The 7105 (Blocker Board)

"Traffic signals are critical to help reduce conflicts between road users, manage traffic flow, and provide safe places to cross the road". To truly understand Traffic Management an understanding of TSRGD is essential, the opening quote for this article comes in the form of a policy context in Version 2 of TSRGD. As alluded to a week or two ago I had a serious attack on my integrity from Steve Smale, a TSS, reference two things I had posted. I honestly do welcome any criticism or even attack as that is the culture nowadays and to be completely honest this TSS was right in regard to this and I was wrong. I read too much and when I read l learn it for life, once its in my head, it's locked in. If someone pulls me up I will endeavour to find out why l'm wrong because I care about Traffic Management and how I teach people. Have l being misinformed, taught wrong, have I been given a drawing that is wrong, it happens! People may catch me out once but they won't do it a second time, my discourse with this TSS is that he made an accusation that I was deliberately attempting to "slag" companies off. That couldn't be further from the truth and I hope that he can see that in my future actions, if companies believe there are no consequences to their bad practice we will not change things. Middle and Senior management in Traffic Management know we have serious issues that need addressing sooner rather later. The surprising thing is, it's not these virtue signalling pronoun identifying critical race theory nut jobs that are going to change it, it's going to be ordinary folk with passion for what they do as a job. They are out there, Steve Smale who mauled me a few weeks ago is one of them and I can tell you now that we will need everyone of them.

Let's get onto the title reference of this article, the Blocker Board. I started my quest to find out Steve Smale's justification for attack by going into TSRGD for a concise reading of information relating to the 7105. It states the "Position of barrier to mark length of road closed to traffic or to guide traffic past an obstruction". So what I can conclude from this and other information relating to the "610" is that the planners that have being putting these on our drawings have being doing so illegally. Using four 750 cones is not legal, a 750mm wide mini blocker board on a frame 30m back in your 50mph site is not legal and anything else you have come up with or read in a method statement is illegal. A 7105 should be 1250mm min width, between 150mm - 300mm high and have 250mm wide RED & WHITE reflective blocks (5). I also ran it past my doctor, a man I affectionately call Red Rich as his knowledge of Chapter 8 is almost akin to communist doctrine and he confirmed I was wrong regarding this. Thanks Rich Lea. That is it, full stop!

Enhanced Mobile Carriageway Closure

The name is catchy and Chevron state that "they are doing things differently" , not really but we will give them that as they are trying and when its functioning properly its pretty good to watch. The fifteen people that Chevron actually employ will probably have all gone on an extensive training course for EMCC, it will have all sorts of connotations in its label "EMCC trained Operator" or something I suppose. I hope they have a cushy van number, not on a gate, head down, phone call if there is an emergency and a wage to feed their family, does it get any better. I suspect the wage won't be anything to write home about but it will keep the electric on and feed the cat. I suspect they will end up doing that comprehensive "Gate person" qualification that's not worth a bag of carrots unless your counting the money at Lantra. That way they will get these EMCC Ops on gates with a fancy Chapter 8 van, a good initiative in my eyes as trained responsible people on gates is very important. However when something goes wrong who covers the gates, "its ok, just stick him on there John", "he's not got a gate persons ticket" "he'll be ok for an hour". You know how it goes with the Sector Scheme, properly trained person for the job, competent etc.

All of the above is not were I have my issue, it is not even relating to the concept, which I think is very effective. I have the simple problem in my head that you have these major issues across the industry involving COMPETENCY and now we are assisting this and also depreciating skill levels amongst the workforce. I have personally watched several jobs go out on the M1 with the assistance of EMCC, firstly and something I can't agree with is that the traffic on four occasions was at a standstill with 3 - 5 miles of tailbacks, that's not compliant with Chapter 8 and the mission of Traffic Management. Twice out of the three times when I watched the job being installed the TMF or LTMO they rushed the job making mistakes that were inevitably dangerous. I just ask this question now before something happens and we know it will happen, who gets the blame when someone gets seriously hurt as a result of one of them mistakes, the EMCC, TMF or the TSS. I think there needs to be a genuine discussion regarding competency and ability, this to me means that a person needs to be observed closely in situations to see if he/she is fit for purpose. A person learns in a classroom regarding these rolls, who tests their competency, can they actually do the job?

Have they got any leadership skills, can they react in a proper and concise manner when faced with an incident, have they being tested by someone of genuine experience and competence, can they actually do life saving first aid and has someone from senior management went out on an install to check him/her. I am a Combat Paramedic, from a time when the Infantry had lots of Paramedics, not so much now. When the ambulance strike happened in London in 1989 I got my first taste of First Aid in a live situation, I wasn't a paramedic at this time but I learnt quickly on the job, it was after this they sent us to St Georges to learn. Our first call out, three minutes after our shift started in Chelsea Barracks was to near by Sloane Square Tube station where a 48 year old male had collapsed on the steps down to the platform. We gave that man CPR for two hours until a doctor arrived and called his time of death, I never forget that night, vomit, smell, bad breath, the deceased pissing and shitting himself and worst of all trying to actually compress his 20 stone chest when you knew he was gone. The sweat poured off us both often dripping into his open mouth as his skin tone started to change but orders had to be followed and until a doctor declared him dead we must continue. I was only a 17 yr old boy then but I went on to see much worse, the deceased had a wedding ring on and his family would never see him again and he died in his own shit and piss. I found out later that the man had suffered a stroke after saying that he didn't feel well to two staff in the tube station, believe it or not a stroke victim if spotted early can be saved if someone can identify the person has or is suffering the effects of a stroke. Knowing what to do in different medical situations is very important especially if multiple patients are present, someone needs to take charge and triage. The qualities of a true leader are essential in Traffic Management also as it sometimes presents scenarios where someone needs to be able to lead or shit is going South very quickly. I have being on many IPV crews where the TMF isn't a leader, they might have being in the job 25 yrs but they can't lead, that needs to change. Better training, constant competency tests, leadership training and operational drills. There is lots of other things that can be done and you will know if someone is good enough or not, my advice is get rid if they don't have it, our industry owes it to the public and we owe it to the staff that may well be in a nightmare. Whats the saying, "Bad Leaders focus more on themselves instead of those around them" & better than that "Good employees quit when management is bad. Bad employees quit when management is good."

I see this in TM Offices also, you get various levels of Ops who come off the roads into the office, problem is these lot couldn't do the job in the first place and now there in the office, Jesus Christ. These Ops need to be tested comprehensively for ability, leadership, integrity and there competence in Traffic Management. Its no use Bob saying to the the boss, "we should get Sophie in the office, she's got a great phone voice or Alan would be great in the office, he gets on well with all the staff". I have lived by this quote for a very long time".

A quote by Brad Lomenick best sums up Leadership for me:

Humble leaders are willing to pass on the credit but absorb the criticism, push others higher while making themselves lower, and put the team's desires ahead of their own. A leader's job is to shepherd, not necessarily to always shine. It's about the mission, the team, and the tribe, not about you and your ego.

Highway Traffic Management

I came across this job the other day whilst driving out of Banbury towards our yard. We had just finished installing a few jobs in the town and had actually seen Highway Traffic Management preparing for this installation, they were professional with all their PPE present and being worn by all Operatives. I have lots of time for HTM as they seem to try and be decent, we actually sent an email recently offering assistance in Oxfordshire for a contract partner that we supply for in Bedfordshire. Heard nothing so I left it but the facts remain they are one of the better companies around.

When we came back towards the M40 and up to the Daventry off slip I seen the 610 and thought its a very good Taper, bases have great alignment but why stick that shit cone in it. It ruins it and its also not legal.

The line is great but the cones are poor, still a decent job overall I think until I get to the first off slip and spot this monstrosity below. This "thing" needed an EXORCISM, unfortunately I didn't have any rosary beads and just a bottle of Buxton Sparkling water with me. I would love to hear what the explanation is for this from the TMF/LTMO, this is dangerous and a near miss, whether they try to say we were allowing room for tree cutting machinery, grass cutting teams or even to give the litter pickers extra sideways safety. This slip should have being closed and an appropriate diversion installed for that purpose if so. Elderly and new drivers should not be expected to navigate this thing, its like a left turn and its encouraging drivers to drive over the hatchings which the planner must have known vehicular traffic should not be doing except in an emergency. Not a great job overall in the end!

Thats it for this week, it would be great if nothing caught my eye and I don't even go looking for these mistakes, they just appear daily whilst I'm off to jobs. Worrying thing is I don't really go to a lot of jobs!

Next week everyone. Hope you enjoyed it and please comment, fact check and criticise. I will get a few things wrong and I will love the learning.