Managing Construction Safety and Health: Experience of New York State Department of Transportation

To construct and maintain transportation facilities in a cost-effective manner, management of a large state highway construction program must address health and safety risks to highway users and workers. Successful management of construction-site risks requires defined objectives, strong agency commitment, adherence to fundamental safety and health principles, and clearly defined procedures. Health and safety risks and associated costs inherent in highway construction are examined, and the New York State Department of Transportation’s construction safety and health program is described. These efforts are offered as a model to other large transportation agencies that may be considering adopting such an approach. Key elements in this program include clear-cut contractual requirements, adequate program staffing, an accident reporting system to identify critical concerns and track progress, formalized procedural manuals to provide operational guidance, quality assurance/quality control procedures, and compliance measures and outreach efforts to the construction industry and other agencies. Problem areas have been identified where greater program focus can obtain results in terms of reduced losses. Initiatives have been directed toward falls, utility contacts, demolition safety, and work-zone traffic control.