Identification of Hazards Associated with Mobile and Short Duration Work Zones

This report documents the research activities completed during the first year of a two-year research project concerning the safety of mobile and short duration work zone operations. The objective of the first year of the research project was to identify the potential hazards associated with mobile and short duration maintenance operations, as well as the probable underlying causational factors. In order to determine the current practices employed by other states during mobile and short duration maintenance operations, researchers conducted a survey of state transportation agencies. Focus groups of Texas Department of Transportation employees were held to identify the hazards encountered during mobile and short duration maintenance operations, as well as to stimulate new ideas and creative concepts that could improve worker and motorist safety . Field observations of 11 mobile and 18 short duration maintenance operations were conducted to document the work zone setups used, as well as the motorist behavior surrounding these types of work activities. The primary categories of hazards identified in this research were motorist behavior, motorist comprehension, worker exposure, and vehicle conflicts. In addition, researchers found that the definitions of mobile and short duration maintenance operations, as well as the classification of specific operations, were not consistent.