| Activity
area |
The
portion of "the highway where the work takes place. It is comprised
of the work space and the traffic space, and the buffer space" [FHWA
2000 (MUTCD: Section 6C.06)]. |
| Advance
warning area |
The
area in advance of the work zone where drivers are informed of what
to expect. "The advance warning may vary from a single sign or rotating/strobe
lights on a vehicle to a series of signs in advance of the temporary
traffic control zone activity area" [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: Section 6C.04)]. |
| Certification |
A
process which assesses an individual's knowledge and skills to determine
if the individual meets a minimum standard of qualification. |
| Channelizing
devices |
"The
function of channelizing devices is to warn road users of conditions
created by work activities in or near the roadway and to guide road
users. . . . They are also used to separate motor vehicle traffic
from the work space, pavement drop-offs, pedestrian or bicycle paths,
or opposing directions of motor vehicle traffic. . . . Channelizing
devices include cones, tubular markers, vertical panels, drums, barricades,
and temporary raised islands" [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: Section 6F.55)]. |
| Chock |
A
wedge or block for blocking the movement of a wheel. |
| Competent
person |
"One
who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in
the surroundings or working environments which are unsanitary, hazardous,
or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt
corrective measures to eliminate them" (29 CFR 1926 Subpart C). |
| Consensus
standard |
"Any
occupational safety and health standard, or modification thereof,
which has been adopted and promulgated by a nationally recognized
standards-producing organization under procedures whereby it can be
determined by the Secretary [of Labor] that persons interested and
affected by the scope or provisions of the standard have reached substantial
agreement on its adoption [and] was formulated in a manner which afforded
opportunity for diverse views to be considered . . ." (OSH Act, Sec-3). |
| Foot-candle |
One
lumen per square foot. |
| High
conspicuity tape |
Retroreflective
marking material, usually white or an alternating red-white pattern,
that is applied to the rear and sides of vehicles to create visual
contrast and clearly delineate vehicle size. |
| High-visibility
vest/apparel |
"Personal
protective safety clothing intended to provide conspicuity during
both daytime and nighttime usage" [ANSI/ISEA 1999]. |
| Internal
traffic control plan |
A
traffic control plan developed to control the flow of construction
workers, vehicles, and equipment within the work space. |
| Internal
traffic control plan coordinator |
A
person designated by the contractor as a competent person who has
the ability to recognize hazards associated with the movement of construction
vehicles, equipment, and personnel within the work space and has the
authority to modify conditions to eliminate those hazards. |
| Lateral
buffer space |
A
"lateral buffer space may be used to separate the traffic space from
the work space . . . [or a hazardous area], such as excavations or
pavement drop-offs. A lateral buffer space also may be used between
two travel lanes, especially [those carrying traffic in opposite directions].
The width of the lateral buffer space should be determined by engineering
judgment" [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: Section 6C.06)]. |
| Light
balloon |
A
self-inflating elliptical lighting fixture designed to produce uniform
non-glare illumination. |
| Milling |
Process
in which a rotating drum, equipped with special working tools, cuts
the pavement to a predetermined depth and reduces the cuttings to
a minimum size in the process. Also called cold planing [Webster 1995:
p. 125]. |
| Pedestrian |
A
person traveling on foot, who may be a construction worker or a member
of the public. |
| Pre-construction
meeting |
A
meeting between the owner's representatives and representatives for
the contractor(s) to discuss their respective safety requirements
and implementation of health and safety provisions pertinent to the
work under contract [Hinze 1997: p. 102]. |
| Pre-qualification |
A
process by which only selected contractors that meet predetermined
performance criteria are entitled to bid on a construction project.
The contractor's safety performance is often one of the qualifying
criteria [MacCollum 1995: p. 53-54]. |
| Project
supervisor |
Manages
the activities at the construction site, schedules work crews and
materials, and is responsible for keeping project on schedule and
on budget. |
| Retroreflective
material |
Retroreflective
material reflects light back towards the source. For example, retroreflective
material reflects vehicle headlights so that signs, safety clothing,
and other safety devices appear more visible to drivers at night. |
| Senior
project supervisor |
The
senior project supervisor has final authority and responsibility for
safety and health on the project, ensuring correction or abatement
of hazards, monitoring for potentially hazardous conditions, determining
that competent persons are designated by contractors, notifying responsible
contractor of conditions that may cause injury or illness, and maintaining
project safety and health records [ANSI A10.33-1992 (R1998)]. |
| Site-specific
hazard |
"Review
of plans and specifications to identify the location and nature of
assessment potential hazards..." [MacCollum 1995: p. 60]. |
| Skilled
construction trades |
A
grouping of occupations that includes the traditional building trades,
such as carpenters, painters, electricians, and cement finishers. |
| Taper
|
"Tapers
may be used in both the transition and termination areas. . . . Tapers
are created using a series of channelizing devices and/or pavement
markings to move traffic out of or into the normal path" [FHWA 2000
(MUTCD: Section 6C.08)]. |
| Temporary
pavement markings |
Markings
used until "the earliest date when it is practical and possible to
install pavement markings that meet [the full MUTCD standards] for
pavement markings." Normally, it should not be necessary to leave
temporary markings in place for more than 2 weeks [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD:
Section 6F.66)]. |
| Temporary
traffic control plan |
"A
temporary traffic control plan (TCP) describes temporary traffic control
measures to be used for facilitating road users through a work zone.
. . . [The plan] may range in scope from being very detailed, to simply
referencing typical drawings contained in [the MUTCD], standard approved
highway drawings and manuals, or specific drawings contained in contract
documents" [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: Section 6C.01)]. |
| Termination
area |
"The
termination area is used to return road users to their normal path.
The termination area extends from the downstream end of the work area
to the END ROAD WORK signs, if posted" [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: Section
6C.07)]. |
| Toolbox
meeting |
Toolbox
meetings are typically short (10 to 30 minutes), and are held on a
regular basis (weekly, or daily) to discuss safety rules, procedures,
hazards, corrective actions, mishaps, and injury and illness prevention
[Hinze 1997: p. 106]. |
| Traffic
control device |
"A
traffic control device is a sign, signal, marking or other device
placed on, over, or adjacent to a street or highway, pedestrian facility,
or bike way (by authority of a public agency having jurisdiction)
to regulate, warn, or guide traffic" [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: p. I-1)]. |
| Traffic
control supervisor |
A
person designated by the contractor to assume overall responsibility
for the safety of the work zone setup and conformance of the temporary
traffic control devices with the TCP. |
| Traffic
space |
The
traffic space is the portion of the highway in which road users are
routed through the activity area [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: Section 6C.06)]. |
| Transition
area |
"The
transition area is that section of highway where road users are redirected
out of their normal path" [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: Section 6C.05)]. |
| Truck-mounted
attenuator(TMA) |
A
safety appliance mounted on the rear of a truck that dissipates the
energy of a rear-end collision. |
| Worker
on foot |
A
worker on foot is any worker, regardless of task assignment, who is
on the ground (standing, walking, or sitting) rather than inside a
vehicle or piece of equipment. |
| Work
space |
"The
work space is that portion of the highway closed to road users and
set aside for workers, equipment, material, and a shadow vehicle if
one is used upstream. Work spaces are usually delineated for road
users by channelizing devices, or to exclude vehicles and pedestrians,
by temporary barriers. The work space may be stationary or move as
the work progresses" [FHWA 2000 (MUTCD: Section 6C.06)]. |
| Work
zone |
The
area between the first warning sign and the last traffic control device,
as well as non-roadway areas (e.g., shoulders and drainages), and
ancillary areas that serve as staging areas, or support areas for
the work zone (e.g., temporary batch plants). This definition is broader
than the work zone described in the MUTCD, which does not include
ancillary areas that serve as staging areas, or support areas (e.g.,
temporary batch plants) for the work zone. |
