Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 56-10. Practices to Reduce Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs) with Department of Transportation Employees

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began tracking and publishing industry-wide safety metrics like the total recordable incident rate (TRIR) in the 1970s. The TRIR is a rate of recordable incidents (requiring medical treatment beyond first aid) that communicates this rate per 100 full-time employees annually. Due to various factors and initiatives, industries have seen significant improvements in the TRIR over the years. For instance, the construction industry’s TRIR in 1994 was 11.8. The most recent published data for the construction industry was in 2022, and the TRIR was 2.4. This improvement represents significant effort from many individuals at industry, company, and project levels; however, non-zero numbers represent individuals who experience harm in the workplace. Further, many safety professionals have focused on the rate of serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs). OSHA defines SIFs as an amputation, in-patient hospitalization, loss of an eye, or fatality. Unfortunately, SIFs rates have not seen consistent and significant decreases. State departments of transportation (DOTs) have a range of efforts to manage occupational safety and health which seeks to reduce all incidents. The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practice regarding efforts to reduce SIFs for DOT employees. Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to) Data collection efforts on SIFs; Practices and procedures specifically focused on SIFs reduction; Practices for assessing, managing, and mitigating fatigue and distraction of highway construction and maintenance workers; Use of technology to monitor and manage fatigue and distraction of highway construction and maintenance workers Training programs aimed at reducing SIFs; Employee engagement and awareness of training programs to reduce SIFs; Results and analysis performed by state DOTs on implemented strategies, training, or use of supporting technologies; and Written policies and procedures regarding SIFs. Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be identified.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5721
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Funding: $55000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 20-05, Topic 56-10

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    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:

  Gause, Jo

• Start Date: 20240723
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction and maintenance personnel; Crash injuries; Fatalities; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Occupational safety; State departments of transportation; Training
• Subject Areas: Construction; Education and Training; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01920385
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 20-05, Topic 56-10
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 31 2024 8:13PM