Work zone signs
Workers Ahead sign
People are working on or beside the roadway ahead.
- Diamond
- Orange
- MUTCD W21-1
Shape and background first
Federal designation W21-1 in the MUTCD, the national standard every state signs to. The symbol version of the same orange diamond, carrying a figure at work instead of a written legend. It is people on or beside the roadway that it warns about rather than work on the road surface, and that is the difference the doubled fines turn on, since those usually apply where workers are present.
What the MUTCD specifies
Designation: W21-1
MUTCD Section 6H.18
Conventional road size: 36 x 36 in
Option: A workers sign may alert drivers to people working in or near the roadway.
Source: Federal Highway Administration, MUTCD 11th Edition (December 2023), Part 6, Table 6H-1; Section 6H.18, verified 2026-09-26.
What the test wants you to know
The mistake people make
Where workers are present, expect narrowed lanes, sudden stops and equipment entering the road. Following distance should go up, not down.
