Making Safe and Effective Traffic Control a Priority

Traffic is an inescapable part of business, whether your company works alongside roadways or simply has to manage employees and visitors driving in your facility’s parking lots and access roads.

When working near parking lots and roadways, safety has to be the top priority. Even a vehicle traveling at relatively low speeds can cause serious injuries to a pedestrian, as well as potential property damage and disruption of the project at hand.

Businesses must have tools and processes to control traffic and keep workers and drivers safe at all times.

The Many Needs of Traffic Control

According to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 32,166 fatal traffic accidents in 2015. This figure doesn’t include the far larger number of overall motor vehicle incidents, whether they resulted in injury or damage to another vehicle or property.

Consider this: More than 143 million people in the U.S. drive to work each day. With that many cars on the road, it’s clear that the right measures – like safety cones, parking curbs, barricades and more – are vital for employee safety.

The Dangers of Distracted and Drowsy Driving (and More)

EHS Today cited preliminary 2016 data from the National Safety Council that indicated as many as 40,000 people died in traffic accidents last year. That’s the highest such number in nine years, and a worrying sign for businesses that intermittently – or regularly – work on or near roads.

There isn’t a single cause for the increase in fatalities, but a number of contributing factors exist, including:

• The rise of distracted driving thanks to mobile devices like smartphones.
• Drowsy driving.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
• Speeding and generally unsafe driving behavior.

Scenarios like these can easily end with serious injury, death or significant damage to a project.

Keeping Employees and Assets Safe

How can businesses provide as much protection to workers and their projects as possible? Through the use of traffic control equipment.

Everything from high-visibility vests for employees to movable speed bumps and caution tape for everyone help keep employees and assets safe. Of course, determining exactly which elements you need for your project can be complicated, especially if your business doesn’t specialize in working near roadways.

By working with Emedco to determine and fulfill your company’s traffic safety needs, you can be confident in the well-being of every person, piece of equipment and structure involved in your project.

To learn more about road safety and traffic control for parking lots in particular, check out our Interactive Parking Lot Guide. For any additional questions, give us a call at (866) 748-5963 today!