Product Overview

Summary: This Worksite Traffic Control Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, practical steps for managing vehicles, mobile plant, and pedestrian movements on and around Australian worksites. It helps your organisation control high-risk traffic interactions, meet WHS and road authority requirements, and protect workers, contractors, and the public from serious harm.

Vehicle and plant movements remain one of the leading causes of serious injuries and fatalities on Australian worksites. This Worksite Traffic Control Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, step-by-step approach to planning, implementing, and monitoring safe traffic arrangements for construction, civil, utilities, maintenance, and depot environments. It addresses both on-road and off-road interfaces, ensuring that heavy vehicles, mobile plant, delivery trucks, and pedestrians can operate in the same space with clearly defined controls and responsibilities.

The SOP guides you through hazard identification, development of traffic management plans, selection and placement of signs and barriers, and the safe use of traffic controllers and spotters. It supports compliance with WHS legislation and state-based road authority requirements by embedding risk management, communication protocols, and change management into day-to-day operations. By adopting this procedure, businesses can significantly reduce the likelihood of struck-by incidents, near misses, and public complaints, while providing a defensible framework that demonstrates due diligence in the event of an audit or incident investigation.

Key Benefits

• Reduce the risk of vehicle-to-person and vehicle-to-vehicle collisions through structured traffic planning and control measures.
• Ensure alignment with WHS duties and state road authority requirements for temporary traffic management and worksite access.
• Standardise how traffic control is planned, documented, communicated, and reviewed across all sites and projects.
• Improve coordination between site supervisors, traffic controllers, plant operators, and delivery drivers with clear communication protocols.
• Minimise project delays, public disruption, and reputational damage arising from poorly managed worksite traffic.

Who is this for?

• Site Supervisors
• Construction Project Managers
• Traffic Controllers
• WHS Managers
• Civil Works Supervisors
• Roadworks Forepersons
• Operations Managers
• Infrastructure Maintenance Managers
• Local Government Works Coordinators
• Utilities Field Supervisors

Hazards Addressed

• Workers or pedestrians being struck by moving vehicles or mobile plant
• Vehicle-to-vehicle collisions within the worksite or at access points
• Reversing and blind-spot incidents involving trucks and mobile plant
• Unauthorised public entry into active work areas
• Vehicle rollaways or loss of control in constrained or sloped areas
• Traffic congestion and confusion at site entry and exit points
• Poor visibility due to weather, lighting, or layout affecting driver reaction times
• Incidents arising from inadequate signage, barriers, or delineation
• Fatigue and distraction-related incidents for traffic controllers and drivers

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 References, Legislation and Definitions
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Site Supervisor, Traffic Controller, Plant Operator, Workers)
• 4.0 Pre-Start Planning and Risk Assessment
• 5.0 Development and Approval of Traffic Management Plans
• 6.0 Site Layout, Entry/Exit and Vehicle Routes
• 7.0 Pedestrian Management and Exclusion Zones
• 8.0 Signage, Barriers, Cones and Delineation Requirements
• 9.0 Use of Traffic Controllers, Spotters and Flagging Operations
• 10.0 Vehicle and Mobile Plant Controls (Reversing, Spotters, Speed Limits)
• 11.0 Communication Protocols (Radios, Hand Signals, Briefings)
• 12.0 Managing Interface with Public Roads and Road Authorities
• 13.0 High-Risk Conditions (Night Works, Poor Weather, Restricted Visibility)
• 14.0 Training, Competency and Licensing Requirements
• 15.0 Monitoring, Inspections and Adjustments to Traffic Setups
• 16.0 Incident, Near Miss and Non-Conformance Reporting
• 17.0 Emergency Access, Egress and Response Procedures
• 18.0 Document Control, Review and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• Model Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS legislation
• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) – Part 3.1 Managing risks to health and safety
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing risks of plant in the workplace
• AS 1742.3: Manual of uniform traffic control devices – Traffic control for works on roads
• AS/NZS 4801: Occupational health and safety management systems (superseded but still commonly referenced)
• ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• State and Territory road authority manuals for temporary traffic management (e.g. Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management, state-specific supplements)