As National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 21-25) takes place across the country, AWP Safety, a provider of professional traffic control services, is underscoring its mission: protecting the people who power our infrastructure.

With a workforce of over 8,200 employees supporting more than one million worksites annually, AWP Safety’s message is simple and direct: Respect the zone so we all get home.

“Awareness is just the start,” said Michelle Marsh, senior vice president of EH&S at AWP Safety. “Our real impact happens every day, on real roads, through the hands of trained professionals who turn that awareness into action — one jobsite at a time.”

Investing in People, Raising the Bar

From local events to customer engagement programs, AWP Safety actively participates in NWZAW efforts nationwide. But the company’s commitment goes beyond the week’s events.

Chief HR Officer Michael Shearer shared how the organization is building stronger, safer teams through focused recruitment, training, and structured career paths. Field professionals, known as Protectors, can advance to supervisory and training roles — creating consistent crews and safer work zones.

“Our people aren’t just clocking in. They’re showing up with a calling,” Shearer said. “We’ve developed structured career paths to ensure the transfer of knowledge, which ultimately builds safer roads.”

With infrastructure projects continuing to ramp up, AWP Safety is preparing to nearly double its workforce by 2030 to meet demand and elevate industry standards.

Smarter Tools for Safer Roads

AWP Safety is also integrating new technology to increase situational awareness and reduce risk in unpredictable work zones. That includes:

• Automated Flagger Assistance Devices (AFADs): These allow Protectors to direct traffic remotely, keeping them out of live lanes.

• Intelligent Traffic Cones: Equipped with solar power, speed detection, and connectivity to share real-time data with crews and navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps.

• GPS-Linked Systems: Helping drivers reroute or slow down before they even see a work zone sign.

“Technology allows us to go beyond reactive safety,” Marsh said. “It gives us the power to predict, prevent, and perform.”

A Shared Responsibility

AWP Safety emphasizes that real, lasting change in work zone safety comes from ongoing efforts: not just one week a year. From the skilled professionals managing flagging to the motorists behind the wheel, everyone plays a role in work zone safety.

“It’s so much more than signs and cones,” Shearer added. “It’s about training, compliance, and being ready when the unexpected happens.”