Fox calls on motorists, road
crews to pay attention to safety
National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week April 8-12, 2002
To highlight National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, Transportation Commissioner James P. Fox today joined with labor unions, the construction industry, law enforcement and government officials to heighten awareness for maintaining the most protective conditions for roadway construction workers.
“Work Zone Safety Week calls the public’s attention to efforts across the county to make construction zones safer for workers and easier for motorists and pedestrians to travel around,” Fox said. “NJDOT employees and employees of our contractors work hard every day to maintain our roadways, and the Department and the motoring public have a responsibility to be vigilant about safety all the time.”
Since the 1999 death of an NJDOT employee who was setting up a safety sign when a tractor-trailer hit a NJDOT utility truck, which in turn struck and killed the worker, the department has redoubled efforts to protect work crews and make areas around work sites safer.
Fox said the NJDOT now has a federally funded mobile “work zone safety” unit, which regularly visits project sites to inspect safety zones to ensure they comply with federal and state standards. In addition, within the past month NJDOT has begun conducting refresher training at its maintenance yards throughout the state.
“All the signs, cones and training in the world will not protect our most precious resource – our workers – if we are all not aware of the need for special attention to safety in construction work zones,” Fox continued. “Safety is, and will always be, our paramount concern.”
Work zone safety awareness in New Jersey is promoted by the New Jersey Work Zone Safety Partnership, which is comprised by the Associated General Contractors, Construction Industry Advancement Program, Federal Highway Administration, General Laborers locals 172 and 472, New Jersey American Traffic Safety Services Association, New Jersey Asphalt Pavement Association, NJDOT, NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, New Jersey Laborers Health & Safety Fund, NJ Police Traffic Officers Association, Rutgers Center for Advance Infrastructure and Transportation, federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Utility & Transportation Contractors Association of New Jersey.
For additional information about National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, visit the Federal Highway Administration’s website.
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