Do you know the accidents involving vehicles on construction sites are one of the top risks for workers? Every year more than 21 construction site workers die, and 93 are seriously injured due to accidents involving vehicles or mobile plants on construction sites. Besides the risk to workers, there’s also a high risk of site visitors and the general public. So, how can this risk be avoided?
It is the responsibility of construction site managers and construction company owners to ensure their employees, visitors, and the public. However, more than 65% of construction sites reported incidences of risk from moving vehicles despite the regulatory requirements. So to protect individuals on and around sites, the construction projects that require seeking approval from the traffic authorities need first to develop a Construction Traffic Management Plan before any significant works can occur on-site. This Traffic Management Plan (TMP) assesses traffic impacts associated with the project on the local road network. This plan is framed by the Local Council Standard Requirements and describes the proposed construction works, the traffic impacts on the local area, and how the potential issues will be addressed.
The contractors working on roads and highways where temporary traffic conditions exist need to frame a proper Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP). This plan is necessary because several vehicles on the construction sites such as cars, vans, lorries, low-loaders, and mobile plants such as excavators, dumpers, and lift-trucks make the site highly risky.
Construction Traffic Management
The vehicles moving in and around a workplace and reversing, loading, and unloading powered mobile plants are often responsible for causing death and injuries to workers and the public. Traffic management is a vital part of construction safety. CTMP ensures that the construction site is organized so that vehicles and pedestrians can move around the site safely without colliding or getting injured.
According to the law, businesses engaged in construction work or working on highways must ensure that vehicles and pedestrians using site routes can move around safely. The routes should be easily accessible and safe for the persons or vehicles using them. The plan outlines ways to eliminate interactions between pedestrians and vehicles. This can be done by separating the traffic routes so that pedestrians cannot enter the worksite areas.
The traffic management at the construction site also aims to eliminate reversing vehicles, use traffic signs to prevent accidents, and ensure that vehicles and pedestrians are visible to each other. The Construction Traffic Management Plan includes:
• Charting out separate traffic routes for pedestrians and vehicles.
• Making use of traffic signs, controllers, mirrors, and warning devices so that drivers and pedestrians can see each other.
• Providing separately marked pedestrian walkways that take a direct route.
• Separating and securing areas where vehicles and powered mobile plants operate by installing barriers, traffic control barricades, chains, tape, or bollards.
• Training the newly recruited drivers/machinery operators.
• Providing high-visibility or reflective clothing to workers and plant operators at the workplace.
• Designating parking areas for workers’ and visitors’ vehicles.
