Changing light bulbs on overhead signs

Minnesota DOT does not have a departmental policy regarding maintenance work over moving traffic. However, MnDOT’s normal practice is not to allow any overhead work by department personnel with traffic immediately below. Erection of overhead structures by contractors requires lane closure or total road closures, typically directed in the contract’s special provisions. This eliminates the danger of tools or materials being dropped on passing vehicles and of having passing vehicles strike workers or equipment.
They do not have any data on materials or equipment striking vehicles passing under work. There was a worker fatality where the worker did not wait for traffic spotters and moved his lift truck over moving traffic where the bucket was struck by a tractor-trailer combination passing below. This reinforces the need of not allowing work over moving traffic whenever practical.
OSHA standards contain requirements for the use of fall protection, compliance to these standards is required for all MnDOT maintenance and construction operations.