Three Richmond families are urging drivers to slow down in construction zones and theyre using their faces to pull it off.
The construction workers and their families are the new faces of the province-wide WorkSafeBCs Slow Down campaign, which, for the first time, will have its bold message in both English and Chinese.
Project safety coordinator Sandip Johal, his wife Harpinder and two-year-old son Sauraj are one the families depicted in the near life-sized boards.
Johal said one of the biggest challenges is lack of patience when motorists are asked to slow down.
Also featured in the new campaign are project coordinator Chris Noakes, his wife Joanna and one-month-old daughter Elizabeth, along with project coordinator Alex Tang, with his mother Kam Sau Tsang.
All the workers are employed by Graham Construction, which is involved in building the Aberdeen Square project at No. 3 and Cambie roads.
The latest campaign is being presented in two languages in an effort to reach as many drivers as possible.
WorkSafeBCs director of worker and employer services, Al Johnson, says drivers need to realize how dangerous it is for workers at the roadside. Construction workers, traffic control persons, truckers, public works staff, emergency services personnel, and others work close to traffic, which puts them at risk, he said.
Over the past decade, workers across the province have filed nearly 400 claims after being hit by vehicles, typically while labouring at the side of the road.
Half of them suffered serious injuries, and several died. All of these incidents could have been prevented.
Graham Construction vice-president Wayne Henderson understands the pictures of real workers are what make the Slow Down signs so effective. Seeing a worker with his or her family is something that can make a powerful connection with drivers, he said.
This could be their neighbour or someone else in their community. Drivers will understand how many lives are affected by the simple decision to be more careful when they see workers at the roadside.
