Road signs: Men at Work Signs from Colombia

Cartagena, 03.i.2012;
pict. Baeten & De Dier

In South-America the man on Road Work signs is usually shown just when the first spadeful is cut, or just when the last spadeful is shoveled back. We know this because there is material on the spade and there is no trace of a heap which should be present while the construction project is going on.

We call this type of signs: H0 (heap zero).
This, and other types, are explained in Argentina.

the spade may be empty: reported from e.g. Chile
variations in the headwear:
- the man is bareheaded: reported from e.g. Chile, Peru
- the man wears a wide-brimmed hat: seen in e.g. Mexico, Peru
- the man prefers a narrow-brimmed hat like here in Colombia
- the man prefers a cap with a visor: reported from e.g. Costa Rica

Besides the H0 signs we see a lot of warning signs with only text: Inicio de obra and Fin de obra. But on extremely rare occasions, our field workers come across an old traffic sign in this modern sign desert.

Cartagena, 18.i.2025; pict. J. Breine

Cartagena, 18.i.2025; pict. J. Breine

Cartagena, 18.i.2025; pict. J. Breine

This find is remarkable in more than one aspect:

Firstly: The presence of a heap, which is a very rare occurrence in South-America. Though several countries are sampled –unfortunately data from some of the smaller countries is missing– we only have reports of roadsigns with a heap from Argentina and Peru.

Secondly: the amount of text included: apart from the Work on the road we find Occupational health and Environmental issues at the top of the sign. In my opinion, a surprising combination. Is this perhaps less a warning about road works and more an advertisement that occupational health is important here? But then I wonder: if we are talking about occupational health, why isn't the man wearing head protection?

Cartagena, 18.i.2025; pict. J. Breine

A panel visible in the background of the example with a textual warning is also worth our attention. The text reads Guerra frontal contra los Huecos and is made up in the colours of the city Cartagena de Indias.

This war against potholes is an action by the city government of Cartagena to remedy the large number of potholes in the city roads:

We said that at the beginning of our administration we were going to declare a frontal war against the city's potholes. Today, we're starting in these prioritized areas. We'll be carrying out targeted interventions, eliminating this threat to cars, due to the damage many vehicles have suffered due to this problem. Without a doubt, these potholes have also been affecting mobility, and that's why we are ready to consistently fulfill our promises," Turbay [Paz, the mayor] said.

(Notice at the city's website dated 5.i.2024, original in Spanish)

Men at Work Signs found in Colombia