Temporary traffic management

Temporary traffic management is a system of controlling traffic movement through or past a worksite to achieve a maximum of safety and a minimum of inconvenience for both the road worker and the road user. A temporary traffic management system is required when working on public roads, road verges, road medians, footpaths, bicycle paths, construction sites and where any other work-related activities require temporary controlling of traffic.

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 places obligations upon persons conducting a business or undertaking to take all reasonably practicable steps to eliminate or minimise risk and ensure that the workplace is safe. This includes preventing injury to workers due to hazards within the worksite, protection of workers from oncoming or passing traffic and the protection of road users from hazard within the worksite. Implementing a temporary traffic management system, which is designed to protect workers and road users, is a method of meeting your safety duty under work health and safety laws.

A temporary traffic management/traffic control plan is a diagram, which shows how the temporary traffic management control devices are to be installed. The Road Transport (Safety and Transport Management) Act 1999 requires approval from an appropriate authority to install prescribed traffic control devices. A temporary traffic management/traffic control device application must be approved by Roads ACT in the Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate (the appropriate authority) when activities are being conducted on or within a certain distance of a public roadway, footpath or bicycle path, or when a project requires the removal or placement of any traffic control devices along the traffic network.

The documented risk management process should be undertaken prior to starting the work. The control measures should be incorporated into the design of any temporary traffic management plan.

A risk assessment estimates the level of risk and involves analysing the likelihood and consequence of damage and injury due to impact with moving vehicles. The following factors should be considered in a risk assessment:

  • scope and duration of the project
  • site layout
  • traffic density
  • traffic flow and speed
  • time required to perform activities
  • time of day when tasks are to be performed
  • specific hazards within the work site, such as excavations
  • pedestrian movement
  • environmental factors such as wet conditions or poor visibility
  • risks associated with plant and equipment
  • experience and training of workers
  • alternate routes available for road users and pedestrians, should a road or footpath be partially or fully closed.

WorkSafe ACT audits PCBUs who use traffic controllers to ensure that obligations to provide workers training, information and instruction are met. The required minimum level of competency for workers to perform traffic control (stop/go) is to complete one or more of the following:

  • RIIWHS201E Work safely and follow WHS policies and work procedures
  • RIICOM201E Communicate in the workplace
  • RIIWHS205E Control traffic with a stop-slow bat
  • RIIWHS206 Control traffic with portable traffic control devices and temporary traffic signs

In the ACT, the Master Builders ACT and Creative Safety Initiatives provide training courses for traffic control.

Reducing the risk

Control measures are set out in the hierarchy of control described below. Risks to work health and safety should be identified and eliminated or, if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks, controls at the top of the hierarchy must be implemented before consideration is given to using lower order controls.

  1. Elimination: Road closure.
  2. Substitution: Program the work to be conducted when there is no risk or significantly less risk present.
  3. Isolation: Use approved temporary safety barriers to isolate workers and work activities from road users.
  4. Engineering controls: Traffic engineering means such as the use of directional signage such as workmen ahead, speed reduction, lane status signs, as well as cones, bollards, delineators, barrier boards etc.
  5. Administrative controls: Safe working practices put in place, training instruction and information provided to workers.
  6. Personal protective and safety equipment: High visibility garments should be worn when working in the vicinity of moving traffic (up to 5 m) or plant. When selecting high visibility garments consideration needs to be given to the time of day, colour of plant on site and the surrounding environment. High visibility vests should be fastened across the front to display a continuous reflective material around the torso. The garment should meet the requirements of AS/NZS 4602.1:2011 : High visibility safety garments - Garments for high risk applications.

Due to the nature of civil works and changing risks, the temporary traffic management system should be regularly reviewed and changes made to ensure that the risks to health and safety of workers and third parties are controlled. Roads ACT must be notified of any amendments to the original approved temporary traffic management plan.

Safe work method statements

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 requires that where high risk construction work is carried out, a safe work method statement (SWMS) must be prepared before the work commences. High risk construction work includes construction work that is carried out:

  • in an area of a workplace in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant; or,
  • on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians.

The SWMS must identify the high risk construction work, specify hazards, and describe measures to control risks and how this will be implemented. Information and instruction for workers involved in construction work must include the contents of SWMS and workers must have easy access to the relevant SWMS at the workplace.

Temporary traffic management planning and SWMS should be incorporated into the site Work health and safety management plans.

Road safety barriers

Road safety barriers are designed to provide a physical barrier between the travelled way and the work area, which will inhibit penetration by and redirect out of control vehicles. Protection using safety barriers is the preferred option for long term jobs when the separation between the work area and traffic is less than 3 metres. They can also be used to separate opposing traffic.

Road safety barriers shall comply with AS/NZS 3845:1999: Road safety barrier systems, be endorsed by the Austroads National Safety Barrier Assessment Panel and be the appropriate test level described in AS/NZS 3845 to treat the identified risk. Road safety barriers listed in the Roads and Maritime Services NSW document 'Safety Barrier Products Accepted for use on Classified Roads in NSW as at 6 January 2014' and subsequent amended versions of this document are accepted for use in the ACT.

When installing a road safety barrier system a clearance distance from the barriers to the edge of the traffic lane of between 0.3 metres and 2.0 metres (distance varies according to the traffic speed) shall be provided. A containment fence should be placed behind the safety barrier if the work area is close to the clearance distance to delineate the barrier deflection zone clearance line for workers.

When determining the likely deflection limits, consideration needs to be given to the road cross slope, angle of impact, speed of impact and the size of the vehicle. The manufacturer/supplier of the barriers should provide information to assist you in determining the likely deflection limits.

Containment fences

Containment fences may be used to provide visible separation between the travelled path of vehicles, pedestrians and the work area in situations where physical protection by use of a safety barrier is not reasonably practicable.

Where the edge of the work area is between 1.2 metres and 3 metres from the nearest edge of a lane carrying traffic and a road safety barrier system is not used the speed of traffic past the work area must be reduced to 60 km/hr or less and a containment fence should be provided along the edge of the work area if there is a risk of workers or small plant items infringing the clearance area.

Where the edge of the work area is less than 1.2 metres from the nearest edge of a lane carrying traffic, the speed must be reduced to 40 km/h or less and a containment fence should be provided along the edge of the work area if there is a risk of workers or small plant items infringing the clearance area. The containment fence may be omitted if there is insufficient space to place it. Use of containment fences to protect the safety of workers and road users in locations where traffic speeds exceed 60 km/h is not recommended.

Containment fences can also be used to delineate 'no go' areas for workers.

Signs

Temporary traffic management signs need to be displayed at different heights for different situations. It is important that anyone travelling along the road or footpath is fully aware that there is work on the road ahead and knows exactly what path to follow and how fast he or she is supposed to travel through the worksite. Signs placed on the ground should be clear of obstructions. Signs should not be placed in the shade as this may affect their visibility to road users. Generally, signs should be placed one metre clear of the travelled path, where they will not be a hazard to workers, pedestrians and road users.

Some signs such as the road worker and truck entering signs must not be displayed when either workers are not on site or are not visible to drivers, or when trucks are not entering or leaving the work site. Signage that is not authorised for display outside the authorised hours of work must be removed or covered.

Environmental conditions such as wind and rain must be taken into account when installing temporary traffic management signage or other prescribed traffic control devices.

Reduced speed zones

Reduced speed zones can be used as a control measure to treat a risk identified in the risk assessment. If a reduced speed zone is used as a control measure, but is ineffective due to vehicles not slowing down to the reduced speed limit, additional control measures should be implemented such as speed monitoring boards, temporary traffic lights, pilot vehicles or traffic controllers. The police may also provide assistance in enforcing road work speed limits. Ultimately, responsibility for ensuring compliance with the posted speed rests with the contractor and the temporary traffic management should be designed to meet this responsibility.

Record keeping

A logbook should be kept on site for recording any activities and amendments involving the temporary traffic management system, including accidents/incidents within the temporary traffic management system, when temporary traffic management signs are displayed/covered or removed from the work site. The record should also state the time, date and location where these activities occurred.

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