Richmond, B.C. (November 29, 2019) – The Work Zone Safety Alliance has been recognized as a “Safety Team Champion” in the new Community and Industry Initiatives category at the annual NAOSH BC Week Safety Forum and Awards Dinner on November 28, 2019.

The multi-member Work Zone Safety Alliance is dedicated to raising awareness about the risks workers face while working on or alongside roadways across B.C., including road-maintenance crews, tow truck operators, first responders, municipal crews, traffic control persons, and others.

“Through its Cone Zone campaign, the Work Zone Safety Alliance created awareness about how to improve the roadside safety of workers by addressing multiple audiences,” says Bob Nielsen, President, NAOSH Week Steering Committee – BC. “Cone Zone’s resources and educational information are focused on measures businesses can take to protect their workers, workers can implement to protect themselves and the supportive actions the public can apply.”

Between 2009 and 2018, 13 roadside workers were killed and 213 were injured as a result of being hit by a motor vehicle. The Alliance conducts an annual BC Cone Zone Campaign to remind employers, workers and drivers to obey the law when approaching a Cone Zone to prevent deaths and injuries to roadside workers.

The NAOSH award presented to the Alliance is given annually to recognize and celebrate the individuals and community organizations that come together to promote a culture of safety, and whose efforts make a difference in achieving a shared goal of seeing every worker return home safely at the end of the day.

 

About the Work Zone Safety Alliance

The Cone Zone campaign is a joint provincial initiative supported by organizations committed to improving the safety of roadside workers. They are Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., Automotive Retailers Association, BCAA, B.C. Construction Safety Alliance, B.C. Flagging Association, B.C. Landscape and Nursery Association, B.C. Municipal Safety Association, B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association, City of Prince George, City of Surrey, Government of B.C., International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 258, Insurance Corporation of B.C., Justice Institute of British Columbia, LiUNA Local 1611, RCMP, SafetyDriven, Telus, Lower Mainland police and WorkSafeBC.

About NAOSH BC Week Safety Forum & Awards

North American Occupational Safety and Health Week BC (NAOSH BC) is a non-profit organization. Its primary sponsors are WorkSafeBC and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE). Every year, during NAOSH Week, it celebrates the brightest of companies and safety people that both promote safety and deliver programs both during NAOSH Week and throughout the year.

About Road Safety at Work (RSAW)

Road Safety at Work is aimed at eliminating work-related motor vehicle crashes, deaths and injuries in BC by offering free online resources and courses — as well as workshops, webinars and advisory services — to help organizations plan, implement and monitor effective road safety programs. RSAW is an initiative managed by the Justice Institute of BC, funded by WorkSafeBC and supported by an alliance of agencies and industry, and manages the projects led by the Work Zone Safety Alliance.