Safety Equipment That Protects Motorists And Construction Crew Members

Construction repairs that will be conducted along an overpass, on a bridge, or along a busy thoroughfare can interfere with normal traffic patterns. Preoccupied motorists may not take notice of your construction crew or out of bounds areas, unless the proper equipment is utilized. Rumble strips, signs, and barriers are types of construction safety equipment that will reduce mishaps and keep you and your crew compliant.

Rumble Strips

Rumble strips provide a visual, physical, and audible safety alert. Strips can be spotted by motorists, due the color and reflective properties of a strip. Modern rumble strips contain an adhesive backing. The adhesive bonds to roadways, once pressure is applied to the surface of a strip.

The texture of a strip will produce a vibration, as a vehicle is driving along a strip's surface. This vibration will emit a noise and may prompt a motorist to slow down their rate of speed. Temporary and permanent rumble strips may come in a roll format. Either type of strip should be applied to clean, dry roadways. The installation of signs, at each end of a strip, can be used to alert motorists that they will be entering a work zone and will come into contact with a rumble strip.

Longitudinal Barriers And Sand Barriers

Bridge railings, guardrails, and median barriers will deflect traffic from entering an active construction zone. Some products may be weighted and will require machinery to hoist pieces that will comprise a barrier. Other work zone products may be segmented and constructed of materials that are not as heavy in weight. These types of barrier pieces will need to be connected, prior to allowing motorists to enter a work zone.

Reviewing the impact resistance of a particular product will aid with choosing a barrier style that is suitable for a specific application. Many barrier products will feature bright colors and a unique design that will not cause damage to a vehicle, if one accidentally hits a barrier section. Sand barriers are often cylindrical in shape. Barrels can be set up in a line, to deter traffic and motorists from entering a zone where a construction crew is actively working.

Barrels should be spaced out evenly. An equal amount of sand should be added to each one. The sand will prevent the barrels from tipping over. Construction barriers are pieces of work zone equipment that can be reused for multiple construction job applications.

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