National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 15-19 this year. In 2021, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, there were 956 work zone fatalities, and an estimated 106,000 work zone crashes. Flaggers work at the start of construction areas, warning drivers to be alert and slow down.
It’s an interesting contradiction – many drivers will complain about deplorable road conditions, and nonetheless bristle at the first sign of road construction and what they see as unnecessary delays.
Furthermore, the first people drivers typically see before a work zone, and the people they may take their anger out on, are the flaggers, warning motorists of construction ahead and urging them to slow down. “What an easy job,” our irritated driver may very well think, “standing out here on this beautiful day and doing nothing but making me late.”
In fact, flaggers aren’t there to irritate motorists, but to keep us all safe. “Flaggers are there to help guide and protect you through the work zone,” said Terrance Whitecotton, Illinois Laborers’ and Contractors’ Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program Administrator.
Patience is obviously critical to the job. “I really try to be nice, but some think we’re just a bother to them and they can be very rude and annoyed,” said Christy Walford, a 23-year Laborer with the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 159 in Decatur, Ill. “I’m the first person they see, so I often take the majority of the anger.”
Working as a flagger is far from an easy job. There are specific requirements for training that vary by state, and most certifications have to be renewed on a regular basis. “LIUNA training tends to have higher standards, and nonunion states tend to have much looser requirements overall,” said Joe Weinhardt, Apprenticeship Advisor for the Missouri Laborers’ and Contractors Training Center.
Despite the training, and contrary to appearances, it’s a physically demanding and dangerous job. “I’ve done scaffolding and been up on heights and in circumstances that can scare you, but nothing compares to being on a highway and having a truck rush by you at 50 miles an hour or more,” said Joe. “And to stand there for eight straight hours is rough on your legs and back, in all kinds of weather.”
Christy, who has spent the majority of her 23 years with LIUNA working as a flagger, agrees with Joe. “It can be very hot, standing out there on asphalt for eight hours or more, or it can be cold and windy,” she said. “And that wind can really take that panel wherever it’s blowing. And you can’t get distracted, because all it takes is one person who’s not pay- ing attention and someone can get hurt.”
Flaggers are there to protect the crews working on the roads, but also to help keep motorists safe. “I think flaggers are more important than most people realize,” said Sean Coakley, Director of the Indiana Laborers’ Training Trust Fund. “They set the precedent for the motoring public and set the mood for how they might progress through the work zone. They need to be organized and professional. It’s a tough job.”
Once a driver is stopped, it’s still not a good idea to relax and check social media. “You never know what’s coming up behind you,” said Christy. She has had to dive into a ditch several times because a car was coming straight at her, despite all she could do to get the driver’s attention.
“It’s terrifying,” she said. “I do my best, but if they don’t see me I have to get out of the way and get on the radio to warn my people down the road.”
And at the end of the day, the flaggers and the work crews just want to go home, just like the drivers. “We are there to protect our workers, but also make sure the general public gets through safely. We want everyone to go home to their kids, their families, their homes,” Christy reflected.
“Slow down, be prepared to stop, and avoid distractions,” said Terrance. It’s really just as simple as that – respect the work these people do to try to improve our roads, and understand they are out there risking their lives to keep us all safe.
“Think about the flagger, and that’s their office. They’re out there trying to earn a living and put food on their family’s table,” Joe concluded. “They just want to make it home alive, and it’s up to you whether they make it or not.”
The theme for this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week is “Work zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.” And while LIUNA can do everything possible to train flaggers and equip them with all available safety gear, the one thing it can’t protect these people from are other humans behind the wheel. It’s up to all of us to make sure road workers make it home.