WorkSafeBC video tells tale of worker nearly killed by speeding car
WorkSafeBC, British Columbia’s workers’ compensation board, is putting safety for road construction workers in the spotlight with a video highlighting the story of a woman who was nearly killed on the job. (Scroll down to view the video.)
On Sept. 25, 2009, traffic controller Jennifer Beauregard was managing traffic flow through a construction zone in Delta, B.C. She was 23 and well aware of the hazards of working in close proximity to heavy construction equipment and vehicle traffic.
But at 6:50 a.m., she was struck by an SUV with such dreadful impact that she was propelled 5 meters in the air and more than 30 meters down the road. She suffered brain damage, facial injuries, a shattered pelvis, and many other injuries. Initial reports indicated she wasn’t expected to live.
Beauregard is one of more than 70 traffic control persons in B.C. who have been injured in the past five years, many of them seriously. Three of them have been killed in that time.
“Flag persons are extremely vulnerable,” said Al Johnson, regional director of construction for WorkSafeBC. “All they have to protect them are their reflective clothing and a sign to manage traffic flow — and all too often they are the victims of driver inattention or impatience. Drivers need to slow down and pay close attention to flag persons and speed limits in construction zones so that there are no more fatalities and serious injuries such as what happened to Jennifer Beauregard.”
The 60-second video features Beauregard talking about what happened to her on that day. This video has been produced in partnership with the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation, the B.C. Construction Safety Alliance, The Community Against Preventable Injuries, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
