OTW Safety Blog

November 2025 Safety Roundup

A control tower at an airport to increase safety in the industry

This blog series serves as a monthly highlight of recent news/updates in the safety industry, including airport, construction, events, and general safety news.

To keep you informed about recent and current safety highlights, we’ve compiled some of the most pertinent updates and national stories here to keep you updated on all things safety.

This month, we’ll highlight different ways the recent government shutdown affected various industries, how the White House ballroom brings some historic construction risks to light, and how connectivity could change the face of cycling as we know it.

In OTW news, we’ll tell you about two of our newest featured products, the Bi-Directional Hazard Light and the Premium Vinyl X, as well as let you into the know on one of our newest products, the OTW Expansion Plug!

1 – Flights, food aid, and military pay at risk as 2025 government shutdown sets US record

2 – Bicycle connectivity: Chain reactions

3 – With shutdown, contractors ‘in the dark’ on labor data

4 – FAA Plans 10% Capacity Cut at Major US Airports Amid Government Shutdown

5 – White House ballroom spotlights historic construction risks

6 – OTW News and Featured Products

A queue of travelers lines up between stanchions while awaiting their turn at the airport

Flights, food aid, and military pay at risk as 2025 government shutdown sets US record

It’s no secret that the FAA is already facing a shortage when it comes to air traffic controllers, yet, with federal pay on pause alongside food benefits, airports are facing even further difficulty with filling shifts and ensuring that the skies are safe as possible for outgoing and incoming flights. Even with a proactive reduction in flights across the country, airlines are still cancelling or delaying flights and much of people’s upcoming holiday travel plans may be severely impacted.

Bicycle connectivity: Chain reactions

Across the pond, cycling has long been a more common form of transportation than in the States, as many cities in Europe, specifically, are incredibly walkable (or bikeable!). While development of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) have been in progress for some time, these “smart” improvements have generally been focused on fully motorized vehicles like cars. However, researchers see the benefits of transferring that type of system to bicycles as a way to improve connectivity, safety, and more.

Three bicycles lean again a railing overlooking a canal

With shutdown, contractors ‘in the dark’ on labor data

With pay on pause and agencies at reduced or halted capacity, many reports that indicate labor data have also been put on the backburner. The lack of information means that contractors and businesses know little about unemployment data, job openings, labor turnover surveys, and more at the moment. The health of the labor market is currently unknown, as the 40th day of the government shutdown – the longest in history – passed on November 10, 2025, and will likely remain that way until resolutions are reached that allow it to reopen.

FAA Plans 10% Capacity Cut at Major US Airports Amid Government Shutdown

As a preventative measure to reduce pressure on air traffic controllers and airlines, Transportation Secretary Duffy announced a potential 10% decrease in airspace use across the United States as of Friday, November 7, 2025, if the government shutdown was not ended by that time. As of November 10, 2025, the 40th day of the shutdown passed and reductions in flights are taking place day by day. Airlines are being asked to work collaboratively with the FAA to navigate flight schedules and the reduced available airspace in order to keep the skies as safe as possible while pay is paused and air traffic controllers and TSA remain under immense pressure.

White House ballroom spotlights historic construction risks

The world was in for a big surprise when walls started coming down on the Historic East Wing of the White House in October of 2025. While announced plans stated that the new ballroom project would sit “near it but not touching it [the East Wing]” and that it “wouldn’t interfere with the current building”, many were shocked at the demolition that took place almost immediately. While changes in historic construction projects and restorations are not at all uncommon, this giant deviation from the get go was quite unexpected for many. The speed at which demolition and potential construction is taking place is definitely out of the norm for projects like these, so it remains to be seen what other construction risks and changes the White House ballroom project will spotlight as it moves toward completion.

A group of contractors look over plans for a project.

OTW News

Meet the Premium Vinyl X

Our new and improved Premium Vinyl X marks the runway or taxiway with ease to indicate a closed lane during construction and are fully FAA-compliant. Made of strong, bright yellow polyethylene, this vinyl runway temporary closure marker indicates to pilots in the air that a particular runway or taxiway is closed.

Our premium version includes a carry bag to easily transport either size of the Vinyl X to its needed location, and makes tear down a breeze, as the X folds down to go right back in the bag.

Ready to increase the safety at your airport? Find our Premium Vinyl X Temporary Runway Closure Marker here.

Don’t forget about the Type A/C Bi-Directional Hazard Light (BDL)

There are many hazard lights on the market, but we wanted one that was even better, so we created the Type A/C Bi-Directional Hazard Light. We built it to be compatible not only with our barricades, but most other standard construction and traffic barricades. To really make it shine, we increased solar panel efficiency and improved the battery life so that your hazard light can shine all night long with its enhanced LEDs.

Available in both Amber Yellow and Red, the BDL is versatile, bright, and perfectly suited to indicating hazards wherever they may be needed. They meet or exceed the standards of MUTCD, UDOT, and ITE specifications, and come ready to light up your site.

Find your newest BDL here.

The new OTW Designed Expansion Plug is on its way!

Many of our loyal customers purchase their barricades to have on hand for events and construction year-round, but may not use them every month. Other customers are local or national rental houses that have their barricades deployed multiple times a year, but, when the barricades are returned, they’re often missing a plug cap!

So, in response to customers who rent or loan out OTW barricades secondhand, we created our NEW Expansion Plug for just such situations. These are available for purchase by themselves and are perfect for: