Editor's Note: Work zone safety is 'In Your Hands'

It feels odd to write about spring when an hour ago I brushed about 6 inches of snow off my car so I could get to the office. Yet in the past few weeks Chicagoland has experienced multiple bouts of warm weather that have made the trees bud and the tulip plants emerge, so it’s clear that a change of season is close.

Spring also brings an increase in construction work. In this issue of Safety+Health, Associate Editor Tom Musick writes about how a recent construction boom – as well as the federal government’s promises to invest in the nation’s infrastructure – is leading many employers in the industry to hire inexperienced workers to meet the demand. He speaks with several people about what’s being done to keep these workers safe.

Increased talk of the state of the U.S. infrastructure coincides with the kickoff of road construction season. As roadwork projects get underway, thousands of workers will be at heightened risk as they perform their jobs mere feet from speeding or inattentive motorists.

National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 3-7. The theme for 2017 is “Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands,” and information and materials are available at www.workzonesafety.org. Please encourage the employees you protect to do their part to keep roadway workers – and themselves – safe in work zones.

The opinions expressed in “Editor’s Note” do not necessarily reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local Chapters.