12 Aug Roadside Work – JSA

Roadside Work Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Job / Task

Construction, maintenance, inspection, repair, installation, utility, surveying, cleanup, and related activities performed on or adjacent to roadways, shoulders, medians, intersections, driveways, or other locations where employees may be exposed to public traffic and mobile equipment.

Purpose

This Job Safety Analysis (JSA), also known as a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), identifies hazards associated with roadside work and establishes safe work practices and controls to prevent struck-by incidents, vehicle collisions, equipment-related injuries, slips, trips, falls, and other injuries to employees and the public.

Personnel Qualifications

Employees shall be trained and authorized for their assigned roadside activities and shall understand the traffic-control measures applicable to the work.

Employees shall:

• Understand the work scope, traffic-control plan, work-zone boundaries, access routes, and emergency procedures.
• Recognize hazards from public traffic, construction vehicles, mobile equipment, pedestrians, terrain, weather, and limited visibility.
• Wear required high-visibility safety apparel when exposed to vehicular traffic.
• Perform flagging or specialized traffic-control duties only when properly trained and authorized.
• Operate vehicles and mobile equipment only when trained and authorized.
• Remain alert to approaching traffic and maintain an escape route when working near live traffic.
• Use spotters when equipment movement or restricted visibility creates a hazard.
• Stop work and notify supervision when traffic-control measures are ineffective or conditions cannot be safely controlled.

Required PPE

PPE shall be selected based on traffic exposure, work activity, environmental conditions, and site hazards and may include:

• High-visibility safety apparel appropriate for the traffic and work conditions.
• Hard hat where head, overhead, or construction hazards exist.
• Safety glasses with side protection.
• Safety footwear with appropriate toe protection and slip-resistant soles.
• Work gloves appropriate for the task.
• Hearing protection where noise exposure requires it.
• Weather-appropriate protective clothing.
• Fall protection where required by the work condition.
• Respiratory protection when required by the hazard assessment and Respiratory Protection Program.
• Additional task-specific PPE required by the work activity or site.

PPE does not replace effective traffic control, positive protection, barriers, safe work positioning, equipment controls, or other required protective measures.

JSA – Job Steps, Hazards, and Controls

Step 1 – Plan the Roadside Work

Potential Hazards

• Public traffic exposure.
• High vehicle speeds.
• Poor sight distance.
• Pedestrian or bicycle conflicts.
• Conflicting construction activities.
• Emergency-access restrictions.

Required Controls

• Review the work scope and applicable traffic-control plan before work begins.
• Identify roadway speed, traffic volume, intersections, curves, hills, shoulders, driveways, pedestrian routes, and other conditions.
• Determine required signs, channelizing devices, barriers, flaggers, spotters, lighting, or protective vehicles.
• Schedule work during lower-traffic periods when practical and permitted.
• Coordinate with the client, roadway authority, utilities, contractors, or emergency services as required.

Step 2 – Inspect the Work Area

Potential Hazards

• Live traffic.
• Uneven shoulders or slopes.
• Drop-offs.
• Poor visibility.
• Overhead or underground utilities.
• Limited escape routes.

Required Controls

• Inspect the work area from a safe location before setup.
• Identify safe parking, staging, access, egress, and escape areas.
• Evaluate roadway shoulders, slopes, ditches, drainage structures, and walking surfaces.
• Identify utility and overhead hazards applicable to the work.
• Do not begin work until hazards are addressed by appropriate controls.

Step 3 – Establish Traffic Control

Potential Hazards

• Workers struck while placing devices.
• Vehicle intrusion.
• Incorrect sign or device placement.
• Driver confusion.

Required Controls

• Install traffic-control devices according to the approved plan and applicable requirements.
• Minimize employee exposure to live traffic during setup.
• Use protective vehicles, spotters, or other controls where required.
• Maintain an escape route while installing devices.
• Verify signs and channelizing devices are stable, visible, correctly oriented, and provide clear guidance.

Step 4 – Park and Position Work Vehicles

Potential Hazards

• Rear-end collision.
• Vehicle struck by traffic.
• Rollaway.
• Workers entering traffic while exiting vehicle.
• Obstructed sight distance.

Required Controls

• Park vehicles within the protected work area whenever practical.
• Use designated access and egress points.
• Set parking brakes and secure unattended vehicles.
• Position vehicles to avoid unnecessarily obstructing motorists’ sight distance.
• Exit and enter vehicles from the side away from traffic when practical and safe.
• Use warning lights and other vehicle-mounted warning devices as required.

Step 5 – Enter and Exit the Work Zone

Potential Hazards

• Crossing live traffic.
• Struck-by incidents.
• Slips or falls on shoulders or slopes.
• Equipment movement.

Required Controls

• Use designated access points and protected routes.
• Avoid crossing live traffic lanes whenever practical.
• Cross roadways only when necessary and when traffic is adequately controlled.
• Remain alert to construction equipment as well as public traffic.
• Maintain stable footing on shoulders, slopes, and uneven terrain.

Step 6 – Perform Work Adjacent to Live Traffic

Potential Hazards

• Vehicle intrusion.
• Struck-by incidents.
• Distraction.
• Limited reaction time.
• Workers drifting outside protected area.

Required Controls

• Remain within the protected work area whenever practical.
• Face or monitor approaching traffic when exposure exists.
• Maintain a predetermined escape route.
• Keep tools and materials inside the work zone.
• Do not use phones, headphones, or engage in unnecessary distracting activities when exposed to traffic.
• Stop work if traffic encroaches on the work space or controls become ineffective.

Step 7 – Operate Vehicles and Mobile Equipment

Potential Hazards

• Backing incidents.
• Equipment-public vehicle collisions.
• Blind spots.
• Workers struck by equipment.
• Equipment rollover.

Required Controls

• Use trained and authorized operators.
• Perform required equipment inspections before use.
• Use spotters when operators cannot clearly see the travel path or nearby personnel.
• Minimize backing whenever practical.
• Keep workers and pedestrians outside equipment blind spots and swing radii.
• Operate at controlled speeds appropriate for the work zone and terrain.

Step 8 – Perform Flagging When Required

Potential Hazards

• Flagger struck by vehicle.
• Driver confusion.
• Loss of communication.
• Inadequate escape route.

Required Controls

• Only trained and authorized flaggers shall direct traffic.
• Use approved signaling devices and methods.
• Position flaggers where they are clearly visible to approaching traffic and have adequate stopping sight distance.
• Maintain a clear escape route.
• Establish reliable communication between flaggers when alternating traffic.
• Do not perform unrelated work while actively flagging.

Step 9 – Handle Tools and Materials

Potential Hazards

• Dropped or flying objects.
• Manual handling injuries.
• Tools entering traffic lanes.
• Trip hazards.

Required Controls

• Stage tools and materials within the protected work area.
• Secure lightweight materials that could be blown into traffic.
• Use proper lifting practices and mechanical assistance when practical.
• Do not leave tools, cords, hoses, or materials in pedestrian or vehicle travel paths.
• Use guards and other task-specific tool controls.

Step 10 – Work on Shoulders, Slopes, Medians, or Ditches

Potential Hazards

• Slips, trips, and falls.
• Uneven or unstable terrain.
• Traffic exposure.
• Snakes, insects, vegetation, or environmental hazards.
• Drainage or water hazards.

Required Controls

• Evaluate terrain before entering the area.
• Use stable access routes and maintain secure footing.
• Do not work from unstable slopes when safer positioning or equipment can be used.
• Maintain separation from traffic and mobile equipment.
• Inspect vegetation and ground conditions for hidden hazards.
• Use additional controls when water, steep slopes, or unstable surfaces are present.

Step 11 – Maintain Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

Potential Hazards

• Pedestrians entering work area.
• Bicyclist collisions.
• Blocked sidewalks or paths.
• Unsafe detours.

Required Controls

• Maintain safe pedestrian and bicycle routes as required by the traffic-control plan.
• Provide clearly marked detours where normal routes are closed.
• Use physical separation where necessary to prevent entry into hazardous areas.
• Maintain accessible routes where required.
• Keep temporary routes clear of tools, debris, cords, hoses, and other hazards.

Step 12 – Work During Low-Light, Night, or Adverse Weather

Potential Hazards

• Reduced visibility.
• Wet or slippery surfaces.
• Heat or cold stress.
• Wind-blown devices or materials.
• Longer vehicle stopping distances.

Required Controls

• Use required illumination, warning lights, and retroreflective traffic-control devices.
• Wear required high-visibility apparel appropriate for the conditions.
• Position lighting to illuminate work without creating disabling glare for motorists.
• Secure traffic-control devices and materials against wind.
• Adjust work practices for rain, fog, snow, heat, cold, or other weather conditions.
• Stop work when visibility or weather prevents safe operations.

Step 13 – Respond to a Vehicle Intrusion or Emergency

Potential Hazards

• Worker struck by vehicle.
• Secondary collision.
• Injured employee or motorist.
• Emergency responders entering work zone.

Required Controls

• Move immediately toward the predetermined escape area when threatened by an errant vehicle.
• Do not attempt to physically stop an intruding vehicle.
• Warn other employees using the established emergency communication method.
• Call emergency services when required.
• Maintain or establish safe access for responders.
• Stop affected operations and restore traffic-control measures before work resumes.

Step 14 – Inspect and Maintain the Work Zone

Potential Hazards

• Displaced traffic-control devices.
• Changed traffic patterns.
• Debris in roadway.
• Deteriorating visibility or weather.

Required Controls

• Inspect traffic-control devices and work-zone conditions periodically and after events that may affect them.
• Correct missing, damaged, displaced, or ineffective devices promptly.
• Remove mud, debris, or materials from public travel lanes.
• Adjust controls when the work location, traffic pattern, weather, or lighting changes.
• Document inspections when required.

Step 15 – Remove the Work Zone and Restore the Roadside

Potential Hazards

• Struck-by incidents during removal.
• Premature reopening.
• Debris left in roadway.
• Traffic confusion.

Required Controls

• Remove equipment, tools, materials, and debris before reopening affected areas.
• Remove traffic-control devices in a planned sequence that maintains worker protection.
• Use protective vehicles, spotters, or other controls as required.
• Verify roadways, shoulders, sidewalks, and access points are safe and clear.
• Remove or cover temporary signs that no longer apply.
• Perform a final inspection before normal traffic conditions are restored.

General Safe Work Requirements

• Roadside work shall be performed in accordance with the approved traffic-control plan and applicable federal, state, local, project, and roadway-owner requirements.
• Workers exposed to vehicular traffic shall wear required high-visibility safety apparel.
• Maintain clear separation between workers and public traffic whenever practical.
• Use barriers, protective vehicles, truck-mounted attenuators, or other positive protection when required by the traffic-control plan or conditions.
• Maintain a clear escape route when employees are exposed to approaching traffic.
• Keep employees out of vehicle and equipment blind spots and swing radii.
• Maintain safe pedestrian, bicycle, and emergency access when affected by the work.
• Keep tools, materials, debris, and equipment out of public travel lanes unless specifically controlled.
• Inspect traffic-control measures throughout the work and correct deficiencies promptly.
• Stop work whenever traffic, visibility, weather, or work-zone conditions create an uncontrolled hazard.

Training

Employees shall receive training appropriate to their roadside work responsibilities. Training shall include traffic and work-zone hazards, high-visibility apparel, safe work positioning, traffic-control devices, vehicle and equipment interaction, pedestrian safety, escape routes, adverse-weather conditions, emergency procedures, and stop-work expectations. Flaggers and other specialized traffic-control personnel shall meet applicable training and qualification requirements.

References

• OSHA 29 CFR 1926.200 – Accident Prevention Signs and Tags.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926.201 – Signaling.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926.202 – Barricades.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O – Motor Vehicles, Mechanized Equipment, and Marine Operations.
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), current applicable edition.
• Applicable state, local, project, and roadway-owner traffic-control requirements.