Missouri Marks Work Zone Awareness Week with Hunt for Barrel Bob
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Workers’ Compensation on Monday, April 4, 2011
The week of April 4 to 8 is National Work Zone Awareness Week. This year, the theme is “Safer driving. Safer work zones. For everyone.” It’s a time for motorists to remember to drive carefully and obey posted speed limits at road construction zones, to help prevent workers getting injured on the job.
One way the Missouri Department of Transportation is marking the occasion is by holding a fun contest. For “Where in the District is Barrel Bob,” residents in the Southeast district will go on Facebook and Twitter to examine a picture of Barrel Bob, a 11-foot tall man made of orange construction barrels, in some location in the 14-county district. Each day MoDOT will post a new picture, and the first person to correctly identify where Barrel Bob is that day will receive a prize from the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Road Safety.
“Where in the District is Barrel Bob” is a fun way to bring up the serious topic of injuries to road construction workers. Last year, 1,033 people were injured in work zones in Missouri, according to the Southeast District Engineer. He said he hoped the contest would educate the public to look out for signs, drive slowly through work zones and keep an eye out for workers or equipment.
Even after Work Zone Awareness Week ends, the state will continue to remind drivers to be careful around work zones with ads on the radio, Internet and on top of gas pumps throughout the summer.
Source: KFVS-TV, “Barrel Bob contest kicks off National Work Zone Awareness Week,” March 28, 2011