WORK ZONE SAFETY – NIGHT CONSTRUCTION WORK

Reduced visibility during night construction can increase the amount time it takes for a motorist to see and respond to work activity taking place on or near the roadway. Other factors that can affect a driver’s ability to respond effectively to night construction work activity include age, experience, mental condition, physical condition, weather and familiarity with the roadway.

Reduced visibility during night construction work can also affect an equipment operator’s ability to see and respond effectively to the activity taking place around them. It is important to follow the worker safety plan for night construction work activity which should include the following:

HIGH-VISIBILITY SAFETY APPAREL

  • ANSI Class 3 shirt or vest, as the outermost clothing. Replace these when faded, worn, dirty or defaced.
  • ANSI high-visibility gaiters or bands around the ankles.
  • Hard hat with reflective tape or work light attachment.

ANSI Class 3 apparel and high visibility gaiters place the reflective material on the arms and legs in a design that conveys biological motion (body movement). Road workers wearing biomotion clothing are recognized at significantly longer distances than the standard vest alone.

TEMPORARY WORK AREA LIGHTING

  • Light the work area and approaches to provide visibility for motorists to safely travel through the work zone.
  • Illuminate work activity areas where workers are present to make them visible.
  • Control glare so as not to interfere with the visibility of the work zone by drivers and workers.

VEHICLE LIGHTING

Ensure all lighting and supplemental lighting on construction vehicles and equipment is in good working order.

ACTIVITY WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION SITE

Night construction activity can also create limited visibility for equipment operators and other construction vehicles.

  • Ensure back up alarms are working correctly.
  • Be aware than equipment blind spots/zones can increase during night work.
  • Use spotters when backing equipment to prevent run overs or back overs.
  • Don’t walk behind or between operating or moving equipment and vehicles.
  • Be aware of the greater chance for trips and falls while walking on the construction site.
  • Follow the temporary traffic control plan and the worker safety plan for night construction work activity.
  • Know the details of the project’s emergency action plan.

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Members can download the audio version of this toolbox talk here.

REPLACEMENT OF ANSI HIGH-VISIBILITY VESTS AND CLOTHING

High-visibility safety apparel is personal protective safety clothing that is meant to make you more visible (conspicuous) during both daytime and nighttime use. High-visibility clothing is important because it gives the motorist a visual indication there is a person on or near their travel path, where under normal driving conditions people would not be on or near the roadway.

High-visibility vests and clothing must meet the Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) 107-2004.

All workers within the right-of-way of a federal-aid highway who are exposed either to traffic, or to construction equipment within the work area, shall wear high-visibility safety apparel.

WORKERS AFFECTED BY THIS REQUIREMENT INCLUDE:

  • Highway construction and maintenance crews.
  • Flaggers.
  • Inspectors.
  • Engineering personnel.
  • Survey crews.
  • Utility crews.
  • Responders.

WHEN SHOULD HIGH-VISIBILITY SAFETY APPAREL BE REPLACED?

Your high-visibility safety vest and clothing should be replaced when it becomes faded, torn, dirty, soiled, worn or defaced, or if it is not visible at 1,000 feet, day or night. The typical useful service life of high-visibility safety clothing depends on the type of work a person does while wearing the clothing. High-visibility clothing that is worn daily has a typical service life of approximately six months.

Reasons that may cause your vest to wear out more quickly, depending on the amount of use, include:

  • Job task that are dirtier or more demanding and could be more likely to lead to soiling or tears.
  • Hotter climates.
  • Repeated exposure to ultra-violet rays.

WHEN YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR PPE, YOUR PPE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!

Download a printable PDF and recording form here.

Members can download the audio version of this toolbox talk here.