Our Guide on Traffic Management Plans for Bad Weather

No matter how safe you make your worksite or event, some circumstances are beyond your control. One of them is the weather. Flooding, storms, heatwaves, heavy winds and other inclement weather conditions pose risks to your staff, the public and your equipment, causing stressful delays and an unsafe working environment. To keep operations running smoothly, adjust your traffic control plan for bad weather.

More formally known as a Traffic Guidance Scheme, a Traffic Control Plan (TCP) is a document that outlines how to safely manage and direct traffic around a special event, construction site or other workplace. It covers everything from the right traffic control equipment to establishing safe zones and ensuring that signs, barriers and traffic signals are placed in the best possible positions. A TCP is also an effective communication tool that can keep traffic controllers, authorities and the public on the same page about safety protocol.

Employers are legally required to appropriately manage traffic around their worksite, and workers need to have a SafeWork NSW Traffic Control Work Training Card to work in traffic control. Any business whose work interferes with the normal flow of traffic on a public roadway, whether it’s a construction site, special event or roadworks, needs to have a TCP.

Sydney is no stranger to extreme weather: from thunderstorms to heatwaves, bushfires to droughts. Factoring bad weather into your traffic control plan will help minimise risks and help keep the road you’re working on safe and accessible for anyone who needs it.

Here’s the SSTC guide to how to address bad weather in your traffic management plan, and how we can help.

Challenges of Traffic Management in Bad Weather

In traffic control, planning, focus and clear communication are essential. When a danger like bad weather arises, it can make operations riskier in several ways:

Weather-related hazards

There are a number of weather-related hazards that can make it a lot more difficult and dangerous to carry out traffic management.

Heavy rainfall can quickly turn roads that were safe a few moments ago into danger zones.  Floodwater can be deeper than it appears and contain pollutants. Sometimes, whole sections of road or ground can wash away, and this isn’t always visible on the surface.

Slippery conditions can cause loss of traction, aquaplaning and skidding, all of which make traffic control in rainy weather more dangerous.

Heat stress and heat stroke

Traffic control in hot weather has more than its share of dangers, and they’re worth being aware of in the wake of Sydney’s record-breaking heatwaves. Heat stress can cause dehydration, fatigue, loss of concentration, muscle cramps and heatstroke, while prolonged exposure to UV rays raises the risk of skin cancer. Extreme heat can also melt tarmac, causing roads to buckle and creating problems for both motorists and pedestrians.

Poor visibility

Storms and heavy rainfall make it difficult for both drivers and traffic controllers to see. They can obscure the view of road signs and barriers so that drivers can’t respond quickly, as well as limit the distance that they can see ahead.

Debris

High winds can turn everyday objects like tree branches and rubbish bins into flying projectiles, potentially causing injury and damaging equipment.

Damage to traffic management equipment

Wild weather can have a negative impact on the equipment you’re using to keep traffic running effectively. Strong winds can blow over portable signs and topple poles, while heavy rain can cause power failures in electrical traffic equipment. Moisture can corrode electrical components, while ice, snow and fog can make it harder for motorists to read signs.   

How to Reduce Traffic Risks and Hazards During Bad Weather

While you can’t predict the weather, you can certainly plan for the worst. There are several ways you can implement traffic control that plans for bad weather and take a proactive approach to dealing with the hazards that can arise:

Incorporate the weather into your traffic management plan

Your traffic management plan (TMP) is a detailed document that identifies the risks associated with traffic and plans for how to manage them. In contrast, your traffic control plan provides the site-specific instructions for putting it into practice. Your traffic management plan should take seasonal weather patterns into account, as well as the possibility of inclement weather events and how to mitigate them. A good traffic management plan will include the effective use of signage in rough weather conditions as well as other control measures.

Choose reliable, high-quality traffic management equipment

The better your traffic management equipment, the more likely it will be to withstand whatever the weather throws at it. Heavy rain can damage non-waterproof signage, for example, while a strong wind is more likely to blow away flimsy signs than their sturdier counterparts.

Use highly visible road signs

Using high-visibility signage is essential for traffic control in rainy weather. Brightly coloured, easy-to-spot road signs help you cut through even rain or fog to warn motorists of detours and changing conditions.

Keep your site well-lit

A well-lit worksite keeps you visible and, as a result, safer, no matter how bad the weather conditions get.

Use hi-vis personal protective equipment (PPE)

On the topic of visibility, the best and brightest personal protective equipment will make it easier for motorists to see your workers and help ensure their safety.

Provide safety barriers

Safety barriers keep drivers out of restricted areas and re-route them around your worksite. Some come with crash cushions, which absorb energy in order to reduce the impact of collisions. Useful at any time of the day, these barriers are especially recommended during bouts of bad weather when roads are slippery and visibility is down.

Hydration and rest breaks

The problems associated with excessive heat can creep up slowly, with thirst a sign that dehydration has already occurred. Keeping your staff hydrated is an essential aspect of traffic control in hot weather and helps keep everyone safer. Ensure that your team members get enough breaks to rest and rehydrate, and use adequate sun protection like long sleeves and hats.

Safe and Effective Traffic Management with SSTC

No matter what the weather brings, you’re always well-protected with SSTC. With our professional traffic control in Sydney, SSTC can put together a traffic control plan that plans for bad weather and includes instructions for dealing with it. 

Whether you need construction site, special event or emergency response traffic management, SSTC can put together traffic management plans that are exceptionally effective thanks to our state-of-the-art technology and equipment. We include traffic control measures to protect the safety of your team and the public and provide the necessary equipment to put them into practice.

With safety always our highest priority, SSTC’s services include traffic signal installation and maintenance, special event traffic control, roadway construction and 24/7 emergency response. Our traffic controllers use a fleet of fully equipped Utes purpose-built for the task at hand, and we also provide high-quality traffic control equipment like roadwork signs, bollards, cones, concrete barriers, portable traffic signals and communication devices.

With more than 50 years of combined experience, we can guarantee that doing things the SSTC way means a very safe approach indeed.  

To find out more, get your free quote from the SSTC team.