Product Overview

Summary: This Roadwork Safety Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, practical steps for planning and delivering roadworks safely on Australian roads. It helps your team control live-traffic risks, protect workers and the public, and demonstrate compliance with WHS and road authority requirements across urban, rural and high-speed environments.

Roadwork activities expose workers and road users to some of the highest-risk conditions in civil construction: live traffic, heavy plant, night works, reduced visibility and constantly changing layouts. This Roadwork Safety Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, end-to-end method for planning, setting up, operating and demobilising roadworks in line with Australian WHS legislation and typical state and territory traffic management requirements. It translates regulatory and technical obligations into clear, usable steps field teams can follow every day.

The SOP guides you through pre-start planning, traffic guidance scheme implementation, safe interaction between workers, plant and public traffic, and the management of changing conditions such as weather, congestion and emergencies. It supports businesses to reduce incidents such as vehicle strikes, run‑throughs, plant collisions and public complaints, while also improving productivity by minimising confusion and rework. Designed for councils, contractors and maintenance crews, this document helps you demonstrate due diligence, train new staff quickly, and maintain a consistent safety standard across all roadwork sites.

Key Benefits

• Reduce the risk of vehicle strikes and run-through incidents by standardising safe roadwork and traffic control practices.
• Ensure alignment with Australian WHS legislation and typical state-based worksite traffic management requirements.
• Improve on-site coordination between traffic controllers, plant operators and ground crews to minimise confusion and delays.
• Strengthen incident preparedness with clear instructions for breakdowns, near misses, public aggression and emergency services access.
• Support consistent training and competency development for new and existing roadwork personnel.

Who is this for?

• Civil Construction Supervisors
• Roadwork Site Supervisors
• Traffic Controllers
• Project Engineers
• WHS Managers
• Construction Forepersons
• Local Council Works Managers
• Infrastructure Maintenance Managers
• Contract Administrators
• Principal Contractors

Hazards Addressed

• Vehicle strikes on workers from live traffic
• Run-throughs of traffic control devices and work zones
• Collisions between mobile plant and pedestrians
• Struck-by incidents from reversing vehicles and machinery
• Poor visibility during night works, dawn/dusk and adverse weather
• Fatigue and reduced alertness in traffic controllers and plant operators
• Slips, trips and falls on uneven or excavated road surfaces
• Exposure to noise, vibration, dust and fumes from plant and equipment
• Heat stress and cold exposure for workers in outdoor environments
• Public interface risks including aggressive or non-compliant road users
• Manual handling injuries from placing and removing signs, barriers and cones

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Abbreviations
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 4.0 Planning Roadworks and Traffic Management (Pre-Start)
• 5.0 Site Risk Assessment and Traffic Hazard Identification
• 6.0 Selection and Implementation of Traffic Guidance Schemes
• 7.0 Set-Up of Signs, Cones, Barriers and Delineation Devices
• 8.0 Safe Operation of Roadworks Under Live Traffic Conditions
• 9.0 Interaction Between Workers, Mobile Plant and Public Traffic
• 10.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
• 11.0 Communication Protocols and Two-Way Radio Use
• 12.0 Night Works and Low-Visibility Controls
• 13.0 Managing Fatigue, Heat Stress and Environmental Conditions
• 14.0 Public and Stakeholder Interface (Residents, Businesses, Emergency Services)
• 15.0 Housekeeping, Access and Pedestrian Management
• 16.0 Incident, Near-Miss and Run-Through Response Procedures
• 17.0 Emergency Management and Site Evacuation
• 18.0 Demobilisation and Site Handover
• 19.0 Training, Induction and Competency Verification
• 20.0 Monitoring, Inspection, Review and Continuous Improvement
• 21.0 Document Control and Record Keeping

Legislation & References

• Model Work Health and Safety Act
• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Construction Work
• AS 1742.3: Manual of uniform traffic control devices – Traffic control for works on roads
• AS/NZS 3012: Electrical installations – Construction and demolition sites
• AS/NZS 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems
• Safe Work Australia – Guide for Managing the Risk of Fatigue at Work
• State and Territory Worksite Traffic Management manuals and guidelines (e.g. TTM, MUTCD variants)