March 19, 2015 FCC-OSPE Luncheon
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2015
Place: La Scala Restaurant, 4199 W. Dublin Granville Rd., Dublin
Registration: 11:30 am
Lunch: 11:50 am Speaker: 12:00 pm
Closing Remarks: 1:00 pm
Cost: Members: $20.00 & Non-Members: $30.00.
Registration: Visit fccospe.com. Pay at door or online at (www.fccospe.org).
Program: Transportation, Traffic and Work Zone Safety
Topic Brief:Sustaining safety and efficiency are among the primary challenges facing organizations that operate and maintain highway networks. Aging roadway infrastructure, along with increasing traffic volumes and congestion necessitates significant amounts of roadway repairs, maintenance and improvements.
Safety hazards are increased in highway work zones as the dynamics of a work zone introduce a constantly changing environment with varying levels of risk. An error in the assessment of risk and/or performance of the driver, may lead to traffic crashes involving injury or fatalities to the construction workers or motorists. Without a distance separation of the workers and motorists through rigid barriers, the potential for danger is further increased. Other dynamics of the work zone including the work zone location, working conditions and the duration also make safety planning on a project more difficult.
Work zone safety and mobility must be considered during all phases of highway construction maintenance and repair. In addition, work zone present a challenge for the health and safety of highway workers. Therefore, maintaining a reasonable level of mobility for all users, while addressing safety risks inherent in construction and maintenance operations, is crucial in providing a safe and efficient highway system
Bio:
Deb McAvoy is an Associate Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering at Ohio University. Dr. McAvoy created the Safety and Human Factors Facility at Ohio University to conduct collaborative research in areas that require the use of a driving simulator in order to safety collect driver performance data. Her research focus areas include visibility of traffic control devices, reducing crashes in work zones, the effectiveness of geometric features and understanding driver behavior.
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A certificate for 1 hour of Professional Development for attending the program will be presented at the luncheon