Bridge Safety Facts

Bridge Construction-Related Death in West Virginia, 1990-1999

Recognition of a Problem and Resulting Corrective Actions
By James C. Helmkamp and Wayne J. Lundstrom

A historical review of West Virginia's occupational facility data by the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program, a NIOSH-funded cooperative agreement research program, identified five bridge-construction-related deaths (SIC 1622 - bridge, tuneel and elevated highway) that had occured in the state during the 15-month period of October 1996 through December 1997.

Further investigation revealed that 51 work-related death in the state had occurred in the construction industry (SIC major groups 15, 16 and 17) during the five-year period 1994-1998, resulting in a fatality rate of 29.9 per 100,000, which is more than twice the country's 14.4 rate. Nearly 14 percent (seven of 51) of these deaths were in SIC 1622, compared to only two percent (113 of 5,400) of the national construction-related deaths. The resulting state fatality rate for this construction sub-group was more than seven times the national rate, 349.3 per 100,000 and 44.9, respectively (WVBEP; BLS 2000 a,b,c). Continue... (pdf)

 

Bridges & Tunnels in the Nation's Largest City

An Interview with MTA's Martha Walther on Safety Operations

Martha Walther is the Acting President of Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels, a state agency that operates toll facilities, seven bridges and two tunnels in New York City. In this interview, Walther, who has 17 years of experience in transportation management, describes how maintaining effective safety, health and environmental (SH&E) practices throughout the agency's operations contributes to positive return on investment and to consistently low lost-time injury rates. Continue...

 

Bridge Construction Standard Guideline Links