MADD Sneaker Drive

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is hosting a sneaker drive on June 17 at 8 a.m. Learn more about this event on the flyer attached.

MoDOT Employees Pull Citizen to Safety

It was a case of being in the right place at the right time.  When a mower flipped and pinned its owner against a tree, five Kansas City Missouri Department of Transportation maintenance employees were there to save the day.

On Monday, April 24, senior maintenance worker Tony Martin, and maintenance workers, Floyd Barrett, Vanessa Clark, Dennis Evans, and Quincy Livingston were checking on a settling culvert on Route M in Richmond County, when the hum of a riding mower in the area went silent, and caught the attention of one of the workers.

The team looked up from their work and noticed the large mower resting on two wheels.  The owner was stuck underneath and pinned against a tree.

The five MoDOT employees rushed to the rescue, and by working together, lifted the mover and dragged the man to safety.

He suffered a cut to the back of the head, but was otherwise fine.

“We helped a guy and it was a good thing we were there,” Clark said when she returned from the site.

If not for the crew, the man would likely have laid there a while due to lack of visibility from the road.

Construction Scheduled for Route 50 and Route 131 J-turn Project

Construction is expected to begin at the intersection of Route 50 and Route 131 at the end of June.  The project will cost approximately $1.5 to $2 million and is expected to be completed by August 15.  Emery Sapp and Sons have been contracted for the job.

A J-turn is to be implemented to help cut down on the number of serious accidents that occur at this intersection.

J-turns have been proven to greatly reduce the number of crashes common when drivers must cross busy highways to reach another road.

 

In the J-turn design, drivers merge with traffic traveling in the opposite direction of their desired destination.  Gradually, drivers will merge into the left lane to prepare to make a left-hand turn in the direction they originally desired to travel.  These series of gradual merges, although longer in distance, can take the same amount of time or less, while significantly reducing right angle, side crashes.  J-turns have also been shown to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes.

Missouri currently has 19 J-turns in action with plans for more in the future.

For more information about how J-turns work and where they are located follow http://www.modot.org/general/J-Turns.htm or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipuaRxjQifk.

For additional information about the project, visit http://www.modot.org/kansascity/major_projects/Route_50_Route_131.htm.

Bring Your Child to Work Day

MoDOT Kansas City is excited to host another Bring Your Child to Work Day! This year, the event will be part of MoDOT's Employee Appreciation Week. We invite you to bring your child or children to work on Thursday, June 22. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with activities beginning at 8 a.m. The event will wrap up with a district office picnic lunch and games outside! Hope to see you there.

Please RSVP to Taylor Spencer by emailing Taylor.Spencer@MoDOT.mo.gov by Wendesday, June 14.

Employee Appreciation Week

Employee Appreciation Week is quickly approaching. Please join us June 19 through the 23 as we honor the dedication and commitment of our KC MoDOT employees. We have a lot of exciting events planned and we hope to see you there!

MoDOT KC Does Its Part to Recognize the many Public Workers on Staff

Despite the hard work they put in on and off the road, they are most often overlooked. 

We're talking about the hundreds of hard working public works professionals here in MoDOT's Kansas City District. 

That's why May 21-27 has been designated National Public Works Week. This nationwide observance helps recognize the dedication of public workers.

The national awareness campaign, sponsored by the American Public Works Association (APWA) was started in 1960.
This year's theme is "Public Works Connects Us". 

The overall goal of the observance helps to highlight all the ways public workers provide, maintain and improve the infrastructure in our communities.  


Public Works Departments across the country are holding special open houses and other events to help recognize their workers. 

Some cities have even announced proclamations.  

Here at the District Office, the hard work of crew members and staff has not gone unnoticed. 

Throughout the week, the Communications Department has been highlighting MoDOT workers by posting their pictures on social media such as Facebook and Twitter and in a video on our YouTube channel. To watch the video, click on the link. Public Works Week


Be sure to thank the many public workers here at MoDOT.  

Safety Shout: The Tale of the Tires

When there’s a fatal crash on the MoDOT system anywhere in the KC District, a safety officer does a detailed investigation with photos. There have more than 30 already in 2017. These reports go on a secure site, where few people outside the legal office see them, and even fewer would want to. But, there’s a tale in the crash evidence worth telling, and worth listening to. Do this stuff long enough, and you can “see” the crash play out, like an avid football fan can see the game in their mind’s eye, even when it’s on the radio. Let’s call it the tale of the tires. Here’s the rest of the story. This account is fiction, but sadly similar to far too many realities.

 “Looking North up Rt. XYZ, from the start of the first (most Southerly) identifiable tire marks left by the crash vehicle. The tire marks exhibit a right (passenger side) outside edge pattern, consistent with a hard left-turning posture.” 

The driver had come this way hundreds of times. The left curve was tight, but clearly visible to anyone paying attention. This time, a few seconds with their eyes down on the cell phone was a few seconds too many. The driver entered the curve too fast, began a hard left turn and tried to brake. “A closer view of the tire marks as they lead up to and across the rumble stripe. The feathering pattern is indicative of the ABS and ESC systems attempting to compensate for excessive speed.” 

It all comes down to a tiny contact patch where the rubber meets the road. The technology can only do so much. The brief time on the phone made it too late to slow down enough to navigate the curve. “Rutting is visible in the turf just off the East pavement edge, followed by a deep divot in the West face of the ditchline. This was an initial vault point, after which the vehicle became briefly airborne, landed, and began to tumble North.”

Street vehicles at high speeds rarely navigate rough terrain like in the movies. Something digs in, and all bets are off. “The path of the vehicle off road is visible, with four distinct contact divots consistent with a diagonal end over end tumbling patter. Broken glass is visible along this path, along with various parts of the vehicle.” The driver is certainly paying attention now, with a white knuckle grip on the wheel. They try desperately to stay in the seat and regain control, but the battle is lost almost before it began. Without a seatbelt to hold them in place, no human is strong enough to resist the bruising G’s as the vehicle tumbles violently around a rotational axis that exponentially magnifies the centrifugal force. The window and windshield glass blows out. The driver, half in and half out of the vehicle, is whiplashed violently around in the window frame, and body parts are crushed by the rolling vehicle. Bones shatter, muscles tear.“

Looking Northeast across the apparent final rest point of the crash vehicle, marked by crushing in the vegetation and a small area of broken glass. The apparent final rest point of the ejected decedent driver is visible farther North, at photo upper-right, marked by body fluid. The apparent final rest point of the ejected decedent passenger is visible in foreground, also marked by body fluid.”

The driver instinctively tries to find their passenger, but can’t move. They’re vaguely aware of being outside the vehicle. “I need to call 911. Where’s my phone? I just had it in my hand. What just happened? Where’s my child? Oh, God, please tell me I didn’t just kill my child. Oh, no…no. I’m not ready. It can’t end out here; not like this. I just need to hang on a few more minutes, and help will come. I’m so cold. Why do I feel so cold? I can’t see. Why can’t I see anymore? What’s happening to me?” A few seconds of piercing regret later, numbness sets in. Fade to black. Lights out. Game over. A broken cell phone lies forlornly in a Missouri field. Two loose seatbelts hang, unfastened, from the battered remains of a vehicle that earned a five-star crash rating, a rating wasted when the driver made two poor decisions. That’s the sad tale of the tires. 

So, here’s the $64,000 question…do you really want your life defined by a couple of seemingly small choices? No? Well then, put the phone down, and put the seatbelt on. Once more, for clarity: Buckle Up, Phone Down. Please. If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact district risk management.

Summer Interns Arrive at KC's MoDOT District Office

For the next couple of months you'll be seeing plenty of fresh, new faces roaming the halls of MoDOT's Kansas City District Office. 

That's because the summer interns have arrived. 

On Monday, May 22 close to 20 interns took part in a special orientation to help introduce them to MoDOT and its core values. 

This latest group of new summer interns come from Kansas State University, University of Missouri, Oklahoma University, Rolla and UMKC.

While here they'll be learning from the best in MoDOT Design, Materials, Construction, Traffic, Human Resources and Communication departments.

Be sure to stop and welcome them. 

Work Zones are NO Phone Zones

This year's Work Zone Awareness Campaign reminded drivers that our work zones are NO Phone Zones. That same message applies to our employees and the work zone right outside our window. 

#BuckleUp #PhoneDown

National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration Looks to KC Scout for Technology Solutions

Members of the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Highway Patrol, Emergency Response and Missouri Department of Transportation recently engaged in a safety-focused discussion on how technology will be the key to the future of saving lives. 

The visitors took a tour of the KC Scout Traffic Management Center and learned more about the Emergency Response efforts in both Kansas and Missouri. 

As the DOTs look toward a future of depressed budgets, less-than-enthusiastic funding supporters and a slim chance of raising the gas tax, they are turning their attention more to technological options. 

If you cannot build your way out of congestion, what technology solutions exist that can help? Groups like KC Scout are working to find out just how far technology can go to save lives. 

KC Scout Turns the Camera on Emergency Response Operators

They've been called highway heroes. Roadside warriors. Highway angels. The
 crew that brings the feeling of safety and security of a helping hand along side a busy highway is the focus of a new mini-documentary series from KC Scout. 


Emergency Response operators and some of the citizens they have helped spent time filming the series yesterday. The purpose is to highlight the service we offer and to show the results from the perspective of customers served. 

In the first quarter of 2017 alone, this crew made 5,287 assists. -- more than 38 percent higher than first quarter of 2016. They do everything from change tires to add a couple gallons of gas to get you to the nearest station. They move debris from the roadway to prevent crashes. Too often they see the tragic results of a bad day as they assist highway patrol, EMT and fire during a fatality. 

But as any of the crew will tell you, it's like no other job at the department and they wouldn't have it any other way.

The series will offer a one-minute glimpse into the job and will include four to six episodes. They will be released throughout the rest of the year on Facebook, Twitter and youtube. They will also be included in regular public service announcements on all the local television stations. 

Learn more about the Emergency Response team on KC Scout's website. 

Hundreds Join to Support MoDOT's Buckle Up, Phone Down Safety Challenge

BlueScope Construction, an industrial building general contractor, recently photographed its Kansas City-based work force in support of MoDOT's Buckle Up Phone Down initiative. MoDOT and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety challenged Missouri businesses to openly support employee safety, either through internal safety campaigns or actually changing policy banning cellphone use in company vehicles and making safety belts mandatory.

Working with their parent company, BlueScope Buildings North America, and sister company Butler Manufacturing, BlueScope gathered approximately 300 participants in the photo shoot.
BlueScope Construction’s focus on safety was one the major reasons they wanted to support the Buckle Up Phone Down initiative. BlueScope currently has a cell phone policy that requires drivers to not use the cell phone while driving on company business. This initiative expands the policy to include personal driving and pledging to buckle up. BlueScope is one one several in the region to support the campaign, but the largest show of support via photograph. 

The Buckle Up/Phone Down campaign is tackling the two most impactful actions a driver can take to prevent or survive crashes. Distracted driving is a leading cause of crashes, both in Missouri, and the United States. Of the 938 people killed on Missouri’s roadways last year, 62 percent of them were unrestrained. Statistics show that these two policy changes could have an impact on both incidents and highway fatalities.

The Buckle Up/Phone Down Challenge is trying to change these numbers. Videos, social media posts and a dedicated website feature citizens and employees of participating businesses giving the “thumbs up/thumbs down” sign to show their support of the effort.


The website is located at www.modot.org/BuckleUpPhoneDown and features the Wall of Fame where participating businesses and agencies can display their logos to show their support.

Safety Shout: “May” You Ever Be Safe

May is a busy month for MoDOT. It’s also a busy month for safety observances. In fact, there are thirteen.

May observances listed by the National Safety Council. So as not to choose just one, here’s a brief and snippety summary of all thirteen of them.

• Motorcycle Safety Month: Wear a helmet! Wear something high-vis. Keep your headlight on. Take a motorcycle safety course. One of the best motorcycle instructors anywhere is a prior MoDOT employee (Rusty James). Look him up. Don’t nurse the centerline on two lanes; in a left curve it’s easy to lean over the line and into oncoming traffic. Head and shoulders is great for dandruff, not so great for leaving on the highway.
• National Bike Month: See all the rules for motorcycles, above. Also, remember to use hand turn signals. Consider LED light arrays on your bike. For the love of all that’s sacred, please lose the spandex.
• National Electrical Safety Month: LOTO…know it, love it, use it. Don’t repair bad extension cords, replace them. Keep circuit breaker boxes clear of obstructions. Don’t overload outlets. Never remove ground plugs.
• Older Americans Month: Firstly, get there. That means living a long time. Emulate the habits that made older folks older folks, beginning with using caution. Take care of your body and mind.
• Clean Air Month: Quit smoking. It’s hard to take advantage of clean air while you’re sucking in nastiness. Monitor ozone and pollution levels. Consider a purifier for your home. Take a deep breath…pollution levels in the KC metro are some of the lowest in decades.
• Healthy Vision Month: Safety glasses, safety glasses, safety glasses! Use two layers of protection while grinding, cutting, weedeating. Get an eye exam, to catch problems like retinopathy and glaucoma early.
• National Physical Fitness & Sports Month: Devote at least 20 minutes per day to aerobic exercise. Consider low-impact fitness routines that don’t damage joints. Lose some weight. Participate in Corporate Challenge.
• Mental Health Month: Help alleviate the artificial stigma attached to mental illness, which is in reality just like a physical illness. Utilize the EAP; it’s free to you and vastly underutilized. Smile. Be thankful! Do you know how many people would love to be in your shoes? You have a good job, working for a great agency.
• Better Hearing Month: I’m sorry, what? Protect your hearing by using hearing protection. Those cheap plugs work, but not while they’re in your pocket. Moderate music volume, otherwise you’ll pay a high price for every AC/DC, Snoop Dogg and Garth Brooks. You’ll be a Def Leppard.
• Building Safety Month: Take time for basic housekeeping. Many injuries stem from slips, trips and falls directly related to messes. Walk your facility, looking for and fixing little problems before they turn into big ones. Check fire extinguishers for charge and currency.
• Global Youth Traffic Safety Month: Teach teenagers how deadly cell phones and texting are. Insist on seatbelts. Limit inexperienced drivers to fewer or no passengers, which are proven distractions. Speed kills.
• Global Employee Health & Fitness Month: See National Physical Fitness & Sports Month, above.
• Minnesota Safety & Health Conference: What? Who cares about Minnesota? Eh? Yeah, you Betcha. If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact district risk management.

MoDOT Joins iBuild Team

MoDOT employees participated again this year in the iBuild Showcase -- hosted by the National Institute for Construction Excellence -- held at Bartle Hall in Kansas City. 

The iBuild Showcase is an annual event for students to actively connect with industry professionals. 

This program features a wide-variety of jobs in construction industry including craftsmen, architects, engineers, marketing, accounting and construction managers.

The KC District Construction and Materials and Traffic teams have been regular participants over the past five years the program has been held.

In fact, MoDOT has offered one of the favorite activities over the years: At iBuild, I like getting to actually paint, lay bricks and try the MoDOT drunk goggles."  

MoDOT's KC District Softball Team Post Big Corporate Challenge Win

MoDOT's KC District Corporate Challenge Softball team has gotten off to good start after winning its first game of the tournament. 

On Wednesday, May 10, the team took the field at Mid-America Sports Complex and beat telecom giant Spectrum 12-3.

According to team captain, Blake Stephens, the team's 12 runs were earned through solid hitting, including two home runs by Stephens and Wyatt Farley. 

Pictured from let to right: Alex Martinez, Tim Hazlett, Karlee Bauknecht, Brian Burger, Wyatt Farley, Jessica Burns, Jacob Wilson, Shannon Hall, Erin Rottinghaus, Tori Slagle, Blake Stephens and Billie Tucker 

Team MoDOT also picked up several additional runs during the game due to their speed on the base path and getting extra bases with strategic base running.

No significant injuries were suffered during the game, but a few players did pickup a few bumps and bruises.

Date Set for the Next Blood Drive at District Office

Mark your calendars. The date has been set for the next blood drive to be hosted at MoDOT's Kansas City District Office. 

It will take place Wednesday, July 26. Officials with the American Red Cross have confirmed the date. 

They have also included a pretty sweet incentive for those who donate. 

Everyone who takes part will receive a free pass to Worlds of Fun. The pass will last until Labor Day.

The blood drive will be in room 136 from 7 a.m. until noon. The drive will be open to the public from 10 a.m. until noon. 

Blood drives here at MoDOT’s Kansas City District Office are rotated between the Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City and the American Red Cross. 

To learn more, go to savealifenow.org (Community Blood Center of Greater KC) or redcross.org (American Red Cross).

MoDOT KC Needs More Volunteers for Corporate Challenge 2017

Organizers with Team MoDOT KC say a few more volunteers are needed for several Corporate Challenge events. 


If enough volunteers aren't garnered, Team MoDOT could potentially lose points.  

Responsibilities for volunteers are very simple. 
You'll be helping people check in for their events and assist with events in which they are participating. 

Volunteers won't be taking part in the actual events. And, volunteers don't have to be signed up for Corporate Challenge. 

An added bonus, your family members can volunteer along with you and you'll each be given a free t-shirt.

Here's what's needed: 

Volleyball:
Volunteers: 1
Date: 5/20/17
Time: 3:45 pm - 6:45 pm
Location: Mid-America Sports Complex, Shawnee, KS


Tug of War Weigh-in:
Volunteers: 3
Date: 6/23/17
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Mid-American Sports Complex, Shawnee, KS

Please email Deirdre Braun or Trisha Shen if you are interested in volunteering.

 

KC's Design Build Project Approved by Commission

At last week's Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission meeting, the I-435 South Loop Link -- Kansas City's latest design-build project -- was officially approved to move forward.

The project known as the South Loop Link, will upgrade I-435 from the Three Trails Crossing to the Stateline. It will address much-needed bridge repairs and look for ways to ease congestion for this very busy commuter route. 

The team also advertised the Request for Letters of Interest with national and local media to start gauging which companies would consider bidding on the project. 

Learn more about on our website here: www.modot.org/kansascity/major_projects/I435South/

MoDOT and City of Lee's Summit Host Groundbreaking Event

MoDOT and the City of Lee's Summit have been working together to design, plan, and fund the Route 291 South and U.S. 50 Interchange in Lee's Summit. 

On Wednesday, May 3, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to commemorate the beginning of construction this project which will greatly improve the mobility and accessibility for motorists, pedestrians, and emergency response in Lee's Summit.





A crowd of about 50 attended the groundbreaking ceremony held at the Harris Park Community Center. MoDOT Area Engineer, Matt Killion, kicked off the event with a few words about the project followed by Randy Rhodes, Mayor of Lee's Summit, Dena Mezger, Director of Public Works, Rick McDowell, President & CEO of LSEDC, and Chip Moxley, CEO of Tingle Flooring. Each speaker discussed the importance of the project and how the improvements will benefit the community.

The proposed interchange will feature a diverging diamond on the south end and a roundabout at the Blue Parkway and Jefferson Street intersection. It will also offer a realigned Oldham Parkway, and a new multi-use path for bikes and pedestrians.

Safety Shout: Time For a Safety Quiz!

Time for (yet another) Safety Quiz!

What’s your MoDOT Safety IQ? Test your knowledge and win a great prize…another injury-free day!

1. If you have to walk on the highway for any distance and you’re not engaged in actual operations, which side should you walk on? 
(A) The right side, because that’s the side you park on and you won’t need to cross lanes of traffic 
(B) The side facing oncoming traffic 
(C) It doesn’t matter as long as you’re watchful

2. No matter how big or strong you are, MoDOT policy does not allow you to lift more than how much weight without either human or mechanical help? 
(A) 50 pounds 
(B) 75 pounds 
(C) 100 pounds occasionally

3. For vehicles equipped with backup alarms, you should allow the back-up alarm to beep how many times before moving backwards? 
(A) 5 
(B) 10 
(C) It doesn’t matter; they’ll get out of the way

4. Since some dust and particulates are difficult to remove from clothing, you are allowed to use compressed air briefly to clean yourself off as long as you wear goggles and other appropriate PPE. 
(A) True 
(B) False

5. Safety belts must be worn by all occupants of MoDOT vehicles whenever…
(A) You are seated inside the vehicle 
(B) You leave the parking lot area 
(C) The wheels are moving

6. Portable drinking water containers should be cleaned…
(A) At least weekly using a mixture of ¼ cup bleach per gallon of water 
(B) At least weekly using plain clean water 
(C) Daily using a mixture of ¼ cup bleach per gallon of water

7. Except in bona fide emergencies, employees shall not use cell phones while: (A) Plowing snow 
(B) Driving
(C) Flagging 
(D) Break Dancing 
(E) All of the above

8. First aid for a minor (pinprick sized) injection skin wound caused by a hydraulic pressure leak should consist of… 
(A) Pressure band and elevation of the affected area 
(B) Peroxide (not alcohol) and a small bandage or band-aid 
(C) Observation 
(D) An immediate trip to the ER even if it does not hurt or become numb

9. Slope mowing with large zero-turn equipment is limited to a 3-1 slope (one foot of drop per three feet of linear distance) 
(A) True 
(B) False

10. When working around electrical hazards on a ladder, you should use… 
(A) Non-conducting wood or fiberglass ladder 
(B) Fiberglass ladder 
(C) Jacob’s ladder 
(D) Career ladder

11. When conducting a “soft tow” with a chain, you should use what grade of chain as the main tow device? 
(A) Grade 70 
(B) Grade 80 or 100 
(C) Neither A nor B

12. With the Missouri One-Call system (Dig-Rite) red, yellow and green markings mean… 
(A) Stop, caution and okay to dig 
(B) Water, proposed excavation and communication lines 
(C) Electric, gas/oil/steam, and sewer 
(D) Lines buried at different depths


Thanks for playing! How did you do? If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact district Risk Management.

CORRECT ANSWERS
1. (B) The side facing oncoming traffic
2. (B) 75 pounds. However, you should ask for help with any amount of weight if you need it.
3. (A) 5
4. (B) False. Using compressed air to clean yourself off is a safety violation.
5. (C) Whenever the wheels are moving
6. (A) At least weekly using a mixture of ¼ cup bleach per gallon of water
7. (E) All of the above. As a note, if you’re break dancing in the highway, your cheese has done slid off your
cracker, and a cell phone is the least of your concerns.
8. (D) An immediate trip to the ER even if it does not hurt or become numb. There’s no such thing as a minor
hydraulic injection injury. Any such injury, regardless of size, is a 911 emergency since the fluid cannot be
metabolized by the body and must be surgically removed quickly to avoid gas gangrene and loss of life or limb.
9. (B) False. Mowing with a tractor/deck is limited to 3-1 slopes. ZTR equipment is limited to the level of
slope defined by the manufacturer in the manual (Normally 15 degrees, which is not as steep as 3-1).
10. (B) Fiberglass ladder. Wood ladders are prohibited for use at MoDOT.
11. (C) Neither A nor B. Vehicle recovery with any grade of chain used at the main tow device is prohibited!
Heavy duty grade 80 (7/8”) or 100 (3/4”) alloy chain with a minimum breaking strength 120,000 lbs or greater,
no longer than 8 feet in length may only be used as an attachment device only. The main towing device must
be either a properly rated synthetic strap or tow rope.
12. (C) Electric, gas/oil/steam, and sewer

Safety Shout: Flagging Safety

Flagging is one of the most vital and dangerous duties employees of MoDOT perform. Here’s some guidance, based on the EPG, on how to do it. If you’re a slow learner, stop and read it twice, so you don’t get the paddle. 

• Flaggers are responsible for public and crew safety, and should be properly trained. They must demonstrate the ability to communicate specific instructions clearly; to move and maneuver quickly; to control signaling devices; to understand and apply safe traffic control practices in emergency situations; and to recognize dangerous situations and warn workers in time to avoid injury. Due to these requirements, flagging is usually NOT a good job for employees with medical restrictions or on temporary modified duty, or those with communication issues.
  
• Daytime flaggers need Class 2 or 3 high-vis garments and a high-vis hard hat, or a hard hat covered with a high-vis covering (beanie). Nighttime flaggers must also be Class 3 compliant (either a Class 3 garment or Class 2 garment plus Class E gaiters or pants). NFL hardhats must have KC Chiefs logos. Okay, I made that part up.
  
• Flaggers should stand either on the shoulder by traffic being controlled, or (in limited cases) in the barricaded lane. In rural areas, positioning is normally on the right shoulder of the roadway. In urban areas, it’s on the right curb. Location may differ by conditions. Only stand in the lane being used by traffic after traffic has stopped. Stand a minimum of 500 ft. from the flagger symbol sign and minimum of 100 ft. from the workspace. That means…not beside the truck. You must be visible for at least 500 ft. in daytime or 1000 ft. at night; or more if conditions warrant. Account for hills, curves, obstructions, shade, color contrast, bad weather and darkness. Shade makes it hard to see you, so don’t stand in it.
  
• A single flagger may be used when all three of the following are met: Traffic volumes are under 500 ADT, sight distance in both directions is greater than 1000 ft., and the activity area is less than 500 ft. A single flagger may also be used for short-term, single lane closures. An example would be a truck depositing material off the edge of the roadway. Note: Single flagging procedures should not be conducted during nighttime work zone operations.
  
• When two flaggers are needed, communication must be established prior to the start of flagging operations. The two flaggers must be able to see each other or have devices designated for proper communication. One flagger should be the lead flagger and coordinate all activities. When required, flaggers use portable two-way radios.
  
•  Advance flaggers may be used (Supervisor’s decision) where there is limited sight distance to the activity area or where long lines of traffic form. As an advance flagger, you should stop each vehicle as it approaches, inform the driver of the situation ahead, and explain the actions required such as, “Keep right and stay in line,” etc. Where long stationary lines form, the advance flagger should move down the line and inform each driver of the reason for the delay.
  
• Pilot vehicles are appropriate when a lane must be shared by traffic going both directions and the work zone area is lengthy. Two flaggers must be used when using a pilot vehicle.
  
• Use appropriate advance warning signs, giving particular attention to sign visibility, legibility and placement. Remove signs or cover sign messages when they do not apply to present traffic control conditions. Maybe someday, the MoDOT A-Team of “Teeter, Eppright, Zurn & Fisher, LLC” will automate all of it. Until then, flagging is a necessary evil. Do it safely, so you don’t find yourself up stick creek without a paddle. If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact district risk management.