It is that time of year again when road maintenance projects are both most critical and most challenging. With inclement weather and darker mornings and evenings, more people take to their cars, even for short journeys. Meanwhile, winter conditions often bring with them the need for emergency repairs, and ongoing maintenance and upgrade works need to remain on track, particularly in locations with tourist seasons to prepare for in the spring.

For local authorities delivering these projects – whether with their own direct works departments or through contractors – there is always a need to balance efficient and cost-effective progress on the project with safety for both the workforce and road users. Reducing the level of disruption is also essential to keep traffic flowing. So what measures need to be considered to aid safety and reduce risk?

Visibility

The fundamental priority for all roadworks is visibility; which includes visibility of personnel, of the work area and of any diversions required during the course of the project. This is especially important during the winter months when the hours of daylight are much shorter and poor light levels and weather conditions can compromise , even in the middle of the day.

Ensuring the correct PPE equipment is provided to all site workers is critical, as is policing compliance with mandated PPE requirements at all times. All equipment and processes on site should also be visible. Traditionally, this is achieved with reflective materials that illuminate the work area and personnel in headlights, however, there are a number of safety risks that need to be considered here.

Firstly, not all road users are in vehicles. A work area that is only visible when reflected in headlights is not easily visible at a distance to pedestrians or cyclists and thought needs to be given to the safety and convenience of all road users, with any diversions, or closures of footpaths, crossings or cycles lanes clearly marked in an appropriate location prior to the start of the work area.

When it comes to marking the work area and communicating diversions to vehicles, it is important to consider the user experience from the driver’s point of view, because this affects both their safety and the safety of workers in the road. Not only is it vital to consider what signage is required to alert drivers to any roadworks and diversions but it is also critical to plan where the signage is located, how clear and succinct the messages are, and how the warnings, information and wayfinding are lit.

One of the most commonly overlooked hazards in roadworks planning is the glare that can affect drivers’ reactions when approaching roadworks during the hours of dusk and darkness. This is a particularly important consideration for rural locations or areas where there is little street lighting, because drivers do not have time to adjust their sight to the sudden light and absorb the information. And the higher the speed limit for the location, the shorter the time they have to react. To counter this, it is important to simplify the messages on any signage as much as possible and to position the signage in locations where they can be read within sufficient delay before any hazard, diversion, or notice to stop. Attention should also be paid to the level of illumination from signage – too many reflective signs in an area where drivers are likely to have their headlights on full beam can be a hazard in itself.

An alterative to reflective signage is digital signage, which gives drivers and other road users more time to read messages without the risk of glare. This type of signage can be battery operated and use solar energy, and it provides the flexibility for messages to be altered to reflect the progress of the works or different traffic flows and weather conditions.

Planning and risk assessment

Long-term planning for scheduled maintenance and upgrade works allows time for detailed risk assessment and procurement, but there will always be a need for rapid deployment of maintenance teams for emergency works during the winter months, and the same best practice approach needs to be applied to this scenario too. Taking best practice learnings from national highways agencies, and factoring the customer (road user) experience into safety and diversions are essential elements to implementing rapid risk assessment and implementation.

For local authorities with direct works departments, planning and risk assessment is often easier thanks to consistent practice across all projects. Where this is the case, purchasing equipment that can be deployed rapidly for emergency repairs and maintenance, rather than hiring it on an as-needed basis, can form part of an effective strategy for efficient response times and consistency.

Encouraging approved contractors to purchase suitable equipment rather than relying on hire availability can also help to ensure rapid response rates using appropriate equipment. Where local authorities use multiple contractors in different locations, consistency can be more challenging, especially as there is no standardised roadwork safety guidance. This also presents challenges for managing projects in locations at the boundary between local authorities. However, LCRIG (the Local Councils Road Innovation Group) provides a link between central and local government, the road maintenance supply chain and the wider highways community, to help facilitate improvement in road maintenance practice and this facilitates knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

Fundamentally, safety, efficiency and cost management are all optimised when delivery partners collaborate to consider road users. When road users have clarity about the extent of road works and any diversions, it not only improves their safety, but that of the workers carrying out the maintenance project too.

Ben Duncker is director of business development at highway safety specialist Highway Care.