Highways Agency
Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers
Foreword
Foreword by Dr Stephen Ladyman MP
In the last year there has been a worrying up turn in people killed while working on the Highways Agency's roads. This is unacceptable.
It is however, a situation that Government and industry are working together to improve. This action plan seeks to deliver a step change in safety for road workers. Changing work practices, better training and making use of new technology are all important parts of the plan.
A key challenge will also be to influence the behaviour of road users by promoting safer driving in and on the approaches to road works. The Government is committed to making drivers aware of the need to drive appropriately and to be aware of the importance of not driving when tired or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Changing behaviour takes time, but will have lasting results in terms of reducing risks for everybody.
Everyone has a role to play in this agenda and none of us should have any higher priority than ensuring our roads are safe for drivers and road workers alike. Health and safety must be at the heart of operating and maintaining a safe road network.
The Highways Agency, Industry and Key Stakeholders have agreed to commit to working in partnership to make a stepchange to improve road worker safety.
Introduction
The Highways Agency manages one of the busiest high-speed road networks in the world. This brings increased risks to those who work on the network to ensure that it is kept safe and in good condition for millions of road users. The people that carry out these vital duties are vulnerable from being hit by traffic and these risks need to be reduced.
Recent fatalities of road workers on the Highways Agency's network have highlighted the continuing need to focus on the safety for this group in particular, and for all workers on the network in general. Further initiatives are necessary to make a step change in the reduction of casualties to road workers. The Government, Highways Agency, its suppliers and stakeholders are committed to make improvements in the measures taken to protect our valuable workforce.
The people that carry out these vital duties are vulnerable from being hit by traffic.
Purpose of Action Plan
This Action Plan outlines the action being taken by the Highways Agency, its service providers and key partners to improve the safety of road workers.
Background
In 2005 there were five fatalities on the Highways Agency's strategic road network, which is more than double that of previous years. The average fatality rate for this specialist group is one of the highest for employment sectors reported by the Health and Safety Executive. Action is urgently needed to make changes to reduce the risks for those working on the live carriageways, which is the most hazardous area for network operations.
Road workers include all operatives working on the Agency's network who are directly exposed to risks from network users. These include Highways Agency Traffic Officers, all workers engaged in traffic management activities and incident support services, maintenance and renewal schemes, vehicle recovery operators and any other activities where live traffic is present. 
How can we improve road worker safety?
The Highways Agency can influence the health and safety of road workers by working in partnership with the service providers and stakeholders to improve training and performance, and by changing the operations on the network.
This can be achieved by:
- Reducing road workers exposure to live traffic and lessening the risks to road workers when on the network.
- Highlighting the importance of road workers and their safety to the public by raising awareness and by the industry consistently maintaining the highest standards of practice.
- Improving road user awareness and responses by improving driver education.
This work is in addition to the actions already in place to improve health and safety management in the Highways Agency. The proposed actions will improve the health and safety for everyone using and working on the network.
The Highways Agency will liaise with the other Highway Authorities, so that they are aware of these developments and are able to consider the need and applicability for their road networks.
Strategic Action Areas
The following are the seven key areas identified to improve road worker safety. These have been developed into this action plan that will be monitored to ensure implementation. The areas of work proposed along with the existing work together will improve road worker safety.
- Carry out an urgent review of operations that require roadworkers to be exposed to live traffic with a view to reducing the risks and change the requirements to have signs in the central reserve which require the crossing of live carriageways.
- Review and revise maintenance priorities to reduce the number of visits and ad-hoc repairs and maintenance, so cutting the need for road workers to be on the network.
- Introduce more targeted speed limits at road works, which can be altered to match the safety requirements. This will be combined with increased use of average speed detection equipment and other methods of influencing road users to drive safety.
- Improve accuracy and content of variable message signs to give clearer messages to road users about road works and the presence of road workers. Require more use of vehicle activated signs that warn drivers that they are exceeding the speed limit.
- Produce proposals for improved training for workers on high-speed roads and agree requirements for appropriate training for all workers on the Highways Agency's network.
- Develop proposals with industry for more publicity to promote better driver awareness and support improved driver education.
- With industry, develop an incident and near miss reporting call centre to support the ongoing improvements in data collection, analysis, learning and publicity.
The key action areas and ongoing work will be monitored by the Highways Agency and industry and key stakeholders will be invited to play a key role in delivering these actions.
Road Workers Safety Action Plan
Action Areas 1
An urgent review of operations that require road workers to be exposed to live traffic and changing Regulations to reduce, for example, the need for signs in the central reserve which require the crossing of live carriageways.
| Action taken to Date | Actions planned | Outputs | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| HA Directors engaged in Draft Strategy, and identifi cation of feasible options undertaken. Seven key startegic measures communicated to key suppliers and stakeholders. | Supply Chain to provide method statements to detail how key operations can be undertaken whilst reducing road worker exposure to live traffic to the absolute minimum. The following topics are in phase one
|
Produce suite of agreed operational control documents supported by risk assessments for phase one generic tasks for each main type of road environment. | Process to be started June 2006 to complete within 12 months. |
| Trial of Cone Laying machines undertaken, with good results | Manufacturer(s) in the process of obtaining Construction and Use Certification. HA supporting supply chain to use the machines on the network. Development of working method statement by cross industry group. | Machines in use on HA sites | Outside of HA control but possible in early 2007 |
| Chapter 8 review consultation | Consultation undertaken and document under revision. | Publish revised document that will enable existing good practice to be built upon, on a rolling basis. | July 2006 |
| Review use of temporary barrier for protection of the workforce. | Project to be partnership with HSE. Funded and due to start April. | Updated guidance to supplement Chapter 8 on use of temporary barriers for workforce. | July 2007 |
| Increasing awareness of work undertaken by Trials Team and recommendations of adoption of ideas that have been trialled. | Publish toolkit of measures to reduce risk. | June 2006 | |
| Sequential flashing lights approved for use in tapers | Instruction being considered to enable supply chain use. | Issue usage instruction | May 2006 |
Action Areas 2
Review and revise maintenance priorities to reduce the number of visits and ad hoc repairs and maintenance, so cutting the need for road workers to be on the network.
| Action taken to Date | Actions planned | Outputs | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area Management Memorandum developed on Safety Fence Repairs, allowing a risk based and grouped work plan approach, which reduces risk exposure. | Develop risk-based methodology to operational and design decision-making. | Publish instructions for use as part of Managing Arrangements for Health & Safety | April 2007 |
| Memorandum issued to Supply Chain Jan 2006 | |||
| Design for maintenance Interim Advice Note published Jan 2006. | Investigate how to incorporate Design for Maintenance into current designs and how to manage the cost implications. | Guidance to designers | April 2007 |
| Designer seminar held Jan 2006 | Develop a risk based Value Management approach to allow all schemes to be both risk and cost assessed. Part of this evaluation to include a review of current maintenance programmes. | Publish updated risk based Value Management guidance | December 2007 |
Action Areas 3
Introduce more targeted speed limits at road works and combine these with increased use of average speed detection equipment and other methods of persuading road users to cut their speeds.
| Action taken to Date | Actions planned | Outputs | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation of legislation to enable use of speed limits in temporary road works. | Facilitate use of variable speed limits at road works. | Develop and publish guidance. | June 2006 |
| Use average speed detection equipment in appropriate road works. | Produce guidance on time over distance or spot speed method use in road works to maximise safety benefits. | Publish guidance. | August 2006 |
| Identify remote control systems method use in road works to maximise safety benefits. Publish guidance. August 2006 that enable display and variation of speed limits in road works without the need for road workers to access the carriageway. | |||
| Trialing use of mobile Vehicle Message Signs at minor road works to help with speed in road works and distance between vehicles. | Produce update of effectiveness of measures to improve safety at minor road works. | Publish guidance of use of mobile VMS. | December 2006 |
Action Areas 4
Improve accuracy and content of variable message signs (VMS). Make greater use of vehicle-activated signs.
| Action taken to Date | Actions planned | Outputs | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005/06 Business Plan target to "make demonstrable improvement to accuracy of VMS and produce Action Plan for further increasing effectiveness" is achieved. | Finalise advice for use of VMS within roadworks. | Protocol for use of Variable Message Signs at roadworks. | September 2006 |
| Action Plan includes a wide range of actions with a number relating to use of VMS at roadworks. | Review validity of VMS for advance signing of road works. | ||
| Project on use of vehicle activated safety message signs approved. | Guidance on of vehicle activated signs. | April 2007 |
Action Areas 5
Sustain success of improved training for workers and agree requirement for specialist training for all workers on the network.
| Action taken to Date | Actions planned | Outputs | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Safety Control Officer competency requirement being defined. | Introduce training & competency requirements for workers on high-speed roads using existing sector schemes or developing new schemes as appropriate. | Outputs published as National Highway Sector scheme. UK Accreditation Service Website www.ukas.com | Work on-going |
| Annual Health and Safety Assessment of all CAT assessed HA suppliers currently underway. | All Assessments due to be completed by end of May 2006. | Annual list of approved suppliers. Future: Supplier's approach to Health and Safety taking a greater role in their selection, driving improvement. |
Work on-going |
| Feedback will be provided to all suppliers. | |||
| Future assessments to set continuous improvement targets and score suppliers. | |||
| Health and Safety Assessment will take a greater role in supplier selection. |
Action Areas 6
Industry to work with the Agency to provide more publicity to promote better driver awareness and support improved driver education.
| Action taken to Date | Actions planned | Outputs | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshops with road workers to engage with the workforce and get their input into the improvements that should be made. | Compiling evidence from Supply Chain of abuse incidents and facilitating appropriate action. | List of abuse incidents to support future campaigns and targeted action. | June 2006 |
| Road works and road worker safety messages included in the revised Highway Code. | Work with DSA to raise the profile of safety in road works and road worker safety during driver training. | Start direct inputs into driver examiner training. | June 2006 |
| Focus groups held with various types of road users looking into road user attitudes to road works and their opinions of road workers. Findings available end February 2006. | Target publicity campaigns based on the results obtained from the focus groups. | Publicity Strategy to be rolled out during 2006/7 | March 2006 |
| Working through the police, investigate aspects of offences in road works through National Driver Improvement Scheme. | Results from investigation to be used to target highrisk drivers in publicity. | Use investigations to target publicity campaign and driver education. | June 2006 |
| Investigate proposals of promoting road worker safety messages in DfT's THINK programme. | Agree options and proposals with DfT. | May 2006 | |
| Develop poster campaign addressing driver behaviour and abuse of road workers in longer term road works. Encourage reporting of incidents. |
Publish and display posters at construction sites to encourage incident reporting. | May 2006 |
Action Areas 7
With industry, develop an incident and near miss reporting call centre to support the ongoing improvements in data collection, analysis, learning and publicity.
| Action taken to Date | Actions planned | Outputs | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share incident data with Highway Term Maintenance Association and explore options for a single call centre for reporting of incidents. | Data exchanged and abuse reporting system in place. | June 2006 |