Is Safety YOUR Focus?

Growing up on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley, I was blessed with the beauty of the area. I learned the value of a hard day’s and, sometimes, night’s work. During the day, work normally meant making hay in the summer, feeding hay in the winter, and working cattle anytime during the year. At night, work meant something was wrong and could not wait until daylight. Whether during the day or at night, the work of a farmer was always dangerous. Too often a year would not pass without learning about someone being injured or killed in a farming accident. 

For the asphalt and highway construction industry, accidents resulting in injuries and deaths are all too common as well. Some accidents are preventable, but many are not the fault of the worker. In 2017, numerous accidents occurred in Virginia’s mobile and permanent work zones. Based on VDOT statistics presented on their website, almost 2,670 accidents took place in work zones. Of those accidents, 1,329 people were injured, and 12 people were killed. While the numbers for 2018 have not been finalized, the work zone was still a dangerous place for the traveling public and construction workers. A major factor contributing to a large number of accidents was distracted driving. While seemingly easy to correct, distracted driving accidents occur every day.

For 2019, VAA publications will focus on safety – in the work zone and at the facility. Articles will focus on various innovations and efforts underway to improve safety for everyone. Most articles will be written by safety professionals in the industry. We hope to provide information that can be incorporated into your day-to-day activities, helping to ensure everyone who comes to work – either during the day or at night – goes home safely. As Lee Cole (Vice President for Environmental, Health, and Safety) of CRH Americas Materials stated in a training class, safety is everyone’s job from the top person to the laborer. With that said, a simple question – is safety your focus?