Cone Zone campaign, RCMP partner to support roadside worker safety in Abbotsford

Over the last 10 years, 9 roadside workers died and 239 were injured in BC

The Cone Zone campaign is partnering with BC Highway Patrol, Abbotsford Police Department Traffic, and Work Zone Safety Alliance members TELUS and the Universal Group today to raise awareness about the risks workers and drivers in Abbotsford face in Cone Zones.

A traffic enforcement blitz will see the BC Highway Patrol monitor traffic around a TELUS work zone that includes traffic control persons from the Universal Group. RCMP will ticket drivers for unsafe behaviours. Fines can range from $196 for disobeying a flag person to $368 for using an electronic device while driving and up to $483 for speeding.

The event is part of the Cone Zone campaign, which is managed by Road Safety at Work and supported by the Work Zone Safety Alliance. The campaign reminds drivers, employers, and workers to do their part to prevent deaths and injuries to roadside workers.

“A vehicle driving through a Cone Zone is one of the greatest risks to people who work on or alongside the road,” says campaign spokesperson Trace Acres, program director for Road Safety at Work. “Roadside work zones operate year-round in the Fraser Valley and speeding and distracted driving put workers as well as drivers and their passengers at risk of injury and death.”

Between 2013 and 2022 in BC, 9 roadside workers were killed and 239 were injured seriously enough to miss time from work.

Driving decisions affect lives

“We’re still seeing far too many people being injured or killed at the roadside. And that’s the whole reason for the Cone Zone campaign,” Acres says. “It reminds drivers that they have a responsibility to make sure that they’re proceeding safely through any kind of work zone to ensure that those workers can get home safely at the end of the day.”

Roadside work is more than road maintenance and construction. TELUS and other utilities workers, tow truck operators, first responders, public works crews, traffic control persons, waste collectors, landscapers and others all work around traffic. They depend on drivers to respect the Cone Zone to keep their workplaces safe.

Drivers and their passengers are at risk too. “There’s a lot going on so if you’re speeding or distracted you risk rear-ending vehicles in front of you. You need to pay attention to signage, to flag personnel, and be on the lookout for mobile equipment.”

What drivers need to do when approaching a work zone

Drivers need to slow down and leave the phone alone.

In addition, BC’s “Slow Down, Move Over” law applies when vehicles in the work zone have flashing amber, red or blue lights (tow, fire, police). Drivers need to move over to an open lane, if safe to do so. They’re also required to reduce speed below the posted limit, as follows:

“It’s a good idea to follow the Slow Down Move Over rules in every work zone,” says Acres. “Driving below the posted speed limit and putting more space between your vehicle and the roadside workers helps keep everyone safe.”

Employers, workers have safety responsibilities

Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their workers and contractors along BC’s roads and highways, including:

• Ensuring workers understand the hazards related to working at the roadside
• Providing workers with training, equipment, supervision, and resources to help keep them safe

Roadside workers can work safely by:

• Knowing how to identify hazards and assess risks
• Following safe work procedures, including work zone set-up and take-down
• Wearing appropriate high-visibility clothing and other PPE
• Reporting unsafe work conditions to their supervisor

Employers and workers can also access online tools and resources at ConeZoneBC.com.

The Cone Zone campaign is a joint provincial initiative supported by the Work Zone Safety Alliance, made up of public and private sector organizations committed to improving the safety of roadside workers. The campaign is managed by Road Safety at Work.

Quotes

Harry Bains, Minister of Labour

“Unsafe driving poses a huge danger to roadside workers. This campaign serves as a reminder to employers, workers and drivers about the risks associated with road work zones and the importance of following Cone Zone guidelines. When you see a Cone Zone, slow down and pay attention. By doing this you’re helping ensure our roadside workers return home safe to their families at the end of the day.”

Steven Scuor, Senior Safety Consultant, People & Culture at TELUS

“As a communications and information technology company, we have roadside workers on the job across the province. Our crews are often responding to emergency outages caused by weather events, theft or motor vehicle accidents, and in order to restore service as soon as possible for our customers, we aren’t always able to coordinate with traffic control persons. This makes Cone Zones incredibly important to the safety of our crews, and ensures they return home to their loved ones at the end of their shift without injury. That is always our first priority – the safety of our people as they work diligently around the clock to keep our customers connected.”

Jacqueline Burry, General Manager Traffic Services, Lower Mainland at Universal Group

“Working in the traffic industry for as long as I have, I have seen many unsafe drivers on the road. Over the years it has become increasingly more dangerous out there for our traffic control people. We want to ensure everyone is safe and moves effectively through the Cone Zone. Life is already short, please pay attention when driving, especially through work zones. Please slow down, obey the traffic controllers, and let’s work together to make sure everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.”

About the Work Zone Safety Alliance

Alliance members include Ambulance Paramedics of BC, Automotive Retailers Association, BCAA, BC Construction Safety Alliance, BC Flagging Association, BC Highway Patrol – RCMP, BC Hydro, BC Municipal Safety Association, BC Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association, BC Road Safe, CoreCode Safety and Compliance, Government of BC, IBEW Local 258, Insurance Corporation of BC, Island Equipment Owners Association, Justice Institute of British Columbia, K & K Consulting, LiUNA Local 1611, Mainroad Group, Metro Traffic Management, Road Safety at Work, SafetyDriven, TELUS, Trans Mountain, The Universal Group, Vancouver Island Construction Association, and WorkSafeBC.

About Road Safety at Work

Road Safety at Work is a WorkSafeBC-funded initiative, managed by the Justice Institute of BC, aimed at eliminating work-related motor vehicle crashes, deaths, and injuries in British Columbia. RoadSafetyAtWork.ca offers free online resources and courses, as well as workshops, webinars, and consulting services, to help organizations plan, implement and monitor effective road safety programs.

Media contact

Gord Woodward, Communications manager
Road Safety at Work
250-734-3652
gwoodward@roadsafetyatwork.ca