Source: WorkSafe Victoria
This week Sonia Grotaers-Close, from the
Pre-Qualification Traffic Management team at
VicRoads, writes about the importance of
traffic management workers having the right
training and qualifications.
People undertaking traffic management tasks
need to be suitably qualified for what they are
performing, such as controlling traffic with
stop/slow bats or implementing traffic guidance
schemes.
While there is no specific high risk work
licence for traffic management work under
occupational health and safety legislation,
there are training requirements in road traffic
legislation. The three levels of qualifications
for traffic management workers are:
1. Use Stop/Slow bat to control traffic
2. Implement and monitor
operational traffic management plans
3. Prepare work zone traffic
management plans
Each qualification level is limited in what
traffic management tasks it allows the holder
to undertake and it is important that both
employers and workers understand these
limitations.
For example, persons who only hold a Use
Stop/Slow bat to control traffic
qualification are not allowed to implement
traffic control devices (eg set-up traffic
diversion devices) within a road reserve or
alter traffic guidance schemes (eg change speed
signs).
Also, some traffic management
Stop/Slow or
Implementationcourses only apply to
local low speed roads (local council roads) and
NOT high volume or high speed roads (VicRoads
roads).
Employers of traffic control workers should
ensure their workers attend approved training
courses and obtain a Statement of
Attainment from the training organisation
as proof of training. It is also vital that
workers keep their knowledge up to date by
attending regular refresher courses.
Employers should retain proof of a worker's
qualification (eg copy ofStatement of
Attainment) and document the worker's
attendance at refresher training in their
records.
Employers who engage traffic management
workers or contractors should verify that the
workers doing the traffic management have the
appropriate qualification for the tasks being
performed.
Companies that implement traffic control
devices or design traffic management plans for
use within VicRoads road reserves must be
pre-qualified in traffic management with
VicRoads.
If you require specific information about
gaining pre-qualification for your company,
please email WSTMPrequal@roads.vic.gov.au
and the VicRoads Pre-Qualification Traffic
Management team will assist you.
For more information on traffic management or
traffic management training, go to
VicRoads
website.
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