Workplace Safety Notice (WSN)

TOPIC Reference
Traffic Control at Work Zone Number
2021/WSN/06

Approved by: Issue date: Expiry date: Revision No: 1

Chief Inspector ………… None 0
(IND)

Purpose:

Ongoing traffic movement around the work area can pose a danger to the workers
working on the road or along the roadsides. Road user’s vehicles may knock onto
the workers or may collide with any machineries or equipment parked along the
roads.

This Workplace Safety Notice provides fundamental recommendations (but not

exhaustive) to ensure the safety of workers and to provide primary
recommendations and lesson learnt following recent incident happened due to one
worker hit by vehicle’s road user and resulted of death of the worker who was
working on the road at this time.

Safety Precautions and Recommendations

Each roadside work zone has its own unique set of hazards associated with roads, traffic,
vehicles, weather, and work activities. Employers, Occupier, and Principal need to
identify potential hazards and use the hierarchy of controls to put the appropriate level of
control in place to protect workers from those hazards, which is including cordoning of
work area, re-directing of traffic flow, installation of truck mounted attenuator (TMA),
placement of warning lights and signage. In addition, workers deployed to work along the
roadsides are required, among other things, to wear luminous vests to enhance their
visibility to other road users.

The below are the basic fundamental principles (but not exhaustive) in ensuring that a
good and proper traffic control system is provided in a work zone: -

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Safety of the road users: Safe passages should be provided for road users going through
the work zone. This can be achieved by:
 Warning road users in advance of changing road environment e.g., warning sign
“work ahead”
 Informing road users of the condition to be encountered with consistent message
and repeat it if necessary to reinforce e.g., public announcement.
 Guiding road users through unusual sections of road e.g., temporary signs showing
lane changes.
 Good visibility under all road conditions e.g., portable amber rotating lamp.

Safety of the workers: Workers are to be protected from the hazards of working in the
work zone. This can be achieved by:

 Workers and supervisors shall be fully conversant with safe methods of placing,
operating, maintaining and removing devices on the road.
 Placing continuous barricades along workspace to separate workers from traffic.
This will also prevent workers from straying into traffic space during work.
 Providing appropriate means for workers access when entering or leaving the work
zone especially along high-speed roads.
 Placing temporary safety barriers to protect workers from vehicular traffic.
 Reducing vehicular speed if necessary for the safety of workers and road users.
 Providing proper lighting for night work so that the work site is visible at night for
the safety of workers and road users. However, the lights used shall not be
blinding to motorists.
 Providing a lead vehicle to warn oncoming traffic and to shield workers.
 Providing workers with high visibility clothing so as to be more conspicuous and
visible during both day and night.

Hierarchy of control: One of the most important principles of traffic control is the
Hierarchy of Controls, which outlines control methods in priority sequence; control
methods at the top of the below graph are potentially more effective and protective than
those at the bottom. These controls should be followed in the order listed in the graphic
below, to manage interaction between road users and the work zone and to reduce risk

Figure 1: Hierarchy of Controls to Mitigate Traffic Risks

Use the hierarchy of controls below to manage interaction between road
users and the work zone. Most work zones will require a combination of
these controls.

Elimination/Substitution
Includes the use of
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detours, alternate routes, 2
or barriers.
 attenuator or traffic control devices.
ROAD CLOSURE
MAY 10-12
Administrative Controls 10 PM - 6 AM

LOCAL TRAFFIC
ONLY
Includes the use of procedures and
scheduling work for when traffic volumes
are lower.

Traffic Control Persons

Use of appropriately trained and equipped
traffic control personnel.

Effective traffic management plan: use of the above principles of the hierarchy of
controls, effective traffic management plan and traffic control layout shall be developed
by the main contractor and approved by the principals, with details strategies for
protecting workers and safely and efficiently moving road users through the work zone,
based on the complexity of the project.

Traffic Control Persons: (TCPs) may be used only, if the use of signs and other traffic
control devices and procedures alone cannot provide effective traffic control, or during
emergency or brief duration work if it is not practicable to control traffic with signs and
other devices and procedures.

Vehicles and Equipment Safety used on the road: All vehicle and equipment used on
site shall not be a hazard to both road users and workers. Safety can be enhanced by:
 Controlling parking by providing safe designated parking space for work vehicles,
plants and equipment within work site to prevent them from causing obstruction to
others.
 Improving conspicuous of the vehicles/equipment and to alert road users by
displaying revolving amber lights whenever vehicles or equipment are in
operation.
 Fitting all protective vehicles with Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMA) and large
arrow panel with amber lights;
 Providing recovery/service vehicle to remove stalled vehicles immediately.

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  Installing independent surveillance cameras where necessary to monitor traffic
conditions
 effectively and provide real-time information on the effects of roadwork on traffic.

Legal duties

Under the Workplace Safety and Health Order, 2009, (WSHO, 2009), employers must, so
far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain a safe working environment and
without risks to the employees and any person who is affected by their undertakings. This
means the employer must eliminate so far as is reasonably practicable the risk associated
with working on or alongside the road. Where risks cannot be eliminated, it must be
reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.

Section 12(3) of WSHO, 2009 states that the employer shall ensure that the person at
work has adequate instruction, information, training, and supervision as is necessary for
him to perform his work.

Regulation 28(1) of the Workplace Safety and Health (Construction) Regulations, 2014

states that Where in a worksite, any work is performed over, on or in close proximity to a
street, public road or any other place where public vehicular traffic may cause danger to
any person who carries out the work, it shall be the duty Of the employer of any person
who carries out the work in the worksite; or the principal under whose direction any
person carries out the work in the worksite, to ensure that -

 the worksite is barricaded.

 suitable warning signs and warning lights are set up to direct traffic away from the
worksite; and
 where necessary, the traffic is specially controlled by designated persons.

Under the Workplace Safety and Health (Risk Management) Regulations, 2014, all
principals, occupiers, employers and self-employed persons are required to undertake a
risk assessment particular to their activity in relation to the safety and health risks posed
to any person and shall take all reasonably practicable steps to eliminate any foreseeable
risk to any person in the workplace, prior to commencing their work on site.

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Appendix A

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 Example of a truck-mounted attenuator
Example of a portable amber rotating
(TMA)
light

High Visibility
Warning Cloth Example of a portable traffic light

Example of flashing light arrow Example of traffic control plan

Example of warining sign with reflective

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 Example of traffic control zone colour

Proper provision
Sufficient tapering of safe alternative
distance. walkway.

Water-filled
barricades interlocked. Example of plastic barricade posts and
double boards

Conclusion

All Stakeholders are reminded to be aware of the hazards and risks associated when
working on or alongside to the road and have the adequate traffic control devices
such as signs, cones, barriers, flashing lamps or other devices placed temporarily on
or adjacent to a road to regulate, warn, or guide road to prevent any similar
occurrences.

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Should there be any questions concerning this Workplace Safety Notice please contact
SHENA at +673 238 2000 or email info@shena.gov.bn. SHENA would like to thank all
stakeholders for their cooperation in ensuring Brunei Darussalam is a safe place to work
and live.

END

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