Through the provincewide initiative ‘BC Cone Zone,’ Surrey and White Rock residents are being urged to slow down and pay attention when passing through construction sites.
Road Safety At Work, which is a program funded by WorkSafeBC and managed by the Justice Institute of British Columbia, says between 2011 and 2020, a dozen roadside workers were killed on the job and 207 were injured in B.C. Last year, 23 workers were injured after being struck by a vehicle.
“The risks to roadside workers are more prevalent in the summer months as roadside work increases at this time of the year and traffic levels typically rise,” said a release from Road Safety At Work. “The province-wide campaign reminds … drivers to slow down when approaching a Cone Zone and to pay attention to instructions from traffic control persons, temporary road signs, and traffic control devices.”
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“Cone Zones” are areas set up by roadside workers to protect employees on a job site.
“It’s important that workers are safe on the job, and in fact it’s their lawful right. In addition to the hazards of roadwork, flaggers and other people who work in Cone Zones face additional risks from passing vehicles,” Minister of Labour Harry Bains said in the release.
“I ask all drivers to do their part and slow down so these workers remain safe and return home healthy at the end of their shifts.”
This year marks the 11th annual BC Cone Zone campaign.
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