Another close call with working on the road

I'm interested in those graphic signs. We were working on a busy road with two flagmen, cones etc… One of the flagmen is also a volunteer firefighter in town and he was almost jumping on the cars if they came through slightly too fast! I like the pen and paper idea but maybe a camera set up on a tripod to shoot the plates might be worth it.
 
treehumper said:
I like the pen and paper idea but maybe a camera set up on a tripod to shoot the plates might be worth it.
Click to expand...
We tried that recently.. and to my dismay, according to the cops around here, unless you can personally identify the driver in court.. "nothing we can do". I mentioned about the faces being caught on camera, and was told that would be fairly flimsy, and hard to argue. Would have to be a very clear, up close picture of the drivers face.
The camera of course, was the plan AFTER having called the traffic cops explaining people were blowing thru road closed signs. We'd asked if an officer could come to the site to sit with his lights flashing to deter the motorists. "Yup, we'll send an officer right away." We worked another ten hours dodging cars, and never saw a hint of those bastards. We're still waiting on a call back/explanation 3 weeks later.
Fuuuuuuuuck.
 
Around here we have to give 48hours notice and pay the same rates they get for "specials". Here that translates to $18 per hour. Well worth the money IMO.
 
As some of you know, I'm, located in NY. A state noted for drivers with some serious attitudes. Some people feel their time and designation are more important then anything else around them. "ME FIRST!" Interesting enough I have never experienced any of the incidents described. Most drivers are careful with work zones and workers safety. It helps even more with the stricter laws involving roadside work zones, towing operations, and emergency personnel. It's one of the few laws this state has and pushes that I agree with. When it comes to the safety of others, that is. As far as are crews go, we all need to look out for one another and watch each others backs. Be safe everyone.
 
Safety of others should be stressed by the local authority, not whether your wearing your seat belt or not. Some laws are ridiculous. A non compliant seat belt driver will not endanger anyone but themselves. In recent years a few state troopers have lost their lives on the side of the highway. Now, law states for drivers to move over to the far lane. Sorry for the ranting and raving guys.
 
Oh course what you could do is:

1) warn drivers well ahead with large men-at-work signs
2) direct traffic with lots of tall cones
3) block direct access to the work zone with a truck or other heavy equipment
4) in the absense of a bloker vechicle use a large pile of brush
5) identify workers with hi-viz
6) work from curbside only

and follow any rules or guidance set by enforcement agencies
 
Being on the municipal side and out on the road for almost all of our work, to be honest, I have damn near no faith in people driving though a work zone. We have had people literally drive into a tree that was felled into the road while we were chipping it. While by the book traffic control is a pain, I am a firm believer in protecting ourselves, I would rather have someone kill some cones, or hit one of our trucks then hit someone on the crew. That being said If you do a web search for mutcd temporary traffic control / work zone safety a bunch of links will point you to what the federal regs are. This is a good idea of what your dealing with-(http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part6/part6h.htm).

If you are regularly working in roadside, or even within the right of way you should really brush up on the mutcd guidelines. Just like any other regulations, if heaven forbid an accident occurs and your work zone was set up contrary to what the regs say, your liability exposure increases. A couple key points, you are required to use certain size cones and warning signs depending on road speed, and time of day, I think it is 28" cones with dual reflective stripes for anything over 35mph, and 48" warning sings, on anything over 45mph. I imagine most states require anyone who is flagging to have a flaggers certification, ours expire every two years. Flaggers are required to use the stop / slow paddles, not just someone using hand signals. Also if you are working in the right of way(this includes almost any city street) you are required to wear the appropriate level reflective clothing or vest. I know most of us don't follow these regs exactly, but it never hurts to be better informed.

So for a typical side street set up, where you are chipping in the right of way, you should likely have a couple "tree work ahead signs" or equivalent, and and some appropriate size cones set up around the chipper and chip truck. We carry 4 signs,(tree work ahead, road closed, and merge signs) and 24 cones between our two trucks and this gets us though almost every set up except for the major roads where we need an arrow board.
 
Years ago I worked for NYS DOT as a flagger for 6 months. Got schooled and certified. Our crew was 4 guys two 1/2ton pick ups a bunch of signs and radios.
We had to assess the curves, hills and other blind spots with respect to our work sites as where to set up the signs. This was before cell phones too. Friday afternoons were nuts.

Here is a golden rule of safety applicable to road work and applies every where in life...Never trust other people when they can hurt you...unless, you know they can see you and or you can communicate with them.
I think bicycle riders pedaling with their backs to traffic riding the white line cause there is no shoulder are fucking insane. Never surprised when one gets hit.
We set up cones for us. We use them as danger zone markers for us. We set them near the chipper as markers for our peripheral.

Imagine getting smacked in the face when feeding the chipper and turning away into traffic?
 
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