Managing workplace traffic is a vital part of every health and safety plan within businesses. Heavy vehicles, including a mobile plant that is active in and around the workplace, whether reversing, loading or moving speed are regularly connected with injuries and in some cases, death to workers and members of the public.
Workplace traffic can include cars, bikes, trucks and heavy mobile plant such as forklifts. Traffic can also include site visitors, groups and individuals. The best form of pedestrian protection is to remove anything considered as a traffic hazard. This is done at the design stage by creating a clear layout of the workplace and identifying areas where vehicles and individuals could come into contact. Examples of this include preventing vehicles from being used in areas accessed by people or creating different traffic routes to prevent individuals from entering areas where there are vehicles. When this isn’t achievable, the risks must be minimised wherever possible. This takes considered planning, design and control of vehicle and pedestrian movements in and around the defined workplace space. Businesses which fail to provide safe environments, run the risk of breaching several occupational health and safety legislation and consequently, fines and suspensions.
Items that should be considered for managing traffic, especially traffic on construction sites include:
- ensuring people and vehicles are clearly separated on-site, with a specific focus on areas where vehicles enter and exit the site
- reducing the movement of vehicles
- either completely removing the need for reversing vehicles or finding suitable ways to minimise the need for reversing
- making sure automobiles mob and people are clearly visible at all times
- making good use of traffic signs, and
- creating and implementing a carefully considered traffic management plan that aligns with all safety requirements
All West Australian businesses have a duty to make sure workers, and members of the public are not exposed to any form of health and safety risks arising from the work that is being carried out. This duty includes ensuring controls are in place that prevents workers and individuals from being injured by on-site vehicles and traffic.
A workplace traffic management plan is an important part of every construction site and workplace. Perth based companies such as Highways Traffic have many decades of experience in delivering safe and high-quality traffic management plans. If you run a business in Western Australia, we recommend a comprehensive highways traffic management plan that minimises any safety risk to any of the public or workers.
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