Safety News Roundup – January 2025
We know we like to stay in the loop on current industry events, but it’s rarely all in one place! To help with this, we’ve compiled some of the most pertinent updates and stories here to keep you updated on all things safety.
Each month, we’ll focus on a different industry – whether airport, crowd control, or construction and traffic – and keep you in the know!
Welcome to road construction – the never-ending quest to improve US streets and infrastructure.
The US Department of Transportation always has something up its sleeve and some project somewhere to work on. With harsh winters here in Utah and other wintry states, and hundreds of vehicles traversing roads across the country every day, it’s no surprise that local roadways often need renovation or maintenance. Here are the top updates concerning local(-ish) road construction and plans this year.
1. Utah Notice of Street Construction and Resurfacing Projects
This news isn’t necessarily new, but, as an extended project, we felt it deserved mentioning. Starting last January, in 2024, street construction and reconstruction will occur over three years in the Salt Lake Valley. Salt Lake City announced this project per Salt Lake City Code Section 14.32.080 to, in their words, “provide information concerning work activities in the public way and promote coordination of such activities between all public way users”. These public-way users include utility companies, telecommunications providers, developers, contractors, and the general public.
So, if you’re in the greater Salt Lake Area, be prepared for an extended period where roads are under construction, like the Life on State Project.
The Life on State Implementation Plan was signed into action in 2018, with a partnership between Salt Lake City, the City of South Salt Lake, and Salt Lake County confirmed in 2020 to begin making real, observable changes. Currently, the 600 South to 800 South Project is underway and will expand walkways and street landscaping (we’d suggest our 42” LCD Barricades for this type of construction). Still to come are upgraded protected bikeways, new bike lanes, street reconfiguration of Main Street, and rebuilding Main Street to address several infrastructure issues.
More current and future projects can be found here.
2. Infrastructure Grants mean enhanced safety, highway repairs, and protection for the Mojave Desert Tortoise
In our neighboring state of Nevada, a new $16.8 million grant from the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (WCPP) is being put to use to build 61 wildlife crossings and install 68 miles of exclusion fencing (fencing designed to dissuade wildlife from crossing). These additions to Highway 93 in Southern Nevada are intended to reduce wildlife and motorist collisions, thus enhancing the safety of both overall. Specifically, the Mojave Desert Tortoise, a threatened species, is targeted for protection, as well as coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and more.
Further northeast, the US Department of Transportation has awarded the state of North Dakota two grants totaling over $26 million to improve the infrastructure of highways through repair and safety projects. $24.5 million will go to address concerns over a 20-mile stretch of the I-94 interstate east of Bismarck, while $1.9 million will go to the Marley Crossing Project to address traffic congestion and how to increase safety at that location.
3. New standards for PPE to fit workers better
PPE (personal protective equipment) has long been a part of many profession’s daily uniform. From a blacksmith’s apron back in the day to hard hats, proper fitting masks, or full coverage jumpsuits for the most hazardous of jobs today, PPE is essential to keeping employees safe while they complete their duties.
The downside to most PPE is that it is based on very general sizing and often isn’t protecting workers as well as it should be. OSHA has addressed this by revising its rules regarding the type of PPE that employers are required to supply their employees. The new rule states that PPE must fit workers’ unique body types to ensure safety and comfort. This means adjusting and updating PPE offerings based on a wider variety of sizes and body types. This rule went into effect on January 13, 2025.
Over in our warehouse, we’re currently testing out some PPE to fulfill these new guidelines! As a company, our values include continually innovating and putting people first. We hope to exceed expectations here, just as we do in every other facet of our business, to improve and prioritize safety for our team and our customers.
4. OTW Safety News
We’ve been waiting to share this news for ages and we are so excited to announce the launch of our newest hazard light – the Bi-Directional Barricade Light is finally here! Designed to leverage improved battery technology and solar panel efficiency, we’ve created a product that meets and exceeds industry standards in nearly every way. Compatible with our traffic barricades and many other types of safety barriers (including most A-frames, vertical panels, traffic delineators, and traffic drums), the A/C Type bi-directional hazard light will illuminate your site with ease. We can’t wait to get these into your hands – don’t wait, contact us today to get your personalized quote on our newest hazard light. The official launch is next week!
In similar news, don’t forget that our Winter Sale is still going strong! From now until January 31, 2025, save 15% on all our favorite construction & traffic barricades, crowd control barriers, and parking & go kart barricades. Not sure what you need or how much? Our experts are available to help you determine what would work best for your specific application.
And that’s the news for this month! Follow along on our social media channels or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things OTW Safety.
