The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Oct. 20 released a formal letter of interpretation that now requires workers in all highway and road construction zones to wear high-visibility garments in two specific circumstances: when working as flaggers and when exposed to public vehicular traffic in the vicinity of excavations.  

“Road and construction traffic poses an obvious and well-recognized hazard to highway/road construction work zone employees,” said Richard Fairfax, OSHA’s acting director for the directorate of construction.  “[H]igh-visibility apparel is required under the [Occupational Safety and Health Act’s] General Duty Clause to protect employees exposed to the danger of being struck by public and construction traffic while working in highway/road construction work zones.”     

The revision of the interpretation stems from an Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ruling, which found that a 2004 interpretation letter stopped short of requiring that high-visibility garments be worn in all highway and road construction work zones.  With this revision, OSHA now more clearly requires construction workers in all highway/road construction work zones to be protected from road and construction traffic by wearing high-visibility garments.  

To read the release, click here.  

To read the letter of interpretation, click here.