Toll Facility Safety Study Report to Congress - About

Toll Facility Safety Study Report to Congress
Safety Strategies for Reducing Worker Injuries
Worker Garments
Vests are typical safety garments provided to toll plaza employees. In an innovative strategy,
one operator uses battery powered flashing vests for employees who work in the toll lanes.
Another operator has adopted a new safety smock. The smock is light-weight, has short arms
and is waist length. It is fluorescent yellow green with orange sections and retroreflective strips.
Another operator issues toll collectors a 3-in-1 coat. The coat is lined and fluorescent yellow
green. The sleeves can be unzipped and removed for spring and fall and the lining unzips so that
it is more vest-like in the summer.
One operator reported using a high visibility vest with five-point breakaway. The vests were
ordered in response to news reports that vests would get caught on passing vehicles and workers
were being dragged several hundred feet. The vests are fluorescent yellow green, are supplied to
each employee and replaced as needed. The operator reported that the collectors provided input
to management when the vests were being selected and the breakaway vest has received a
positive response by employees.
Three operators reported that they are considering development of new uniforms that will have
safety features built in, thereby eliminating the need for safety vests.
Lane Crossing Techniques
Employees of one operator use small, personal stop sign paddles that are utilized by both the
employee crossing an active lane of traffic and the employee in the toll booth. The vehicle that
is stopped at the toll booth is allowed to depart the plaza, but the stop paddle is directed at the
vehicle behind so that it must remain stopped. This procedure was developed out of concern for
potential rear end collisions.
Four operators reported using a ManSaver bar. The bars are placed at locations where
employees must cross a toll lane. When entering the lane (going into danger), the employee
must lift or pull back on the bar, when exiting a lane (going into safety) the bar is pushed. The
bars force employees to stop before entering a toll lane and also serve as a reminder to look
before crossing. One operator reported that employees would go around the bars so chains were
installed to prevent them from avoiding the bars to cross the lanes.
Toll collectors for one operator use small bags to carry personal items with them out to the
booths. This allows them to keep one hand free to operate the ManSaver bars. The bags also
prevent collectors from dropping an item in the lane leaving them vulnerable to traffic while
bending over to pick it up.
Two operators reported that employees are never allowed to cross active lanes of traffic. In fact,
this is agency policy for one operator. The second operator reported that if an employee needs to
cross a lane, it must first be shut down. Another operator, who has a dedicated police force,
reported that the police escort toll collectors across toll lanes. This operator commented that in
42 years, an employee has never been hit while crossing a lane.
Appendix E – Agency Interviews Page E-5