Working on Alberta’s Highways
Highway maintenance and repair in Alberta is an ongoing activity because roads and highways become damaged all year round, necessitating routine care. There are many of us in the industry that take care of Alberta’s Highways. Without our industry, Roads would not be as safe for busy Albertans.
Road construction and maintenance crews are very important in our society, playing a key role in making life easier and safer for all us. Unfortunately, these hard-working individuals are exposed to a myriad of significant risks. Highway line painting crews face deadly hazards at work, especially when working at night or in low light conditions.
No matter what project, whether it is highway road marking, highway line painting or any other, the safety issues involved here cannot be overlooked. One of the deadliest risks is getting struck or run over by a vehicle, which may be as a result of one or more of the following factors;
Distraction
Most motorists drive with a lot of distractions around them including food, personal gadgets, exciting billboards and scenery. Talking on the phone or texting while behind the wheel has become one of the top factors in the injury and death of many highway crews.
It is quite unfortunate that even though every motorist knows very well that paying attention to distractions while driving not only puts their lives at risk, but also the lives of others, including highway crews, some drivers just don’t give a hoot.
Drunk Driving
These days drunk driving is involved in more than 50% of road carnage. It is a bit saddening that some drivers have refused to acknowledge the fact that drinking and driving, not only puts other people’s lives in danger but also their own life. They are not even deterred by the tough penalties for drivers who are found guilty of drunk driving.
Issues that Arise In Our Day-To-Day Lives
We are living in a first-paced world, where long harassing routines are the order of the day. Many people’s stress response gets overworked to a point where it becomes completely ineffective at keeping down the impacts of the pressures of life. Then they begin to perceive everything as stressful and react accordingly.
Anger, frustration, and stress, combined with driving is a no-no (extremely dangerous). Sure, no one can completely control their emotions at all times, but if a feeling of anger or stress arises, one should pull over and relax for a minute or take deep breaths.
Unfortunately, some motorists react to these emotions in a completely stupid manner. They resort to yelling, honking and what’s even worse, driving recklessly, endangering the lives of others including those who may be working nearby.
Fatigue
Long hours of concentrating on the road can result in tremendous fatigue, and with this comes drowsiness. Believe it or not, when it comes to drowsy driving, even the best drivers make errors. A drowsy motorist is a disaster in waiting and the results are often tragic. Such a motorist has lost their full ability to drive safely. They are less able to concentrate on the road as well as make good and swift decisions.
Each year, drowsy driving causes hundreds of deaths in Alberta alone. Knowing how to detect a drowsy driver is the best way for road and highway crews to avoid getting struck or run over as a result of this menace. It’s important to pay attention to motorists who seem to be drifting lanes uncontrollably as this is one of the major signs of drowsy driving.
Conclusion
The safety of professionals who work on roads and highways should be given a top priority just like the projects they are working on. Although road construction and maintenance is one of the most indispensable professions, it is also one of the riskiest jobs with many deaths and injuries per annum. Alberta road and highway crews face a myriad of safety issues while carrying out their jobs.
No matter what project whether it is highway road marking or highway line painting, project managers should ensure that the safety of their crews is provided. The majority of the risks can be reduced by using custom traffic solutions to provide traffic control for our highway line painting crews and construction crews while working on busy highways.
