National Work Zone Awareness Week kicks off Monday
Warmer temperatures mean it’s paving season across the United States, with thousands of roadside workers set to work on road projects, maybe even in your neighborhood.
Each April, National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) aims to increase public awareness of work zones and the crews that count on motorists to lower their speed, obey signage, and stay focused while passing work zones.
This year NAPA has joined with the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) and other stakeholders to extend work zone awareness into the policy space, taking messaging on work zone contingency funds directly to the lawmakers who will write the next highway bill.
Join the movement to keep roadside workers safe by participating in the following NWZAW programming:
Monday, April 21: Work Zone Safety Training Day
Plan your toolbox talk around work zone safety or share awareness messaging with staff. NAPA resources include the Crew Safety internal traffic control training, while The Center for Construction Research and Training has additional handouts, planning tools, and training programs. The National Work Zone Safety Clearinghouse also provides a bevy of information and training resources. And the OSHA Alliance just released updated information on Internal Traffic Control Plans and an infographic on worker fatalities in work zones.
Tuesday, April 22: National Kickoff Event in Raleigh, North Carolina
NWZAW kicks off officially with an in-person event, this time hosted by the North Carolina DOT. Plus, the Pave It Black podcast will examine work zone safety in an all-new episode.
Wednesday, April 23: Go Orange Day
Wear orange for safety in solidarity with roadside workers, then, at 1 p.m. ET, don’t miss the opportunity to learn about work zone safety efforts in Washington State through a webinar discussion led by NAPA Government Affairs Director Mitch Baldwin.
Thursday, April 24: Social Media Storm
NAPA members and stakeholders will take to cyberspace to flood social media with messaging centered on work zone safety awareness. Check out the Watch For Us toolkit for graphics and sample text. Use hashtags like #WatchForUs and #NWZAW to join the online conversation and amplify other posts by sharing them with your networks.
Friday, April 25: Moment of Silence
Since 2022, NWZAW has concluded with a day dedicated to the people who have lost their lives in work zone incidents in the past. Companies and families are encouraged to join together for a moment of silence and reflection as a tribute.
