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Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions
Lane Hog!
John Stapleton looks into why people Lane Hog and what effects it has on the driver hogging the lane and other road users.
Educating tomorrow's drivers
See how we are driving through key messages about safety on our network for the drivers of tomorrow.
Meet the Ancestors
Find out about the history of roads and the work the Agency does to preserve archaeological remains.
See when traffic will be lightest
Our traffic forecaster can help get you there quicker
Road Worker Safety Action Plan
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 |
