- Safety and Health Topics
- Motor Vehicle Safety
Motor Vehicle Safety
The majority of fatalities that occur in road construction work zones in the United States involve a worker being struck by a piece of construction equipment or other vehicle. A worker in this industry is just as likely to be struck by a piece of construction equipment inside the work zone as by passing traffic.
- Construction. OSHA Alliance Program. This is one of OSHA's Strategic Management Plan Focus Areas.
- Construction. OSHA. Construction can be a safe occupation when workers are aware of the hazards, and an effective Safety and Health Program is used. This eTool contains information that helps workers identify and control the hazards that cause the most serious construction-related injuries. Also available in Spanish.
Motor vehicle hazards are addressed in specific standards for the construction industry.
This section highlights OSHA standards related to motor vehicle safety.
Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)
- 1926 Subpart O, Motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine operations
- For additional information on specific state plans or other general standards, see the Motor Vehicle Safety Standards page.
Highway and street construction workers are at risk of fatal and serious nonfatal injury when working in the vicinity of passing motorists, construction vehicles, and equipment. According to Building Safer Highway Work Zones: Measures to Prevent Worker Injuries from Vehicles and Equipment [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-128], each year more than 100 workers are killed and over 20,000 are injured in the highway and street construction industry. Vehicles and equipment operating in and around the work zone are involved in over half of the worker fatalities in the construction industry.
The following references provide possible solutions in controlling and preventing motor vehicle hazards in the workplace.
- Work-related Roadway Crashes: Challenges and Opportunities for Prevention. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-119, (September 2003). Provides a comprehensive overview of crash data, the regulatory environment, and risk factors that contribute to workplace crashes. Identifies the groups of workers at greatest risk of traffic crashes, summarizes key issues that contribute to work-related roadway crashes, and recommends preventive measures for employers and other stakeholders.
- Building Safer Highway Work Zones: Measures to Prevent Worker Injuries From Vehicles and Equipment. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-128, (April 2001). Draws upon the collective knowledge, experience, and expertise of numerous individuals and organizations who are intimately involved with highway construction. Provides a listing of interventions from which contractors, contracting agencies, and other entities may choose those most appropriate to their situations and needs.
Workplace Vehicle Safety
- For information on workplace vehicle safety, see the Workplace Vehicle Safety page.