VANCOUVER, B.C. – This month the Vancouver Police Department is partnering with the Work Zone Safety Alliance and WorkSafeBC to kick off the seventh annual B.C. Cone Zone Campaign with an enforcement blitz at a roadside worksite on Burrard Street in Vancouver.
Last year, one roadside worker died on the job and 21 were injured. Cone Zones are work areas set up by roadside workers to protect themselves and the driving public. Workers at risk include traffic-control people, tow-truck operators, first responders and machine operators who work alongside or on roads in close proximity to traffic. Between 2007 and 2016, 15 roadside workers were killed and 229 were injured and missed time from work as a result of being hit by a motor vehicle.
"We want to remind drivers to slow down, pay attention to instructions from roadside workers, abide by temporary road signs and leave their phones alone," says Trina Pollard, manager of industry and labour services for WorkSafeBC. "Every roadside worker deserves to make it home to their family at the end of their shift without injury."
Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their employees and are required to train and supervise their workers. Roadside workers can stay safe by knowing how to identify hazards and assess risks, following safe work procedures and adhering to set-up and take-down regulations.
Workers should also wear appropriate high-visibility garments and report unsafe work conditions to their supervisor.
Officers catch work zone speeders in downtown Vancouver during the province’s annual Cone Zone enforcement.
Photo: WorkSafeBC"
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