Vehicle Strikes Utility Worker in Short-Duration Work Zone

On Oct. 3, 2003, a 57-year-old utility worker was killed when a vehicle entered his short-duration work zone and struck him. The worker was in the process of locating underground gas lines for construction work taking place on both sides of an active five lane suburban road. The worker parked his vehicle half on the sidewalk and half on the bike lane to avoid obstruction, and placed two orange safety cones behind the vehicle on the edge of the bike lane to warn motorists of the work zone. The worker was standing near the left rear of his vehicle using a locator device when struck. The 18-year-old motorist in the incident was reportedly using a cell phone when her vehicle drifted off the roadway. The victim was pronounced dead on scene by the medical examiner. Recommendations:

• Analyze the work site including traffic patterns and plan the work zone, before you begin working.
• Position work vehicle to create an obstacle to prevent oncoming traffic from hitting you.
• Minimize exposure to moving traffic.
• Drivers should not engage in activities that distract them from driving or hinder driving performance.