Why Traffic Management Is Important

Due to the traffic in and around construction sites, traffic management plans have become one of the leading solutions to worksite safety. Traffic in and around construction sites includes all workers, vehicles, and pedestrians.

By implementing suitable traffic control measures, you can prevent worksite injuries. These preventive measures will ensure that worksites are as safe as possible for both pedestrians and workers.

The efforts in keeping the construction site safe mostly revolve around the traffic management plan. This plan outlines how risks will be managed in the worksite, like:

• Minimising all vehicle movement
• Eliminating the need for vehicles to reverse
• Ensure that the pedestrians and vehicles are visible to each other 
• Place traffic signs
• Create and follow a traffic management plan

These are some more reasons why you need a traffic management plan.

Reducing the risk of accidents

According to the research, most of the accidents on construction sites occur at the point where vehicles and pedestrians intersect. Entry and exit points, walkways, and road crossings are all high-risk areas. So, stationing trained traffic management personnel at this location is an essential first step.

So, what should you include in your traffic management plan? These are a few things to add according to Safe Work Australia.

1. Separate the routes for pedestrians and vehicles
   The majority of accidents happen due to the inadequate separation of vehicles and pedestrians. This can usually be avoided by careful planning and controlling vehicle operation during working hours.
   
   You can take the following actions:
   
   
   • Design goods loading and unloading areas
   • Design travel paths for routes around the site, including places to turn around, dump materials, side roads and ramps
   • Arrange to meet the requirements for select vehicles like mobile cranes and large vehicles
   • Set instructions or procedures for controlling traffic including in an emergency
   • Ensure drivers driving out onto public roads can see both sides of the street along with the footpaths
   • Install a barrier between roadways and walkways
     
     
2. Minimise the movement of vehicles
   With proper planning, you can minimise the vehicle movement around a site. For example, landscaping to reduce the soil movement or quantities of fill.
   
   To limit the number of vehicles on-site, you can do these things:
   
   
   • Keep control over the entry area
   • Plan the loading, unloading and storage areas so that delivery vehicles don’t need to cross the site
   • Provide a separate car or van parking for visitors and workers away from the site
     
     
3. Look after people on-site
   Managers should take steps to ensure that all workers are fit and competent to operate the vehicles and any attachments of heavy machines which are used on the construction site by doing the following:
   
   
   • Training drivers and operators
   • Managing the activities of visiting drivers
   • Checking the background of drivers, operators or hiring contractors
     
     
4. Minimise vehicles reversing
   As reversing is a significant cause of accidents around construction sites, ensure that it is possible to avoid reversing as much as possible. You can opt for one-way systems on roads on site, which can reduce the risk, especially in storage areas. Also, space for a turning circle could be installed so that vehicles can turn around without reversing.
   
   
   • Ensure that pedestrian and workers are aware of any places where vehicles may reverse
   • Use reversing alarms and mirrors on all trucks and drivable machinery
   • Tell operators about the overhead load movement of any vehicle
     
     
5. Ensure maximum visibility
   If vehicles reverse in areas where pedestrians can’t be entirely removed, the risk is increased, and visibility becomes an essential consideration. You can consider:
   
   
   • With the help of lighting, drivers, and pedestrians on routes can see each other easily. Light is required more when it is getting dark in the afternoon or there is poor weather.
   • Provide your workers with high-visibility clothing
   • Provide aids for your drivers. Add mirrors, CCTV cameras or alarms for reversing the vehicle that can help drivers so that they can see movement all around the vehicle.
     
     
6. Signs and instructions
   Ensure that all your drivers and any pedestrians know and understand the routes and traffic rules on site. You can use standard road signs where appropriate. Moreover, arrange induction training for drivers and workers. Also, send these instructions to any visitors before they visit the site. The following control measures should be considered to manage risks:
   
   
   • Appoint a trained person to control the traffic
   • Use communication methods like radio, verbal commands, confirmation of warnings and signals
   • Install sensors, alarms, reversing cameras and mirrors to help drivers to see and be aware of the movements of others around them

Conclusion

Safety has always been an essential part of the planning stage of construction. A lot of considerations are needed to ensure that a site is as safe as possible. Risks are sometimes unpredictable but having a plan ready ensures that people in and around the worksite remain safe is vital.