BlueSafe
Traffic Control Risk Assessment

Traffic Control Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Traffic Control Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Traffic Control operations using this management-level Traffic Control Risk Assessment, focused on governance, planning, contractor oversight, and systems of work. This document supports compliance with the WHS Act, demonstrates Due Diligence, and helps protect your business from enforcement action and operational liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, Legal Compliance and WHS Duties: Assessment of officer due diligence, PCBU responsibilities, consultation duties, and the integration of traffic control into the organisation’s WHS management system.
  • Planning, Design and Traffic Management Planning: Management of risks arising from inadequate traffic management plans (TMPs), site layout design, signage placement, and approval processes with road authorities.
  • Contractor and Subcontractor Management: Protocols for prequalification, selection, induction, and performance monitoring of traffic control providers and subcontractors to ensure alignment with organisational safety standards.
  • Traffic Control Personnel Competency and Training: Assessment of licensing, competency verification, refresher training, supervision, and competency records for traffic controllers, spotters, and supervisors.
  • Fatigue Management, Rostering and Work Scheduling: Controls for shift length, night work, breaks, travel time, and roster design to minimise fatigue-related incidents in high-risk road environments.
  • Plant, Vehicles and Equipment Management: Management of risk associated with selection, inspection, maintenance, and safe operation of traffic control vehicles, arrow boards, VMS, barriers, and portable traffic signals.
  • Communication, Coordination and Consultation: Systems for effective communication between traffic controllers, site supervisors, workers, emergency services, and road users, including radio protocols and pre-start briefings.
  • Emergency Preparedness and Incident Management: Planning for breakdowns, crashes within work zones, aggressive road users, medical emergencies, and implementation of clear incident reporting and escalation procedures.
  • Environmental and Weather Risk Management: Assessment of visibility, heat, cold, rain, wind, dust, and night work conditions, and the associated controls for signage stability, worker exposure, and road user behaviour.
  • Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement: Processes for inspections, audits, corrective actions, data analysis (near misses and incidents), and periodic review of traffic management plans and procedures.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Project Managers, Civil Contractors, and Safety Managers responsible for planning, approving, and overseeing Traffic Control operations on public roads and work sites.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, Legal Compliance and WHS Duties
  • • Lack of clear allocation of WHS duties under WHS Act 2011 for traffic control operations (PCBU, officers, workers, subcontractors)
  • • Inadequate understanding of duties to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other PCBUs (e.g. principal contractor, client, local council, utilities, police)
  • • Absence of a documented WHS management plan specific to traffic control activities
  • • Failure to integrate traffic control risks into the organisation’s overarching risk management framework
  • • Inadequate due diligence by officers in verifying that effective systems exist and are resourced
  • • Poor change management processes for new legislation, standards or industry codes of practice
  • • Insufficient documentation to demonstrate compliance in the event of an incident or regulator inspection
2. Planning, Design and Traffic Management Planning
  • • Inadequate traffic management plans (TMPs) that do not reflect actual site conditions or current standards
  • • Poor integration of traffic control considerations at early project planning and design stages
  • • Failure to consider elimination or substitution of road‑side work through design (e.g. off‑site fabrication, remote monitoring)
  • • TMPs not reviewed when work scope, traffic volumes, speed environment or site layout changes
  • • Lack of engineering input into complex or high‑risk traffic arrangements (e.g. multi‑lane closures, high‑speed roads, interfaces with rail or pedestrians)
  • • Insufficient planning for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users and school zones
  • • Inadequate assessment of cumulative impacts where multiple contractors or worksites operate in proximity
  • • Poor communication of approved TMPs to supervisors, controllers and other PCBUs
3. Contractor and Subcontractor Management
  • • Use of traffic control subcontractors without adequate WHS systems or accreditation
  • • Commercial pressures leading to inadequate staffing levels or shortcuts in traffic management set‑up, monitoring and removal
  • • Inconsistent WHS standards between principal contractor and subcontractors
  • • Poor communication of site‑specific risks, TMP requirements and performance expectations to subcontractors
  • • Lack of monitoring of subcontractor compliance with TMPs, PPE, fatigue, training and incident reporting
  • • Subcontractor selection based on price rather than competency and safety performance
  • • Fragmented responsibility where multiple subcontractors are involved (e.g. sign hire, traffic design, field controllers)
4. Traffic Control Personnel Competency and Training
  • • Traffic controllers and supervisors lacking mandatory licences, tickets or accreditations required in the relevant state or territory
  • • Inadequate site‑specific training on project hazards, TMPs, emergency procedures and communication systems
  • • Lack of refresher training or assessment leading to skills decay, especially for rare or complex scenarios (e.g. high‑speed highways, contraflow arrangements)
  • • Supervisors not competent to oversee high‑risk traffic control or to modify TMPs within their authority
  • • Training that focuses only on technical tasks rather than risk awareness, decision‑making and communication with other PCBUs and road users
  • • Inconsistent verification of worker competency for labour‑hire personnel and subcontractors
  • • Language, literacy or cultural barriers affecting understanding of critical safety information
5. Fatigue Management, Rostering and Work Scheduling
  • • Extended shifts, night works and rotating rosters causing fatigue and reduced alertness in traffic controllers and supervisors
  • • Inadequate rest breaks, especially during hot weather, high traffic volumes or complex traffic arrangements
  • • Last‑minute schedule changes leading to insufficient recovery periods between shifts
  • • Reliance on overtime and double‑shifts during peak periods, events or emergencies
  • • Inconsistent fatigue rules between different PCBUs and subcontractors on the same project
  • • Long travel times to and from remote worksites contributing to overall fatigue load
  • • Lack of management awareness of fatigue indicators and reporting processes
6. Plant, Vehicles and Equipment Management
  • • Use of unroadworthy or poorly maintained vehicles, attenuators, variable message signs (VMS) and traffic control devices
  • • Lack of a systematic inspection and maintenance program for traffic management plant and equipment
  • • Modifications to vehicles or equipment (e.g. mounting of arrow boards, beacons, sign racks) without engineering approval
  • • Insufficient controls to ensure that only suitable vehicles are used as protective vehicles or crash attenuator trucks
  • • Inadequate management of hire equipment, including unclear responsibilities for maintenance, inspection and defect rectification
  • • Failure of critical safety systems such as lights, radios or braking systems due to missed servicing or ignored defects
  • • Use of non‑compliant signage, delineation devices or safety barriers that do not meet relevant standards or guidelines
7. Communication, Coordination and Consultation
  • • Breakdown in communication between traffic controllers, plant operators, supervisors and other PCBUs on site
  • • Inadequate consultation with workers when planning traffic management changes or responding to emerging hazards
  • • Lack of shared understanding of TMPs, hand signals, radio protocols and emergency procedures
  • • Inconsistent or unreliable communication equipment (e.g. radios with dead zones, flat batteries, incompatible channels)
  • • Poor coordination with external stakeholders such as emergency services, public transport operators, schools or event organisers
  • • Failure to communicate changes in road conditions or closures to the public, leading to driver confusion and risky behaviours
8. Emergency Preparedness and Incident Management
  • • Lack of a coordinated emergency response plan for traffic control incidents (e.g. vehicle impact, worker struck by vehicle, equipment failure)
  • • Unclear roles and responsibilities between PCBUs and emergency services during an incident
  • • Inadequate planning for rapid removal or modification of traffic control to allow emergency vehicle access
  • • Insufficient first aid resources and trained personnel on or near traffic control sites
  • • Failure to capture, investigate and learn from incidents, near misses and public complaints related to traffic management
  • • Poor business continuity planning for major incidents affecting critical road corridors or key projects
9. Environmental and Weather Risk Management
  • • Adverse weather (rain, fog, glare, high winds, heat, dust, smoke) reducing visibility of traffic controls and workers
  • • Flooding, surface water or debris altering driver behaviour or rendering TMPs ineffective
  • • Poor lighting during dawn, dusk or night works contributing to misjudgement by drivers and workers
  • • Environmental constraints (e.g. vegetation, structures, topography) limiting sight distance to signage and work areas
  • • Inadequate planning for seasonal variations, major events or known high‑risk conditions (e.g. bushfire smoke, storm season)
10. Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
  • • Static WHS system that does not adapt to emerging traffic risks, new technology or regulatory changes
  • • Lack of effective field verification that approved TMPs and procedures are actually implemented as designed
  • • Insufficient performance measurement, preventing identification of deteriorating trends or hotspots
  • • Failure to involve workers in reviewing the effectiveness of traffic control measures and TMP designs
  • • Corrective actions from audits, inspections or incident investigations not implemented or not verified
  • • Over‑reliance on lag indicators (e.g. injury statistics) without monitoring leading indicators (e.g. near misses, non‑conformances, training gaps)

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • Safe Work Australia – Traffic Management for Construction or Maintenance Work: Guidance material for managing traffic risks at roadwork and construction sites.
  • Safe Work Australia – General Risk and Workplace Management Code of Practice: Framework for identifying, assessing and controlling WHS risks.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Risk of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice: Requirements for safe selection, use and maintenance of vehicles and traffic control equipment.
  • Safe Work Australia – Construction Work Code of Practice: Guidance on WHS duties and risk management for construction-related traffic control activities.
  • AS 1742 Set – Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices: Standards for road signs and traffic control devices used at work sites.
  • AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use.
  • State and Territory Road Authority Guidelines: Including relevant RMS/TfNSW, VicRoads, TMR and other jurisdictional traffic control at work site manuals, where applicable.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

$79.5

Safe Work Australia Aligned