Pavement Striping & Marking Crews

Striping crews paint and apply lines, arrows and symbols on roads, airports and parking lots, often beside live traffic. The work combines moving vehicles, hot material, flammable paint, propane and fumes. Struck-by vehicle incidents and burns are the biggest risks.

• Striping Crews
• Road Workers
• Parking Lot Contractors
• Traffic Control Crews

Main hazards

• Traffic: crews work in lanes and shoulders with slow, moving trucks while cars pass at speed. See Road Construction and Traffic Control Crews.
• Hot thermoplastic and burns: thermoplastic marking material is melted in a kettle or on the truck at very high temperatures (several hundred degrees) and causes severe burns on contact. See Burn First Aid.
• Fire and explosion: solvent-based paints, thinners and propane burners. See Flammable Liquids and Propane Safety.
• Fumes and dust: solvent vapors from paint, fumes from heated thermoplastic, and glass bead dust. See Solvents.
• Struck-by and run-over by the striping truck or other vehicles when backing or when walking behind. See Backing & Spotters.
• Pinch points and moving parts on walk-behind machines, hoses and tank pumps. See Machine Guarding.
• Pressurized equipment: airless sprayers can inject paint into skin. See Painting & Coatings.
• Heat and sun on pavement and beside kettles. See Heat Illness.
• Overhead lines and bridge work where stripers set up near hazards.

Traffic safety

• Work only inside a traffic control plan with signs, cones, arrow boards and a shadow truck or truck-mounted attenuator, set up by trained people. See Truck-Mounted Attenuators and the MUTCD-based plan for the road.
• Wear Class 2 or Class 3 high-visibility clothing appropriate for the road speed and hours of work, and add reflective gear at night. See High-Visibility Clothing.
• Face traffic when walking in lanes where practical, and keep out of the path of vehicles. Don't turn your back on traffic while placing cones.
• Cone placement and pickup are among the most dangerous tasks; use proper procedures, cone trucks and enough crew members.
• Use spotters when backing the striping truck and keep walkers out of blind zones.
• Have an exit plan for errant vehicles, and keep a clear space between workers and traffic.

Hot thermoplastic and kettles

• Wear heat-resistant gloves, long sleeves, long pants, leather boots and a face shield when handling heated thermoplastic. Never wear shorts or sandals.
• Keep the kettle or melter in good condition, never overfill it, and keep water, ice and moisture out, since water in hot material can erupt violently.
• Handle chute, hoses and hot lines with care and avoid sudden jerks. Keep bystanders back.
• Cool hot spills before cleanup and don't try to wipe them off bare-handed.
• If thermoplastic gets on skin, cool the burn with running water for 10 to 20 minutes and get medical help; don't pull off hardened material stuck to skin. See Burn First Aid.
• Keep a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit on the truck. See First Aid Kit Contents.

Paint, solvent and propane

• Store solvents and paints in approved containers and keep ignition sources away from mixing and spraying. No smoking near the truck.
• Secure propane cylinders upright, check hoses and connections for leaks with soapy water, and shut off the supply when not in use. Keep cylinders out of the sun's worst heat and away from open flame.
• Use respirators with organic vapor cartridges where the SDS or monitoring calls for them. See Respiratory Protection.
• Wear nitrile gloves and eye protection for paint, and don't use solvents to wash hands. Wash up before eating.
• Never point a spray gun at yourself or others, and relieve pressure before servicing airless sprayers.
• Read SDS for paints, thermoplastic and beads, and follow disposal rules for leftovers. See Safety Data Sheets.

Striping crew checklist

• A traffic control plan is set up, with a shadow truck or attenuator
• I wear the right high-visibility clothing and heat-resistant gear
• Kettle, hoses and propane connections are inspected and secured
• Ignition sources are controlled around solvent paints
• We use spotters for backing and keep a fire extinguisher and first aid on the truck

Last updated: October 5, 2026