7 Most Common TMP Design Mistakes
Erin Studsor
???? Helping Construction Companies Safely Manage Traffic ???? Traffic Management Experts ???? A Voice For Road Worker Safety ???? Building A Better Future For Women In Construction ???? Keynote Speaker ????
Traffic Management Plans (TMPs) provide roadworks sites with a means of planning and implementing how road users will be affected for the duration of the temporary traffic management works.
This includes items such as safely and effectively guiding them through or past a roadwork site, as well as ensuring network performance is not unduly impacted. It is a requirement for anyone undertaking work on or near a road to prepare a TMP which provides adequate safety for workers and road users. However, we continue to see TMPs that are designed with mistakes compromising WHS or that do not comply with all legislation.
1. Inadequate Risk Assessments
Management of risk control is central to an effective and compliant Traffic Management Plan. This involves the?identification and analysis of all risks?likely to arise during works on roads?including during the?setting up, operating, changing, and ultimate dismantling of?traffic guidance schemes, followed by the?determination of?appropriate measures to mitigate those risks. The process?is applicable at all levels of planning and operation.?
We commonly see TMPs with risk assessments missing justification for TMP design and not adequately addressing;?
Traffic Management Planners can’t?just assume the speed reduction is?enough and?it will?mitigate the risk.?Motorist?non-compliance is inevitable so what other?controls are being put in place??
When structuring a risk?assessment?TMP designers need to consider.?
2. Lack of Project and Scope Information
Too often communication that occurs between the?Project Owner and the Traffic Planner is second-hand and often lacking. We regularly see Traffic Planners being provided information at short notice, missing key details, not being involved in site or project meetings, and in general not provided updates that will be essential to designing an effective TMP.?
When there are?insufficient details provided about the project scope it can create many problems, such as missing or inadequate Traffic Guidance Schemes (TGSs) for the work activity, unclear implementation instructions for the traffic crew, poor risk assessment missing elements exposing workers to further risk, delays to obtaining TMP approvals and more.?
How do you improve this??
“Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity” ~ Nat Turner
3. Poor Record Keeping
When there is a poorly designed TMP, it creates safety concerns and non-conformances.? In addition, it also creates unnecessary work on-site for the traffic crew, with the reactive need to request onsite amendments by a?Worksite Traffic Management (WTM)?or?Advanced Worksite Traffic Management (AWTM)?accredited person. When changes on-site are required, often these amendments are not clearly documented or formally approved.
Any changes?to traffic control?device placements shall be?recorded in the?TMP;?
This MUST include the name and WTM or AWTM accreditation number of the person?who approved the amendment. It is also important to note that the persons arranging the?traffic management works shall?keep their own?daily records?together with any other?relevant records.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
It’s the age-old saying with this mistake. We need to make sure we clearly understand the 1. Who? 2. What? 3. Where? 4. When? 5. How?
People’s roles and responsibilities need to be clearly defined within the Traffic Management Plan. Within your TMP, if it states a requirement such as an on-site audit at implementation is required, who is the person responsible for organising or completing this? ?Is this person/s identified at the TMP design stage, is this requirement communicated to those involved and organised in advance?
This information needs to be included in the Traffic Management Plan.
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5. Traffic Management Plan Roadworks Template
As stated in Main Roads WA Code of Practice for Works on Roads
4.2.1 General
Any party undertaking work on a road shall prepare a Traffic Management Plan (TMP) that adequately provides for the safety of workers and road users while maintaining an adequate level of service to road users. Traffic management planning should be undertaken in accordance with the AGTTM Part 2: Traffic Management Planning.
To ensure a consistent approach is taken when developing a TMP one of the Main Roads TMP templates [see here]?shall be used as a basis for the development of the plan. Any section headings that are not applicable to the TMP being developed shall be kept in the document and noted as not applicable (with the intent of keeping the TMP section numbers the same throughout all TMPs).
Tip: Consider adding extra graphical detail into the?written TMP to assist with interpretation, this can include:?
You are allowed to expand on sections where you think it is needed and include additional appendixes.
6. Generic vs Site Specific TMP (how to determine which one to select)
Determining which TMP is needed for the work being undertaken is crucial. How do you determine if a Generic or Site Specific TMP is needed?
Main Roads WA has cut out the hard work and questions here by providing a checklist that will determine what type of Traffic Management Plan is required.
The amount of details and information to be provided in a TMP can vary depending on the nature and complexity of the project.? For routine/repetitive type works such as minor pavement maintenance, a generic TMP may be appropriate. A checklist to determine the need for a Generic vs Site Specific TMP has been developed to assist in making this decision. However, those implementing the plan need to be very aware of the scope of situations covered by the plan.
When using this checklist, and answering ‘Yes’ to any of these questions requires a Site Specific TMP.?
Where a TMP is to be used on more than one occasion or at a number of generic locations, continuous improvement must be considered. This will ensure the quality of traffic management is maintained or improved where required.
7. Site Inspections NOT Done!
All too often, this step is MISSED.
The Advanced Worksite Traffic Management?(AWTM) person preparing a TMP shall also include a statement on the plan confirming that a?site visit?was undertaken by him/her?or another suitable person under his/her direction, prior to preparing the plan.?
For Generic TMPs, a site visit by the AWTM that prepared the TMP is not required,?however, the person responsible for implementing the TMP shall ensure it is?applicable to the site and shall complete?the generic/site specific TMP checklist (this step is crucial and not to be overlooked).?
Where the generic TMP is not suitable a site-specific TMP shall be developed.?
Tips and Best Practices
And last but not least… remember record keeping.
“Good records can save considerable investigation?resources, and?assist in deciding the most appropriate?response to a claim”
Did you know – Main Roads WA recommends that traffic management records be securely stored for a period of not less?than seven (7) years from the date of completion of?the works.
Do you have an upcoming construction or event project and need help with temporary traffic management? Get in touch with our team for support https://www.trafficforce.com.au/contact/
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H&S & Training Co-ordinator at TRS
9 个月After seeing the Westpac rescue helicopter land near our house last week I wondered what it was doing, then I found out that there was a serious accident at roadworks on SH27, north of Matamata. Major roadworks happening in this area for weeks and no mention of it anywhere on the NZTA website about the works taking place, where 1000’s of vehicles use this road every day. The vehicles involved were waiting in the queue and were hit by vehicles from behind not knowing that this queue had stopped and was even there as the queue had well over extended further than the roadworks signage that was in place. Once the emergency services had arrived and the road was closed off by the contractor, there was NO signage explaining detours at the intersection or nothing. It was like watching a circus, vehicles travelling in all directions not knowing where to turn too, vehicles, including trucks being sent down a dead end road, vehicles turning around in near by paddocks to turn around in the right direction ???. I checked the NZTA site again today and still no mention about this roadworks that are taking place on this main arterial route through the Matamata-Piako area. Not very good planning.
Attended AAIT
9 个月Hello Erin In developing countries like Ethiopia, we don't have a guideline to implement the six/4 zone at construction site. So how can we prepare guidelines, how can we institutionalise?? Am really interested to raise few opinions in road user safety at construction zone. I appreciate if u share me your email address
Retired; Now house sitting. Looking for long term sits.
9 个月Yes to all well said Erin. Have seen all these points at different times.
Managing Director | Principal Traffic Engineer @ SITE Traffic
9 个月Very well said