Highway Construction Safety Manual

What Should a Highway Construction Safety Manual Include?

The contents of a Highway Construction Safety Manual should reflect the work the contractor actually performs.

A paving contractor may have different hazards than a contractor performing grading, drainage, bridge construction, excavation, utility installation, or traffic-control operations. Heavy highway contractors performing multiple types of civil construction may require a broader combination of safety programs.

The manual should begin with the company’s Core Construction Safety Programs and then include additional programs based on the company’s highway and road construction operations.

Core Safety Programs for Highway Contractors

A comprehensive Highway Construction Safety Manual may include core programs addressing:

• Accident and Incident Investigation.
• Emergency Action Plan.
• Fire Prevention.
• First Aid.
• Hand and Power Tool Safety.
• Hazard Communication.
• Housekeeping.
• Job Safety Analysis (JSA/JHA).
• Manual Lifting and Material Handling.
• Personal Protective Equipment.
• Slips, Trips and Falls.
• Walking-Working Surfaces.
• Electrical Safety.
• Ladder and Stairway Safety.

The manual should also establish responsibilities for management, supervisors, employees, competent and qualified persons, hazard identification, workplace inspections, safety training, hazard correction, incident reporting, recordkeeping, and periodic review of the company’s safety programs.

Traffic Control and Highway Work Zones

Traffic exposure is one of the defining hazards of highway and road construction.

Employees may work adjacent to moving vehicles while performing paving, excavation, grading, utility, concrete, inspection, maintenance, traffic-control, and other operations.

Traffic-control procedures should address applicable requirements for:

• Advance warning.
• Signs.
• Signals.
• Barricades.
• Cones and channelizing devices.
• Temporary traffic-control zones.
• Flaggers.
• High-visibility apparel.
• Construction-vehicle access.
• Pedestrian protection.
• Equipment movement.
• Work-area separation.
• Changing roadway conditions.

Traffic-control measures should reflect the roadway, traffic speed and volume, duration of work, work activity, equipment, pedestrian exposure, and other conditions affecting the project.

Employees should understand the traffic-control plan and remain within designated work areas whenever practical.

Flagger Safety

Flaggers may be required where traffic must be stopped, slowed, or directed through or around highway construction operations.

Flaggers should be appropriately trained and positioned where they can perform their duties without unnecessary exposure to traffic or construction equipment.

Flagger procedures should address:

• Required training.
• Positioning.
• Visibility.
• Approved signaling methods.
• Communication.
• Escape routes.
• High-visibility apparel.
• Night operations.
• Work-zone changes.
• Construction equipment entering or leaving the work area.

Flaggers should remain alert to both public traffic and construction vehicles.

High-Visibility Apparel

Employees exposed to public vehicular traffic or construction-equipment traffic should wear appropriate high-visibility garments as required by applicable standards and work-zone conditions.

Garments should be selected and maintained so employees remain readily visible during daytime, nighttime, low-light, and adverse-weather conditions.

Employees should not assume that high-visibility apparel alone protects them from vehicle or equipment hazards. Work-zone layout, traffic control, equipment procedures, employee positioning, and communication remain essential.

Workers on Foot Around Construction Equipment

Highway construction frequently places employees on foot in close proximity to dump trucks, pavers, rollers, graders, loaders, excavators, skid-steer loaders, cranes, and other equipment.

Pedestrian employees should remain outside equipment operating zones whenever possible.

Work planning should consider:

• Equipment travel paths.
• Blind spots.
• Swing radiuses.
• Loading and unloading areas.
• Truck staging.
• Backing operations.
• Employee access routes.
• Spotters.
• Communication methods.
• Internal traffic-control procedures.

Employees should avoid positioning themselves between moving equipment and fixed objects or entering equipment operating areas unless the operator is aware of their presence.

Heavy Equipment and Mobile Equipment

Highway and heavy construction may involve:

• Excavators.
• Backhoes.
• Loaders.
• Bulldozers.
• Motor graders.
• Scrapers.
• Skid-steer loaders.
• Pavers.
• Milling machines.
• Rollers and compactors.
• Dump trucks.
• Water trucks.
• Cranes.
• Forklifts and telehandlers.
• Other mobile equipment.

Safety procedures should address equipment inspection, operator authorization, seat belts, equipment stability, backing, blind spots, spotters, pedestrian exposure, attachments, travel routes, loading and unloading, maintenance, and safe parking.

Equipment should be operated according to manufacturer requirements and applicable safety standards.

Backing Operations and Blind Spots

Backing vehicles and equipment can create significant struck-by hazards on highway construction projects.

Where practical, work areas and internal traffic patterns should be arranged to reduce unnecessary backing.

When backing cannot be eliminated, controls may include:

• Backup alarms.
• Cameras and detection systems.
• Spotters.
• Designated backing areas.
• One-way traffic patterns.
• Employee exclusion zones.
• Communication procedures.
• Adequate lighting.

Employees acting as spotters should remain visible to the operator and should not position themselves where they could be struck or caught between equipment.

Asphalt Paving Operations

Asphalt paving exposes employees to moving equipment, hot materials, traffic, heat, fumes, burns, noise, and caught-between or struck-by hazards.

Paving procedures should address:

• Paving-machine operation.
• Asphalt delivery trucks.
• Truck and paver interaction.
• Employee positioning.
• Hot asphalt.
• Burns.
• Equipment access.
• Traffic exposure.
• PPE.
• Heat stress.
• Housekeeping.
• Communication.
• Emergency procedures.

Employees should remain clear of moving paving equipment and should use caution around hot asphalt, screeds, hoppers, conveyors, augers, and other hazardous equipment components.

Asphalt and Hot-Material Exposure

Hot asphalt, tack coats, sealants, and other road-construction materials can create thermal, chemical, and inhalation hazards.

Employees should understand the hazards associated with the materials they use and follow applicable Hazard Communication requirements.

Protective measures may include:

• Appropriate gloves.
• Protective clothing.
• Eye and face protection.
• Safe handling procedures.
• Engineering controls.
• Work practices.
• Respiratory protection where required.
• Emergency washing or first-aid provisions.

Employees should be trained in appropriate response procedures for burns and other foreseeable exposures.

Rollers and Compactors

Rollers and compactors can create rollover, struck-by, caught-between, vibration, and visibility hazards.

Operators should inspect equipment before use and evaluate:

• Slopes.
• Edges.
• Soft shoulders.
• Excavations.
• Drop-offs.
• Other equipment.
• Employees on foot.
• Traffic.
• Overhead hazards.
• Ground conditions.

Seat belts should be used when required, and employees should remain clear of operating rollers and compactors.

Equipment should not be operated so close to an edge or unstable surface that rollover or collapse could occur.

Milling and Road-Surface Removal

Milling machines and other road-surface removal equipment may expose employees to moving machinery, traffic, silica-containing dust, noise, flying material, and struck-by hazards.

Safety procedures should address:

• Equipment guarding.
• Employee positioning.
• Traffic exposure.
• Dust controls.
• Water systems.
• Conveyor hazards.
• Loading trucks.
• Hearing protection.
• PPE.
• Equipment maintenance.

Employees should remain clear of cutting drums, conveyors, and other hazardous moving components.

Silica Exposure

Road construction activities may generate respirable crystalline silica when employees cut, drill, grind, crush, mill, jackhammer, or otherwise disturb concrete, masonry, asphalt, or other silica-containing materials.

Where applicable, silica procedures should address:

• Engineering controls.
• Water-delivery systems.
• Dust collection.
• Work practices.
• Respiratory protection.
• Housekeeping.
• Restricted areas where appropriate.
• Employee training.
• Exposure-control responsibilities.

Controls should reflect the task, equipment, material, and applicable silica requirements.

Excavation, Grading and Earthwork

Highway construction frequently involves excavation, grading, drainage, embankment, foundation, and other earthwork.

Where employees enter trenches or excavations, applicable excavation procedures should address:

• Competent-person responsibilities.
• Soil classification.
• Protective systems.
• Access and egress.
• Underground installations.
• Water accumulation.
• Spoil placement.
• Adjacent traffic.
• Heavy equipment.
• Hazardous atmospheres.
• Inspections.

Earthmoving operations should also consider slopes, unstable ground, equipment rollover hazards, overhead and underground utilities, dust, visibility, and interaction between equipment and employees on foot.

Underground Utilities

Before excavation, drilling, grading, or other ground-disturbing operations begin, existing underground installations should be identified as required.

Potential installations may include:

• Electrical systems.
• Natural-gas lines.
• Water lines.
• Sewer lines.
• Storm drainage.
• Telecommunications.
• Fiber-optic systems.
• Fuel lines.
• Other buried utilities.

As work approaches the estimated location of an underground installation, its exact location should be determined using safe and acceptable means.

Existing installations should be protected, supported, or otherwise controlled as necessary during construction.

Concrete Road and Structure Work

Highway contractors may perform concrete pavement, curb and gutter, barriers, drainage structures, foundations, bridge components, sidewalks, and other concrete work.

Potential hazards include:

• Wet cement exposure.
• Silica.
• Formwork.
• Reinforcing steel.
• Concrete cutting.
• Heavy equipment.
• Concrete trucks.
• Pumps.
• Material handling.
• Falling objects.
• Elevated work.

Applicable Concrete and Masonry Safety procedures should reflect the actual operations performed.

Concrete Cutting and Drilling

Saw cutting, coring, drilling, and other concrete operations may expose employees to silica, flying particles, noise, electrical hazards, rotating equipment, and kickback.

Procedures should address:

• Equipment inspection.
• Blade condition.
• Machine guarding.
• Water or dust-control systems.
• Electrical protection.
• Employee positioning.
• Hearing protection.
• Eye and face protection.
• Respiratory protection where required.

Before cutting or drilling, the work area should be evaluated for utilities and other concealed hazards where applicable.

Cranes, Rigging and Hoisting

Highway and bridge projects may require cranes, boom trucks, excavators, hoists, and other lifting equipment to handle concrete structures, pipe, barriers, structural components, equipment, and materials.

Applicable procedures should address:

• Equipment capacity.
• Ground conditions.
• Assembly and setup.
• Power-line hazards.
• Rigging inspection.
• Qualified riggers and signal persons where required.
• Communication.
• Suspended loads.
• Employee positioning.
• Critical lifting considerations where applicable.

Employees should not work beneath suspended loads or place themselves between suspended loads and fixed objects.

Bridge and Elevated Construction

Highway contractors performing bridge or elevated-structure work may encounter fall hazards, suspended loads, structural steel, concrete operations, scaffolds, aerial lifts, work over water, and public traffic.

Applicable programs may include:

• Fall Protection.
• Scaffolding.
• Aerial and Boom Lift Safety.
• Crane Safety.
• Rigging and Material Handling.
• Steel Erection.
• Concrete and Masonry Safety.
• Working Over or Near Water.
• Personal Protective Equipment.

Project-specific planning should address the actual bridge or structure being constructed, repaired, or maintained.

Fall Protection

Highway construction can involve fall exposures at bridges, retaining walls, drainage structures, excavations, elevated platforms, formwork, structural components, and other locations.

Where fall-protection requirements apply, procedures should address the appropriate systems for the work being performed.

Potential controls may include:

• Guardrail systems.
• Personal fall-arrest systems.
• Safety-net systems.
• Covers.
• Travel-restraint systems.
• Other permitted methods.

Employees should be trained to recognize fall hazards and properly use the fall-protection systems required for their work.

Traffic Barriers, Signs and Barricades

Temporary barriers, signs, cones, drums, barricades, and other traffic-control devices should be installed and maintained according to the applicable traffic-control plan and requirements.

Employees installing, inspecting, repositioning, or removing traffic-control devices may themselves be exposed to traffic.

These activities should therefore be planned to minimize employee exposure and provide appropriate protection during setup and removal.

Damaged, displaced, or ineffective traffic-control devices should be corrected promptly.

Night Work and Low-Visibility Conditions

Highway construction is frequently performed at night or during periods of reduced visibility to minimize disruption to traffic.

Night work may increase hazards associated with:

• Traffic.
• Equipment.
• Blind spots.
• Fatigue.
• Glare.
• Shadows.
• Uneven surfaces.
• Work-zone changes.
• Communication.

Adequate illumination should be provided for employees to safely perform their work without creating unnecessary glare or visibility problems for workers, equipment operators, or motorists.

High-visibility apparel and traffic-control devices should be appropriate for nighttime conditions.

Noise and Hearing Conservation

Highway employees may be exposed to significant noise from milling machines, saws, jackhammers, heavy equipment, compactors, trucks, generators, and other machinery.

Noise exposures should be evaluated as appropriate.

Where required, controls may include:

• Engineering controls.
• Administrative controls.
• Hearing protection.
• Employee training.
• Audiometric testing.
• A written Hearing Conservation Program.

Employees should be instructed in the proper selection, use, and care of required hearing protection.

Dust and Respiratory Hazards

Road and highway construction may generate dust and airborne contaminants from grading, excavation, demolition, cutting, milling, sweeping, asphalt operations, welding, and other activities.

Hazards should be evaluated and controlled using appropriate engineering controls and work practices.

Where respirators are required, the company’s Respiratory Protection Program should address applicable medical evaluations, fit testing, respirator selection, inspection, maintenance, and employee training.

Heat Stress and Outdoor Work

Highway construction employees may spend long periods working outdoors near hot pavement, asphalt, engines, equipment, and other heat sources.

Heat-stress procedures should address applicable measures such as:

• Drinking water.
• Rest periods.
• Shade or cooling.
• Acclimatization.
• Work scheduling.
• Employee monitoring.
• Recognition of heat illness.
• Emergency response.

Supervisors and employees should understand the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness and the procedures for obtaining prompt assistance.

Cold Stress and Severe Weather

Highway operations may also expose employees to cold, wind, rain, lightning, snow, ice, and other severe weather.

Weather conditions can affect employee health as well as traffic, visibility, equipment stability, excavation conditions, and walking-working surfaces.

Work should be evaluated when changing weather conditions create additional hazards.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE for highway construction should be selected according to the hazards employees encounter.

Depending on the operation, required PPE may include:

• Hard hats.
• Safety glasses.
• Goggles.
• Face shields.
• Protective footwear.
• Work gloves.
• High-visibility apparel.
• Hearing protection.
• Respiratory protection.
• Fall-protection equipment.
• Protective clothing.

PPE should not be used as a substitute for feasible engineering or work-practice controls when those controls are required.

Hand and Power Tools

Road construction employees may use saws, grinders, drills, jackhammers, pneumatic tools, hydraulic tools, compactors, and other portable equipment.

Tools should be:

• Appropriate for the task.
• Inspected as necessary.
• Properly guarded.
• Maintained in safe condition.
• Used according to manufacturer instructions.

Employees should be trained to recognize hazards associated with cutting, flying particles, noise, dust, electricity, vibration, pressure, and moving components.

Welding, Cutting and Hot Work

Highway and bridge construction may involve welding, cutting, brazing, torch work, and other hot-work activities.

Applicable procedures should address:

• Fire prevention.
• Combustible materials.
• Fire extinguishers.
• Fire watches where required.
• Compressed-gas cylinders.
• Ventilation.
• Fumes.
• PPE.
• Hot-work permits where applicable.

Additional controls may be required when hot work is performed in confined spaces or near traffic, fuel, coatings, or other hazardous materials.

Electrical Safety and Temporary Power

Highway construction may involve temporary electrical installations, generators, extension cords, portable tools, lighting systems, pumps, and other electrical equipment.

Electrical procedures should address applicable requirements for:

• GFCI protection.
• Temporary power.
• Extension cords.
• Portable equipment.
• Generators.
• Wet locations.
• Damaged equipment.
• Electrical panels.
• Grounding.

Only appropriately qualified employees should perform work requiring electrical qualification.

Overhead Power Lines

Cranes, dump trucks, excavators, paving equipment, aerial lifts, and other equipment may operate near overhead electrical lines.

Power-line hazards should be identified before equipment is positioned or operated.

Required clearances and protective measures should be established, and employees should treat overhead lines as energized unless their status has been appropriately verified.

Material Handling and Loading/Unloading

Highway contractors routinely receive and move pipe, barriers, signs, equipment, steel, lumber, concrete products, tools, and other materials.

Loading and unloading procedures should address:

• Vehicle positioning.
• Load securement.
• Mechanical lifting.
• Rigging.
• Pinch points.
• Falling material.
• Traffic exposure.
• Employee positioning.
• Communication.

Employees should remain clear of loads that could shift, roll, swing, or fall.

Driving and Fleet Safety

Highway contractors may operate pickups, service trucks, dump trucks, tractor-trailers, water trucks, and other vehicles.

Driving procedures may address:

• Driver qualification.
• Seat belts.
• Distracted driving.
• Vehicle inspections.
• Backing.
• Parking.
• Trailer towing.
• Load securement.
• Accident reporting.
• Vehicle maintenance.

Particular attention should be given to vehicles entering and leaving active work zones.

Emergency Response in Highway Work Zones

Emergency planning should consider the challenges created by highway and road construction locations.

Plans should address as applicable:

• Emergency communication.
• Location identification.
• Access for emergency responders.
• First-aid availability.
• Traffic control.
• Evacuation.
• Equipment incidents.
• Vehicle strikes.
• Fires.
• Utility emergencies.
• Severe weather.
• Hazardous-material releases.

Employees should understand how to summon assistance and communicate their location, particularly on projects extending over long distances.

Job Safety Analysis for Highway Construction

A Job Safety Analysis (JSA/JHA) can help highway contractors identify hazards and establish controls before work begins.

Highway-construction JSAs may address:

• Traffic-control setup and removal.
• Flagging.
• Asphalt paving.
• Milling.
• Roller and compactor operation.
• Heavy equipment.
• Backing operations.
• Excavation and trenching.
• Grading.
• Underground utilities.
• Concrete work.
• Concrete cutting.
• Crane and rigging operations.
• Loading and unloading.
• Work near overhead power lines.
• Welding and hot work.
• Bridge work.
• Night work.

The JSA should reflect the actual task, equipment, traffic conditions, work location, and hazards rather than being treated as a generic checklist.

Additional Safety Programs for Highway Contractors

Not every highway contractor requires the same safety programs.

Depending on the company’s operations, additional programs may include:

• Aerial and Boom Lift Safety.
• Asphalt Safety.
• Backhoe and Loader Safety.
• Barriers and Signage.
• Cold Stress.
• Compressed Gas Cylinders.
• Concrete and Masonry Safety.
• Concrete Cutting and Drilling.
• Confined Space.
• Crane Safety.
• Driving and Fleet Safety.
• Drug and Alcohol Programs.
• Excavation, Trenching and Shoring.
• Fall Protection.
• Fatigue Management.
• Flammable and Combustible Liquids.
• Forklift Safety.
• Hearing Conservation.
• Heat Stress Prevention.
• Heavy Equipment and Mobile Equipment.
• Lockout/Tagout.
• Overhead Power Line Safety.
• Respiratory Protection.
• Rigging and Material Handling.
• Scaffolding.
• Silica Exposure.
• Spill Prevention and Response.
• Steel Erection.
• Traffic Control and Flagger Safety.
• Underground Utilities.
• Vehicle Maintenance.
• Welding, Cutting and Hot Work.
• Working Around the Public.
• Working Over or Near Water.
• Other programs applicable to the company’s operations.

Programs should be selected because they reasonably apply to the company’s employees, projects, equipment, materials, and workplace exposures—not simply because they could conceivably occur somewhere in highway construction.

Heavy Highway Construction

Heavy highway contractors may perform a broader range of civil construction than paving contractors alone.

Operations may include:

• Highway and roadway construction.
• Grading and earthwork.
• Bridges and structures.
• Drainage systems.
• Excavation.
• Underground utilities.
• Concrete construction.
• Asphalt paving.
• Retaining structures.
• Traffic control.
• Crane operations.
• Structural work.

A Heavy Highway Construction Safety Manual should therefore be assembled according to the contractor’s actual operations rather than relying on a generic road-construction program.

Working Around Other Contractors and the Public

Highway projects frequently involve multiple contractors, subcontractors, inspectors, utility companies, delivery drivers, public agencies, and members of the public.

Safety planning should address coordination of hazards that could affect other employers or workers.

Where the public could be exposed to construction hazards, appropriate controls may include:

• Traffic-control devices.
• Barricades.
• Fencing.
• Signs.
• Pedestrian routing.
• Covers.
• Equipment-control procedures.
• Restricted areas.

Changes that could affect other contractors or the public should be communicated as appropriate.

Highway Construction Toolbox Talks

Toolbox talks can reinforce safe work practices and address hazards relevant to current highway operations.

Useful topics may include:

• Work-zone traffic safety.
• Flagging.
• High-visibility apparel.
• Heavy equipment.
• Backing.
• Workers on foot.
• Asphalt paving.
• Rollers and compactors.
• Excavation.
• Silica exposure.
• PPE.
• Heat stress.
• Night work.
• Driving safety.

Toolbox talks supplement required safety training but do not replace training specifically required by applicable OSHA standards.

Highway Construction Safety Manual vs. Site-Specific Safety Plan

A Highway Construction Safety Manual establishes the company’s overall safety policies, programs, and procedures.

A Site-Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) applies those requirements to a particular highway or road construction project.

For example, the company manual may contain Traffic Control, Heavy Equipment, Excavation, Silica, PPE, Asphalt, Crane, and Emergency Action procedures. The SSSP can then address the project’s actual traffic configuration, equipment routes, excavations, utilities, emergency access, staging areas, subcontractors, and other site-specific conditions.

The company safety manual therefore provides the foundation for project-specific highway construction planning.

Building a Highway Construction Safety Manual

A practical Highway Construction Safety Manual should reflect the operations the company’s employees actually perform.

When determining which programs to include, consider:

• Road and highway construction.
• Heavy highway construction.
• Asphalt paving.
• Milling.
• Grading and earthwork.
• Excavation and trenching.
• Drainage construction.
• Underground utilities.
• Concrete work.
• Bridge construction.
• Structural steel.
• Traffic-control operations.
• Cranes and rigging.
• Heavy equipment.
• Night work.
• Public traffic exposure.
• Environmental conditions.
• Applicable OSHA requirements.
• Owner, agency, and contractor-prequalification requirements.

Selecting programs according to actual operations produces a safety manual that addresses the contractor’s real hazards without filling the manual with unrelated safety programs.

Customized Safety Manuals for Highway Contractors

Highway and road construction contractors can request a customized Construction Safety Manual containing the Core Safety Programs and additional programs applicable to their paving, grading, excavation, bridge, drainage, traffic-control, heavy-equipment, and other operations.

Programs can be selected according to the company’s actual work so the manual addresses relevant highway construction hazards without including large numbers of unrelated safety programs.

Individual safety programs can also be selected when a contractor needs to add or update a particular program within an existing manual.