• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Logo

Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

Library of Resources to Improve Roadway Work Zone Safety for All Roadway Users

  • About
  • Join Listserv
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Work Zone Data
    • At a Glance
    • National & State Traffic Data
    • Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends and Statistics
    • Worker Fatalities and Injuries at Road Construction Sites
  • Topics of Interest
    • Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
    • Smart Work Zones
    • Transportation Management Plans
    • Accommodating Pedestrians
    • Worker Safety and Welfare
    • Project Coordination in Work Zones
  • Training
    • Flagger
    • Online Courses
    • Toolboxes
    • FHWA Safety Grant Products
    • Certification and
      Accreditation
  • Work Zone Devices
  • Laws, Standards & Policies
    • COVID-19 Guidance
  • Public Awareness
  • Events
  • About
  • Listserv
  • Contact
  • Search
Publication

Grab the Face Mask: Contractors Need to Promote Respiratory Protection to Workers

Author/Presenter: Walker, Joe
Abstract:

Workers in heavy construction are exposed to a variety of air contaminants that may be generated by the work they are doing or the vehicular traffic that surrounds them. Despite these health hazards, only about 40% of workers in heavy construction use respiratory protection when needed, leaving hundreds of thousands exposed to respiratory hazards. After engineering controls have removed respiratory hazards where possible, two key steps are required to ensure that your workers’ respiratory systems are protected. First establish a respiratory protection program that accounts for the unique aspects of your construction workplace and that builds understanding among your employees about the importance of wearing respiratory protection when needed. Then, choose the right respirators for various hazards to which workers are exposed.

Source: Roads & Bridges
Publication Date: July 2003
Notes: The clearinghouse has a copy of this item.
Publication Types: News and Other Non-research Articles
Topics: Personal Protective Equipment; Worker Safety

Copyright © 2023 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse is a project of the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation. It is operated in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. | Copyright Statement · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation, American Road and Transportation Builders Association U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Texas A&M Transportation Institute