Construction Work Injury and Roadwork Injuries in Washington State – Can We Prevent Them?

Move slower to reduce the number of construction injuries on the roads in Tacoma

I recently noticed that inscriptions in the area are asking drivers to slow down to help builders. The city of Tacoma is doing everything it can to prevent industrial injuries. Bright orange speed limit signs, crime warning signs and read inscriptions are scattered in different areas. Unfortunately, according to my observations, all these efforts are in vain. In this area of Tacoma, drivers do not slow down. To make matters worse, most drivers who drive faster usually express their disdain for safe drivers. In fact, drivers who meet the new speed requirements anger local drivers and are hostile to them.

Statistics of traffic accidents and fatalities of employees

In the United States, about 3 workers die every day as a result of traffic accidents. These statistics are from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). If you think about it, it means more than 1,000 accidents at work that resulted in the death of an employee.

Interestingly, the state of Washington receives federal funding from NIOSH to track fatal accidents resulting from injuries at work. The program responsible for tracking this data is called the Washington Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE). For more information on workplace accidents and face-to-face, please visit the Ministry of Labor and Industry’s website.

According to FACE, traffic accidents caused 21% of deaths at construction sites in Washington state from 1998 to 2019. These staggering statistics apply only to accidents. They do not take into account other non-fatal workplace injuries sustained on the road.

All drivers should help prevent roadworks and accidents at work.

For me, the speed limit in the work area is not a hindrance or a proposition. These lower speed limits are necessary to protect road and construction workers. That’s why there are speed limit signs so that builders are not injured or died.

In my articles, I often write about the importance of improving safety in the workplace.