part 2

[Audio] The 4th part of this presentation focuses on improved recordkeeping in an effort aim to enhance data consistency, and standardization for improved root cause and impact analysis. It discusses how improvements in injury reporting can fix issues found in ALDOT recordkeeping system.

[Audio] Accurate injury reporting benefits ALDOT in several ways: First It helps identify root causes of incidents, enabling targeted interventions. It also supports monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of safety initiatives. And finally, It ensures prompt medical care and compensation for workers. Comprehensive reporting builds a strong foundation for proactive safety management..

[Audio] Several gaps were identified in ALDOT's injury reporting: Missing chain of events and specific fall codes limit the ability to analyze injury causes. Incomplete data, such as missing work hour records, makes it impossible to calculate accurate injury rates. Inconsistent criteria and vague descriptions reduce the utility of reported data. these points should be addressed to implement effective and fact-based injury prevention measures.

[Audio] [SCRIPT] The existing Reporting forms provided by ALDOT are (1) Employees Statement form and First Report of Injury (FROI) form completed by the employer. The information from these forms is entered into the ALDOT injury recording-keeping database, and the quality of these records depend on the information entered and the individual filling the forms. Information collected in these forms are age and gender Job Title Employment Status The Division and District Date/Time of Injury Medical Treatment Location of Injury Occurrence If it was Motor Vehicle Related The Accident Description Injury nature Part of Body And if there were Witnesses.

[Audio] To enhance the quality of the injury dataset and streamline the injury reporting process we designed First Report of Injury (FROI) forms in an excel format. The excel workbook consists of three sheets: Employer FROI, Employee statment, and Injury Dataset. As you can see in this screen recording, it includes Dropdown lists to ensure standardized data entry which helps a lot in the data preparation process . Fields for weather, equipment, and human factors capture circumstantial details. While the Automated data compilation in the 3rd wordbook simplifies trend analysis and enhances consistency.".

[Audio] Other than recommending the developed FROI, a strong recommendation is performing Incident investigations . These should adopt a proactive approach by examining all incidents, including near misses. Best practices implemented successfully in other state DOTs include: Using detailed forms to capture the 'who, what, where, when, and how' of each incident. Transitioning to digital injury reporting for real-time reporting when events are still fresh in the memory. Training workers on accurate reporting and digital tools. ensuring transparency between management and employees to improve near-miss documentation and finally integrate incident data into the JHA processes.

[Audio] The final recommended initiative to enhance ALDOT worker safety is developing a safety manual focusing on TMTs. This section proposes an outline of the safety manual.

[Audio] The proposed manual aims to provide structured and consistent safety standards across ALDOT, ensuring that all TMTs follow best practices. By addressing TMT-specific hazards and encouraging a proactive safety culture, the manual enhances worker engagement and safety outcomes. Long-term goals include Reduced injury rates and costs, promote safety awareness, and introduce an incentive system. Together, these goals foster a proactive safety culture within aldot.

[Audio] The manual draws on insights from other state DOT safety manuals, which commonly address topics like hazardous materials, PPE, and incident reporting. DOTs have manuals tailored to their own risks some examples include Alaska's focus on mining hazards and California's heat illness prevention programs. The review of state DOT safety manual was adapted to meet ALDOT's specific needs..

[Audio] Policies in the manual emphasize ALDOT's commitment to creating a safe and healthy work environment. They define roles and responsibilities, such as employees' right to report unsafe conditions without fear of retaliation and supervisors' duties to plan safe operations and educate workers..

[Audio] Policies in the manual emphasize ALDOT's commitment to creating a safe and healthy work environment. They define roles and responsibilities, such as employees' right to report unsafe conditions without fear of retaliation and supervisors' duties to plan safe operations and educate workers..

[Audio] Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) guidelines should align with MUTCD standards and ALDOT Traffic Control Procedure . The manual provides procedures for short-term, short-duration, operations and mobile work zones. Online TTC courses are also recommended to improve worker competency.

[Audio] Safety inspections are critical for mitigating risks before an injury occurs. The outline emphasizes regular inspections by trained personnel, covering work zones, PPE, equipment, and fall protection. ALDOT's daily inspection forms ensure consistency and thorough documentation.

[Audio] The implementation plan involves distributing the safety manual across all ALDOT districts, training supervisors and workers, and monitoring compliance through regular evaluations. Feedback from TMTs, will be used to refine and improve the manual continuously incident trends should be used to evaluate manual effectiveness while regularly adjusting guidelines for emerging risks.

[Audio] In final part of my presentation, where I will summarize the key findings, limitations, and future research directions of this study. This section ties together the insights gained and the actionable steps for ALDOT moving forward..

[Audio] the aim of this research was to reduce Transportation Maintenance Technicians' injury frequency and severity by uncovering injury trends, identifying high-hazard accident types, and recommending preventive actions. This study highlights critical areas for improvement and offers tailored interventions to address these challenges Key findings include: First: Sprains, strains, and back injuries are predominant in TMT injury data, accounting for significant lost workdays and costs. Targeted ergonomic interventions and tailored safety programs offer the potential for significant improvements. High-risk activities require focused hazard controls and training programs.".

[Audio] Back injuries resulted in 75 days away from work and 217 thousands in direct cost annually. meanwhile Sprains and strains resulted in 314 lost workdays annually and $820 thousand in compensation costs. These injuries are preventable through engineering and administrative controls including Redesigning tasks and tools to reduce physical strain, Reviewing task execution to enhance procedures, task rotation, and encouraging taking breaks, ergonomic tools and training should be provided, Incorporating resources like CPWR (The Center for Construction Research and Training), Roadway Safety Awareness and NIOSH guidelines into regular safety talks and training sessions. As well as targeted stretch-and-flex routines.

[Audio] To address injuries related to bodily motion, focus on stretching routines, ergonomic task redesign, and enhanced training on safe work practices. These measures are particularly effective in preventing repetitive motion injuries and overexertion.

[Audio] Improving ALDOT's safety culture requires: Regular safety meetings to engage workers. Suggestion boxes to capture employee feedback. Reward programs to recognize safe practices and innovative solutions. A stronger safety culture enhances compliance and worker morale.".

[Audio] ALDOT should adopt a structured safety management system that integrates incident reporting, hazard identification, and monitoring. This system ensures accountability and supports continuous improvement in safety practices. Develop a targeted safety manual that offers consistent safety guideline lines and training resources.

[Audio] Our study faced limitations, including: Data Collection Gaps: Missing records, limited injury descriptions, and a lack of work hour data which obstruct accurate injury rate calculations. Cost Assessment Limitations: Incomplete cost data, such as hospitalization fees and worker training expenses and loss of productivity. Survey Limitations included Small sample sizes that don't cover all DOTs or all ALDOT areas and potential response bias, which may affect data reliability.".

[Audio] Future research directions include: Conducting regular injury analysis with enhanced data collection systems. Expanding the scope of studies to include long-term and multi-district analysis. Broadening the adoption of ergonomic training resources to implement a comprehensive program tailored to ALDOT's specific needs.".

[Audio] Thank you all for your time and attention. I truly appreciate the opportunity to share my work with you today. And I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.