Traffic cones, crash cushions, concrete barriers.

They’re just a few of the devices that contractors use to keep workers and the public safe on projects that involve live traffic. But recently, Balfour Beatty has identified a new and innovative safety solution: light.

On infrastructure projects across the Southeast, Balfour Beatty is harnessing the power of physics to mitigate the hazards associated with working in and around live traffic—a risk so uniquely deadly and debilitating that we have proactively identified it as a fifth fatal risk to build upon OSHA’s existing Focus/Fatal Four.

Creating Long-Range Visibility for People, Vehicles and Equipment

Through devices known as strobes, which emit omnidirectional wavelengths of steady or flashing LED light, Balfour Beatty is enhancing the visibility of our fleet in active work zones on projects such as U.S. 70 James City in James City, North Carolina.

Small, lightweight and waterproof, strobes can emit green, amber or white light and be easily mounted on a variety of surfaces. Currently, Balfour Beatty has mounted strobes on all our infrastructure fleet in the Southeast and has plans to deploy the devices on heavy equipment such as pavers, dump trucks, excavators and more into the future.

Because green is the most visible color on the light spectrum, it creates an especially high contrast to backgrounds such as asphalt and dirt. This makes green strobes an ideal solution for highway and road projects where active work zones can sometimes span as far as several miles. Additionally, green strobes are effective during nighttime operations and in low-visibility weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow, fog or even the dust our own work can sometimes produce.

At James City, Grade Foreman Brandon Jones has been utilizing strobes on his truck for the past five months. His truck is equipped with four total strobes in green and amber colors. Brandon says motorists have been quick to take notice and slow down upon approaching the work zone where strobes are highly visible. The result: Brandon feels safer.

“The strobes definitely get people’s attention,” he says. “At James City, we’re surrounded by heavy traffic because U.S. 70 is a main beach route, and we frequently encounter incredibly dangerous situations made even more dangerous by motorists who are under the influence. Even during the daytime, I’m safer when the strobes make me much more visible to the public.”

Guardian Angel Devices: Always On, Always Protecting

Additionally, the team is mounting small, portable red and blue lights manufactured by Guardian Angel on workers’ personal protective equipment (PPE) such as helmets and reflective safety vests. These magnet-mounted devices are equipped with high-powered LEDs on all sides, enabling drivers to see workers from as far away as five miles.

Although the Guardian devices come in a variety of colors, including white, green, yellow and orange, Balfour Beatty chose red and blue to foster a similar sense of urgency and attentiveness drivers feel when seeing law enforcement and emergency services vehicles.

Safety Coordinator Tim “Chief” Smith knows firsthand the importance of work zone safety. Prior to his tenure in the construction industry, Tim spent the first 30 years of his career with the Wilmington, North Carolina Fire Department, 24 years of which he served as a certified paramedic. In this capacity, Tim witnessed countless work zone fatalities and life-altering injuries. He carries those memories with him to this day, praising Balfour Beatty’s investment in Guardian devices as one the many ways we are creating safer work zones in alignment with our Zero Harm culture.  

“It truly is a guardian angel sitting on my shoulder,” says Tim, who is currently working as a dump truck driver on our N.C. 87 and N.C. 11 highway and bridge project in Columbus County, North Carolina. “You cannot control what a motorist might do, but you can take as many precautions as possible. When I’m wearing that bright light, I stand out more. If it saves a life, it’s paid for itself.”

This improved visibility not only protects construction workers but also decreases risks to the public of collisions and other accidents that occur at disproportionally high rates in work zones. When applied properly, strobes and Guardian devices minimize glare for drivers.

“Working in and around live traffic is one of the most serious and potentially lethal hazards construction workers face,” says Eric Yates, vice president of environmental, safety and health (EH&S). “Often, workers may be separated from live traffic by just a few feet and temporary barriers. Strobes and Guardian devices are just some of the many solutions we are leveraging to ensure everyone goes home safely from our work zones, including the public.”

Time for Action

Balfour Beatty’s investment in strobes and Guardian devices exemplifies our commitment to reversing a growing, nationwide trend of serious work zone incidents and fatalities.

According to the National Safety Council, 891 people were killed, and 37,701 people were injured in work zone crashes in 2022. Since 2010, work zone deaths have increased a staggering 52%¹. These fatalities not only include construction workers but also members of the public such as drivers and passengers of motor vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists and more – highlighting an urgent need for the construction industry, local and state municipalities, departments of transportation and other interested parties to identify and implement effective solutions.

All uses of light must comply with state laws. For example, North Carolina prohibits the use of blue or red lights on vehicles, except for law enforcement and emergency vehicles (North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 20, Section 20-130.1).

“One of the most critical operational and safety challenges we face on highway and road projects is the extent our work impacts the flow of traffic and how frequently those conditions can change, even from day to day, or hour to hour,” explains Josh Sommer, project manager, who is overseeing the James City project. “The strobes and Guardian devices bring added attention to our work and workforce, which in turn creates heightened public awareness. It’s a win-win.”

Stronger and Safer Together

While the use of light to create awareness is certainly not a new concept, mountable and portable lighting technologies represent an emerging and exciting use for the construction industry – and the transportation authorities that manage our work.

In 2024, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) partnered with the State Highway Patrol to install blue light radar trailers along roads. Often abbreviated as BLRTs, these electronic message boards are equipped with flashing blue lights and can display a variety of safety messages, such as notifying drivers if they are speeding.

Like the strobes and Guardian devices, blue light radar trailers aim to enhance visibility and improve driver awareness and compliance with speed reduction and other critical traffic control mechanisms in active work zones.

When Balfour Beatty teammates learned of the NCDOT’s investment in BLRT devices, they immediately recognized their potential to enhance work zone safety and inquired about the possibility of procuring for our jobsites. True to our longstanding partnership, the NCDOT allocated three BLRTs for our use which have been deployed at the U.S. 70 James City, U.S. 70 Havelock Bypass and I-295 Fayetteville Outer Loop projects. Their effectiveness became quickly apparent to project teams, who observed drivers slowing down.  

“Our partnership with the NCDOT extends nearly 30 years and includes countless projects with exceptional safety records,” says Mark Johnnie, senior vice president and COO of Balfour Beatty’s infrastructure business. “The NCDOT embraces and shares our Zero Harm culture, which helps protect not only the health and wellbeing of our workforce but also the public.”

At Balfour Beatty, we believe investing in new safety tools and technologies isn’t just a matter of staying at the cutting-edge of our industry. It’s a reflection of our unwavering commitment to reducing accidents and saving lives.

For the asphalt paver, it’s ensuring they will go home safely to enjoy dinner with their family. For the flagger, it’s knowing they will be able to attend a friend’s upcoming retirement celebration. For the concrete finisher, it’s ensuring they can see their children off to school after returning from their shift. For the family en route to vacation, it’s the confidence that the work zones they navigate will be safe, organized and well-lit.

Safety is deeply personal. In an industry where seconds can make the difference between life and death, embracing innovations that protect people isn’t just a marker of progress—it’s our responsibility.