A complaint to RCMP by Manitoba Hydro workers south of Brandon on Tuesday said poles were swaying and crew members at the tops of them were being shaken by the force of semi-trucks passing by at high speeds.

Jamie Hall is the chief operating officer of SAFE Work Manitoba. He says he has a personal history with this type of incident, formerly working for Manitoba Hydro and being responsible for crews such as this. He says drivers passing by too fast is one of the most significant hazards faced by Hydro worker.

"In the sense that other hazards could be controlled. You can have safe work procedures to make sure that you're not coming in contact with electricity, you can ensure that you're working at heights with the proper protective equipment that you're not going to fall, but it was very difficult to control that hazard of someone else driving by and creating a hazard for that worker directly," says Hall.

Hall says he's learned since coming into his Safe Work Manitoba role that the issue is not exclusive to Hydro employees, it's a common challenge faced by all roadside workers.

RCMP media relations officer Tara Seel says it's definitely something RCMP officers can relate to.

The fine for speeding in a construction zone in Manitoba is double the cost of a regular ticket, and speed limits are lower in designated zones whether workers are present or not.

Seel says, putting the fine aside, ultimately, drivers are asked to slow down to save lives.

"We do want everyone to be aware that if they don't slow down to those speed limits in those particular areas, whether it be construction areas or if there are emergency crews on the side of the road, that, you know, they are putting lives at risk," says Seel.

SAFE Work Manitoba is part of the SAFE Roads Committee. Hall says they undertake marketing campaigns and studies, and find that drivers exposed to their messaging do stop to think about it. He says there's a continued need to get the message out there.

"If we can just remember that these are people who are doing their job. They want to get home at the end of the day and get back to their families and loved ones. As soon as we bring that to the front of our minds, most people we find will realize, 'Okay, I need to back off and wherever I'm getting to isn't so important that I can't slow down for these next 30 seconds and keep someone else safe,'" says Hall.

According to Manitoba RCMP, the officer who was dispatched to the Hydro workers' area on Tuesday issued 14 tickets for speeding in a construction zone in three hours.