the regional metropolitan planning organization - worked with county agencies and FHWA to develop data-driven road safety assessments.

“We’ve implemented those road safety assessments on a regional basis. That’s been very important,” said Amy St. Peter, the association’s assistant director.  “We’re using data out in the field to collect more information with a human factor expert to help us identify what behaviors, what environmental factors, what infrastructure contribute to those crashes and how we can mitigate those.”

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) used DDSA tools to develop road safety plans for each of its 87 counties.

“It was a partnership between the county engineers and MnDOT, as well as the Federal Highway Administration,” said Sue Miller, county engineer for Freeborn County. “We were able to sit down and say, ‘What can we do together to make this data-driven process work for us?’”

The analysis showed that half of fatalities across the State were on local roads, so MnDOT shared funding with the counties to help them implement the plans, based on the data.

“The DOT really understood that if you want to make a true safety difference, then we have to get that money down to the local level to start shifting the culture,” Miller said.

Ultimately, DDSA allows agencies to make safety investments with more confidence.

“We know that we’re saving lives,” said St. Peter. “It could be our friend, our neighbor, our co-worker, but we know that people are here and they’re healthy and they’re safe because of the work we’re doing.”

Learn More

FHWA offers a variety of resources to help the transportation community use data-driven safety analysis (DDSA) to make informed decisions, better target investments, and reduce severe crashes on roads.

See FHWA’s DDSA library for case studies, a DDSA toolbox, webinars, and videos.

Watch a video that explains DDSA approaches and highlights success stories or view an EDC-4 webinar on DDSA.

Contact Jerry Roche of the FHWA Office of Safety or John McFadden of the FHWA Resource Center for information and technical assistance.

Reprinted with permission from FHWA Innovator Issue 60.

The T2 Center is seeking volunteers from the Oregon community to fill two openings on our steering committee. One vacancy is for a municipal/city representative and one is for a tribal representative.

The Oregon T2 Center steering committee is an important component of the T2 Center’s operations. The steering committee is not a governing board, but rather members provide advice, guidance, and expertise on Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) related functions.

Oregon T2 Center steering committee members represent local, state, federal, and tribal agencies that are served by the Oregon T2 Center. The members serve as a link to various stakeholders and are crucial in helping the T2 Center achieve its mission.

Benefits of Steering Committee Membership

There are many benefits to being a steering committee member, including:

• Opportunity to meet and interact with local, state, and federal public works leaders from across Oregon.
• Ability to make suggestions and provide direct feedback regarding the training, technical assistance, and services provided by the Oregon T2 Center.
• Platform for local challenges to be brought and discussed with an experienced and knowledgeable group.

Expectations

• Steering committee members are asked to attend one to two meetings per year in Salem. Meetings typically are no more than two hours in length.
• Members are asked to be open and to honestly communicate their thoughts on issues brought to the committee. 
• Members are also asked to be proactive in bringing concerns or areas of need to the attention of T2 staff. 
• Members assume the role of advocates for the T2 Center and provide input on ways the needs of both the T2 Center and the communities and agencies served by the program can be met. 
• From time to time, steering committee members may be asked for their input by email between meetings.

Criteria

• Must be from a municipality or tribal agency.
• Must be able to commit to a two-year term.
• Must be able to travel to Salem to attend meetings.
• Must have an interest in, and knowledge of, public works topics.

To Apply

If you are interested in applying and meet the criteria above, contact Rebekah Jacobson at Rebekah.a.jacobson@odot.state.or.us or (503) 986-2854.

Amy I. Terry
Kentucky LTAP, Marketing, Outreach and Publications Manager

Highway workers face many potential dangers on a daily basis when they work on the side of the road. One danger they may not expect to face is exposure to waste from methamphetamine (meth) labs.

Five to six pounds of toxic waste is produced for every pound of meth manufactured. Those running the labs will often dump the waste or lab equipment on the side of the road without regard for the hazards it can cause to people and the environment. It is important that your road crew know what to look for and what to do.

“Our crew ran across some items while cleaning out a drain,” said Ron Allbritten, Street and Solid Waste Manager for the city of Murray. “Our policy is to contact the local police,” he continued. “They handle the items and open an investigation.”

Mark Brasher, County Engineer and Director of Public Works for Daviess County, said they handle it in a similar way. “We haven’t run across it a lot, but when we do we contact the sheriff’s office immediately,” he said. They do not touch it for safety reasons, and also so the sheriff’s department can investigate.

Although it can look like any other trash dumped on the side of the road, waste from meth labs may contain trace amounts of the chemicals used, which are toxic. The fumes can cause itching and burn the eyes, throat, and lungs if inhaled. Physical contact with the chemicals can burn the skin and cause severe respiratory damage.

What to Look For

• Unusual, strong odors like cat urine, ether, ammonia, nail polish remover or similar chemicals
• Pills that look like common cold pills or packaging from cold pills that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
• Containers for antifreeze, lantern fuel, drain cleaner, starter fluid
• Red-stained coffee filters, bed sheets, or pillow cases

Road crews in KDOH District 9 handle things similar to Daviess County and the city of Murray. “In District 9, the road crew calls me and I call the Kentucky State Police,” said Allen Ravenscraft, Safety Coordinator for KDOH District 9. “KSP has a response team that handles the discarded items.”

Should you find items that you suspect come from a meth lab, do not investigate on your own. If your agency does not have a procedure in place on how to handle these types of items, it is best to contact local police or the sheriff’s office and move away from the area. However, it is a good idea to work with local law enforcement before you are faced with this issue to establish a procedure that will keep everyone safe.

If you have come in physical contact with items or inhale the chemicals, seek medical attention immediately. Signs of exposure to meth chemicals include headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, lack of coordination and burns. Until medical personnel can arrive, you should decontaminate yourself and your clothing as soon as possible. Remove contaminated clothing and flush exposed skin, eyes and hair with water for at least 15 minutes. Thoroughly wash your skin with soap and water when possible.

The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, Division of Waste Management has set regulated standards for decontamination and for certification of cleanup contractors. To view the tiered response criteria or to see a list of certified contractors, visit them at http://waste.ky.gov/SFB/MethLabCleanup/Pages/default.aspx. They can also be reached at 502-564-6716.

By providing this information to your crew, you have given them the knowledge necessary to stay safe should they face discarded meth equipment.

©2017 University of Kentucky, Technology Transfer Program (T2)

Reprinted with permission from T2, Kentucky Transportation Center

Slips, trips, and falls can happen at any time and location.  They can result in serious injury, and in the worst case scenario, death. According the National Safety Council, “falls are the third leading cause of unintentional death in the U.S., accounting for nearly 32,000 deaths in 2014.”

Most slips and falls happen from walking on uneven surfaces, tripping over hazards on the ground, or slipping in inclement weather. 

Falls from heights can occur when entering and exiting equipment; improper ladder usage, and improper or damaged fall protection gear when working from heights.

So what can be done to avoid falling at work and at home?

• Take extra time, slow down, and pay attention to where you are walking. 
• Keep areas well lit. Maintain parking lots, pathways, and walkways from broken, slick or raised surfaces.
• If you see a trip hazard, such as an electrical cord or cable, move it or mark it to warn others.
• Avoid walking while distracted, including reading, talking, or texting. 
• Clean up all spills immediately. Sweep shop floors that may have debris that has fallen off of equipment.
• Use ladders correctly by making sure both ladder feet are on firm, even surfaces, and always use a ladder according to manufacturer’s recommendations. 
• During inclement weather, use extreme caution and wear footwear with good traction.
• Slow down and shorten your stride when walking in slick, icy conditions.  If available, use boot chains or ice grips (ice trekkers).

Another prime location for injury is when you are entering and exiting equipment. Use three points of contact to reduce your potential for injury, and always face the equipment when entering and exiting rather than “walking out of the equipment.” 

Take the time to slow down and recognize hazards. 

Maintenance garages, equipment yards, and road work zones can be dangerous places.  Heavy equipment operates close to workers on foot in areas busy with activity and noise. Unsafe backing maneuvers in these environments can increase the risk of death or injury and cost many thousands of dollars for repair and replacement of damaged equipment.

"Going in reverse is not a natural maneuver because the blind spots, especially on larger vehicles, can be huge," says Ben Rank, a loss control specialist with Cities and Villages Mutual Insurance Company in Wisconsin. "But sometimes there is no alternative but to back a vehicle."

Rank says that street and highway departments can prevent workplace backing accidents by following best practices and raising awareness through good training. He emphasizes three key principles for safe backing and offers additional tips.

Key Backing Principles

• Avoid the need to back up: Operators should park defensively and leave room to pull away going forward when leaving a job site instead of backing. Another option is to use a route or location that accomplishes the task while moving forward.
• Use a trained spotter: If backing up is the only option, use a spotter with good technique and hand signals. Make sure spotters work from the driver's side, stay visible, watch for obstructions, and communicate with the driver. Establish a consistent standard throughout the agency that all operators and spotters understand.
• Get out and look: When it is necessary to back up and there is no spotter around, Rank recommends the simple GOAL (Get Out And Look) technique. Do a complete 360 of the vehicle and the area around it to assess possible blind spots, distances, height clearance, and the presence of any activity or workers that could interfere with a safe backing operation.

Additional Backing Tips

• Position mirrors for clear sight lines before operating the vehicle
• Make sure the backup alarm is working; if it is not or fails during maneuver, use a spotter
• Keep driver's window down to hear and be heard, as well as the passenger window when backing or driving in the vicinity of workers on foot
• Tum off the radio or other distracting devices; give complete attention to the backing operation
• Minimize the number of work activities near moving equipment
• Install signs in work areas that alert employees on foot about the location of moving vehicles
• Don't allow riders in the back during the backing maneuver
• Check for changing conditions in the area if the vehicle is stationary for more than two seconds
• Sound the vehicle horn a designated number of times to signal a backing maneuver to all crew members
• Back slowly, at a walking speed
• Do not back more than 50 to 100 feet before stopping and rechecking the area for a clear zone
• Follow more stringent guidelines in confined areas and for night work

Standard Operating Procedures 

Rank recommends that public road agencies incorporate these rules into their standard operating procedures. Training that regularly reinforces safe practices like these also prepares equipment operators, spotters, and all workers to take preventive action.

Technology such as truck-mounted cameras are helping improve safe operation, but Rank cautions against relying on technology alone. Instead, use the above principles and tips to insure a safer, successful backing operation. 

Reprinted with permission from the Iowa LTAP "Technology News" July-September 2016 issue, which was adapted with permission from the Summer 2014 issue of Crossroads Newsletter, a newsletter of the Wisconsin Transportation Information Center.

Safety Evaluation of Centerline Plus Shoulder Rumble Strips

The Federal Highway Administration organized a pooled fund study of 38 States to evaluate low-cost safety strategies as part of its strategic highway safety effort. One of the strategies selected for evaluation was the combined application of centerline and shoulder rumble strips. This strategy is intended to reduce the frequency of crashes by alerting drivers that they are about to leave the travelled lane. Geometric, traffic, and crash data were obtained at treated two-lane rural road locations in Kentucky, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. 

The combined results for all states indicate statistically significant crash reductions for all crash types analyzed. The crash type with the smallest crash modification factor (CMF) (i.e., the greatest crash reduction) is head-on, with a CMF of 0.632. Run-off-road and sideswipe-opposite-direction crashes have estimated CMFs of 0.742 and 0.767, respectively. For run-off-road, head-on, and sideswipe-opposite-direction crashes combined (i.e., lane departure crashes), the estimated CMF is 0.733. For all crash types combined, CMFs of 0.800 for all severities and 0.771 for fatal+injury were estimated. 

For a free copy of this report, contact T2.

The safe transportation for every pedestrian (STEP) program the Federal Highway Administration is promoting in Every Day Counts round four (EDC-4) includes five proven countermeasures to get pedestrians safely across the road at uncontrolled crossing locations.

• Crosswalk visibility enhancements, such as crosswalk lighting and enhanced signing and marking, help drivers detect pedestrians.
• Raised crosswalks are a traffic-calming technique that can reduce vehicle speeds and encourage drivers to yield to pedestrians.
• Pedestrian refuge islands provide a safer place for pedestrians to stop at the midpoint of the road before crossing the remaining distance, which is particularly helpful for pedestrians with limited mobility.
• Pedestrian hybrid beacons provide a stop control treatment at locations where pedestrian volumes aren’t high enough to warrant a traffic signal. They are a useful device for higher speed multilane roads.
• Road diets, also an EDC-3 innovation, reconfigure a roadway cross-section to better accommodate all users’ needs. It can reduce vehicle speeds and the number of lanes pedestrians need to cross and create space to add new pedestrian facilities.

See FHWA’s Proven Safety Countermeasures web page for more information on STEP countermeasures and strategies to improve pedestrian safety.