“This sends the wrong message to the public and as a result mo-torists
may not comply when work crews are present,” explains
Wade Hoffman, the traffic accommodation and flag person instruc-tor
for the Saskatchewan Safety Council. “Ultimately, we are trying
to get the respect of the public with our signage. Right now there is
some animosity between motorists and work crews because both
parties may have lost sight of the real purpose of work zone signage.
Workers are putting their lives on the line and are depending on mo-torists
to notice them and avoid colliding with them.”
Another real challenge for work crews is at the setup and moving
of the work zone.
“Motorists need to remember that when a vehicle has its amber
flashing lights on and a work crew is working on the side of the road
setting up signage, although a 60 KPH sign may not yet be present,
it is the law to slow down to 60 when passing those workers,” says
Hoffman.
Long duration projects present challenges as well. When motor-ists
and work crews have to work together daily over a sustained
period of time, frustration on both sides can create animosity.
“When this happens, neither party is cooperating with the other,”
says Uchacz. “Motorists are frustrated with delays and detours that
may lengthen commute times and work crews become frustrated
when motorists do not readily obey signage and speeds. When these
things happen, so can tragedy.”
In creating a safer work zone environment, Carlson stresses the
importance of companies not just thinking about the safety of their
workers, but also placing themselves in the position of the motorist.
“Many contractors have a traffic accommodation supervisor (TAS)
who is responsible for all matters relating to traffic accommodation
within the work zone,” explains Carlson. “Do they monitor the traffic
flow before and after – not just at the work area? Is the traffic doing
what we want them to do? Does the TAS take an actual drive through
the zone and observe how the traffic is responding to the devices? If
things are not working as necessary, do not always blame the motor-ist.
Does traffic accommodation adjust with the functionality of the
activity taking place? We set up the zone at the start of the day, how-ever,
as the activity progresses and changes, are we adjusting our traf-fic
control to suit? Work zones don’t stay the same.”
Conversely, motorists need to be educated to know that while a
work zone is being set up or moved, this is a time of higher risk.
“Amber flashing light on equipment and work trucks are there to
alert motorists that there are hazards on the road,” stresses Uchacz.
“Signage, such as no passing, speed signs, and additional devices,
such as rumble strips, are there to help motorists stay alert.”
Motorists should use extreme caution and reduce speeds when
passing by workers and equipment. Paying attention to road condi-tions
and being aware of their surroundings while reducing speeds
will allow for better reaction times.
For long-term projects, cooperation is essential. Construction
crews should try to accommodate traffic as much as possible.
“In general, this is being done, but it does require constant effort
and evaluation of the worksite,” says Uchacz. “If possible, allow the
motoring public to increase speeds only if it will not present any haz-ards
to them or work crews. Make sure signage is clear and try to re-duce
wait times as much as possible. Motorists should also feel free
to bring concerns to the roadbuilding community when messages are
not clear so that it can be corrected. All of this can be done in a re-spectful
manner to achieve common goals.”
Hoffman says there is a work zone com-mittee
with the Ministry of Highways and
Infrastructure (MHI) that evaluates high-way
signage and develops new policies
and/or innovations.
“It is recommended that if construction
companies have ideas that may help pro-mote
safety in the work zone, those ideas
can be presented to the committee so that
they can be evaluated,” he notes.
He also recommends that TASs put
themselves in the seat of the motorist
and see the work zone from their point of
view.
“We have to accommodate traffic flow. It
is important for a TAS to realize that they
are communicating to the motorist and the
work zone signage should reflect that com-munication,”
Hoffman says.
In general, the risk is always going to be
there, adds Carlson.
FEATURE
Celebrating 39 years 1977 – 2016
44 Think BIG | Quarter 2 2016 | saskheavy.ca
/saskheavy.ca