks, construction employers must implement proper safety precautions in such areas, protecting both their employees and the public.

Common Work Zone Hazards

Work zones carry multiple safety hazards, largely due to construction employees working near busy roadways, vehicles entering and exiting construction areas, flaggers redirecting traffic, and lanes shifting unexpectedly. These conditions can distract unsuspecting pedestrians and motorists and hinder construction workers’ visibility, leading to crashes and other incidents.

Work zone hazards include the following:

Caught-in and -between incidents

Struck-by incidents

Several factors contribute to these hazards, including a surge in roadway construction, high speed limits, traffic congestion, and impatient motorists. In addition to the tragic loss of life and severe injuries that these incidents can cause, employers could encounter costly workers’ compensation claims, diminished staff morale and productivity, large-scale lawsuits, lasting reputational damage, and compounded insurance expenses.

Mitigation Strategies

Construction employers can implement several safety precautions to minimize work zone hazards and help prevent potentially devastating incidents.

Here are some of the best practices to consider:

Establish a safety program

This outlines safe operating procedures for machinery and equipment (e.g., wear seatbelts, use parking brakes, conduct pre- and post-shift inspections, never use defective or damaged equipment), discuss on-site safety best practices (e.g., make visual contact and communicate with nearby workers before moving equipment), highlight personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements (e.g., high visibility PPE), and encourage open communication between employees and supervisors to discuss ongoing occupational hazards.

Adopt a traffic control plan (TCP)

This limits traffic disruptions caused by a work zone and keep the area as a safe as possible for all parties. The plan should create clear walking paths for employees and pedestrians and outline steps to help equipment operators and motorists travel smoothly through a work zone. While exact details in a TCP will vary, it should list temporary traffic controls for each of the four sections (i.e., the advance warning area, the transition area, the activity area and the termination area) surrounding a work zone.

Invest in technology solutions

Educate employees

Employees should understand common work zone hazards and how to minimize them. This training should provide an in-depth overview of all work zone protocols outlined in the safety program and the TCP and explain how to report any unaddressed hazards. Employees should get a refresher on this training every time they begin working on a new road construction project. Such training should be supplemented by daily on-site safety talks highlighting examples of near-miss and actual incidents in work zones.

Work zones can present substantial safety hazards. By better understanding them and upholding effective mitigation strategies, employers can mitigate risks and help ensure safe and successful road construction projects.

If you have questions, please contact your North Risk Partners Advisor.

This blog is not intended to be an exhaustive source of information nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should consult legal counsel or a licensed insurance professional for appropriate advice. © 2025 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.