Keeping your site safe with traffic management 

Construction sites can be busy. Different traffic comes through each site on a daily basis. Not only do you have construction workers coming and going, but also the transportation of heavy machinery and vehicles. Each of these vehicles will have limited visibility and large moving parts. There may also be pedestrians that need to pass through the area. Traffic management is essential for the safety of everybody on or around construction sites.

Here at Paragon Tool Hire, we understand that you want to do everything within your power to keep your construction site safe. We’ve put together this guide on why traffic management is necessary for construction sites.

What traffic flows through a construction site?

Different traffic can flow through a construction site so it is important to have safety measures in place to manage it. On your construction site, you may have:

• Construction workers arriving and leaving the site, all with different shift patterns
• Large lorries that need safe space to turn around
• Delivery trucks that need space to unload
• Pedestrians that need to travel around or through the site safely
• Visitors that need a safe way to walk around the site
• Heavy machinery and plant equipment with moving parts, such as dumpers and excavators

As construction sites are so busy and all of the above will be coming and going, traffic management is essential.

Who is responsible for construction site traffic management?

Construction site managers are responsible for the safe organisation of traffic on their sites. They must ensure that pedestrian and vehicle movement throughout the site is considered and safely evaluated. Their responsibilities involve regularly risk assessing their site and ensuring that safe traffic management measures are implemented. All workers and visitors must be trained in health and safety procedures for the site, including traffic management. Managers must educate workers on any potential hazards and how best to prevent them from occurring. 

Why is traffic management necessary for construction sites?

Each year around 7 workers die from accidents involving vehicles on construction sites. Traffic management is necessary to ensure that your construction site meets all requirements to operate in the safest manner. It is the law that construction sites must be organised so that vehicles and pedestrians can move around them safely.

How to manage traffic on your construction site

There are many ways to manage traffic effectively on your construction site. Although construction sites are busy, there are many solutions that can help you create a durable strategy for traffic management. We would recommend:

• Consider traffic management on site in the very early stages of the project. Update this regularly as construction work develops.
• Create safe walkways for pedestrians by having clear entrance and exit points. Block off these areas to prevent vehicles from entering the pedestrian zone.
• Regularly complete risk assessments to ensure that the safety standards for workers, visitors and pedestrians are always being met. Have trained signallers on site.
• You will need designated areas for deliveries and lorry loading. Include an area just for turning vehicles around or reversing.
• Install road signs throughout the site so that it is clear at all times who has access to which area. This will also guide pedestrians and vehicles to stay on route.
• Make sure that all drivers have good visibility upon entering and exiting the site. This may mean installing lighting equipment, especially during the colder and darker months. All workers should be wearing high visibility clothing so that they can be seen at all times.
• Create a one-way system where possible.

Traffic management is ongoing and needs to be maintained to a high standard throughout your construction project. Regularly review your traffic management solutions to ensure that they are effective and keep everybody safe on site.

Do you need reliable traffic management equipment hire?

If you are unsure about how to manage the busy traffic on your construction site, let us help. With a wealth of experience in the industry, we are always available to assist you. With efficient traffic management equipment for hire, we have everything you need to keep your construction site safe.

To learn more about how we can help you manage the traffic throughout your site, please click here. We’re proud to keep our loyal customers safe on site. Alternatively, please call us on 01280 822 282 now to speak to a member of our expert team. We look forward to hearing from you.