FEATURE
SAFETY IS KEY
There is never too much safety awareness and practice
By Jeff Winke
F or asphalt paving contractors , safety is a key concern ... some might say it should be a major obsession . At a paving jobsite the ingredients for potential accidents , harm , or disaster are there -- people , heavy equipment , and hot material need to be choreographed safely . Contractors clearly need their wits about them to implement milling , pavement laydown , striping , sealcoating , or pavement crack repair work .
Smart , successful contractors have safety programs in place and a designated safety director . Safety programs need to be continually refreshed , repeated , and reemphasized , A certain amount of redundancy will not hurt . People can forget or get too comfortable--probably in the same way you can never go wrong frequently telling the people you love that you love them .
There are tons of valuable resources available from both the Occupational Safety & Health Administration ( OSHA ) and the National Asphalt Pavement Association ( NAPA ). According to NAPA , last year , more than 25,000 people were injured in active road construction work zones and more than 700 people were killed . The risks are far too great .
Here is a checklist for general asphalt safety for pavers that Craig Safety Technologies , Inc ., North Kansas City , Missouri , created . These critical 22 activities can be formed into a job-site checklist and be a part of a contractor ’ s ongoing safety awareness program for project managers , foremen and crew . www . callape . com [ 38 ] 1.800.210.5923