Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 52-09. Use of Safety Management Systems in Managing Highway Maintenance Worker Safety

State department of transportation (DOT) employee safety and health programs are vital to the success of a DOT. While the safety of all DOT employees is paramount, maintenance and other field workers are exposed to unique hazards that demand a higher level of management than traditional office-based positions. However, some DOT safety programs include initiatives that are standalone and documented on individual paper reports, which can be difficult to store, sort, and aggregate for critical analysis and improvement. Safety management systems (SMSs), both formal and informal, allow a DOT to electronically report, manage, control, and audit issues related to employee safety. SMSs allow safety and health divisions in DOTs to become more agile, effective, and knowledgeable about the safety of employees. The use of SMSs varies by DOT; some DOTs have outsourced development of an SMS, some DOTs have developed systems in house, and some DOTs have no formal SMS. The scope and content of each SMS also varies by DOT. The objective of this synthesis is to document the state of the practice of DOT SMSs, including various system capabilities and related policies and procedures.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4985

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $45000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 20-05, Topic 52-09

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Harwood, Leslie

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kentucky, Lexington

  Lexington, KY  United States  40506-0281
• Principal Investigators:

  Dadi, Gabe

• Start Date: 20200501
• Expected Completion Date: 20210928
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway maintenance; Literature reviews; Maintenance personnel; Occupational safety; Road construction workers; Safety management; State departments of transportation; State of the practice; Surveys
• Identifier Terms: Safety Management Systems
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01739551
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 20-05, Topic 52-09
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 19 2020 9:21AM