Contents
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
G18.3 Interim Traffic Management Manual [retired]
G18.4 Traffic control supervisor
G18.4(1) Supervision - Traffic control person training in a manner acceptable to WorkSafeBC [retired]
TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONS (TCPs)
G18.6.2(1) Traffic control person training
G18.8 Safe position for a traffic control person
[retired]
EQUIPMENT FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONS
G18.9 Safety headgear for traffic control persons
G18.9(a) Illuminated traffic control paddles
Guidelines Part 18 - General Requirements
G18.3 Interim Traffic Management Manual
Issued March 18, 2016; Retired November 13, 2020
This guideline is no longer needed as the Ministry of Transportation implemented the new Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways in January of 2020.
G18.4 Traffic control supervisor
Issued February 27, 2001; Revised March 25, 2005, Editorial Revision January 1, 2007; Editorial Revision March 7, 2011; Editorial Revision April 6, 2020; Editorial Revision March 7, 2011; Editorial Revision August 13, 2021; Revised consequential to December 1, 2021 Regulatory Amendment
Regulatory excerpt
Section 18.4 of the OHS Regulation ("Regulation") states:
(1) An employer must ensure that a qualified supervisor is designated whenever traffic control is required.
(2) The employer must ensure that the supervisor designated under subsection (1) ensures that the following requirements are met:
(a) traffic arrangements or layouts and procedures are implemented in accordance with the traffic control plan set out in section 18.3.2;
(b) the required temporary traffic control devices are in place before the start of work and are removed or covered immediately when they are no longer required;
(c) the work zone is inspected at intervals appropriate to the risks;
(d) it has been verified that any person assigned to direct traffic can provide evidence of having completed the traffic control training program in accordance with section 18.6.2;
(e) if traffic control persons are assigned, the traffic control persons are, before their first shift, provided orientation and training at the work zone that are
(i) documented or otherwise recorded, and
(ii) consistent with the risks identified in the risk assessment;
(f) if 2 or more traffic control persons are expected to work as a team,responsibility is assigned to one traffic control person to coordinate any changes in traffic flow.
Purpose of guideline
This guideline addresses some common questions about traffic control supervisors such as:
- When is a traffic control supervisor required to be designated?
- What may be the employment relationship between the traffic control supervisor and the employer(s) at the workplace?
- What authority should the traffic control supervisor have in the workplace?
- What qualifications should a traffic control supervisor have?
- Is the designated supervisor responsible required to be at the workplace whenever traffic control is being used?
Supervisory designation
The Regulation requires a traffic control supervisor be designated whenever traffic control is being used. This includes situations where traffic control devices are being used without a traffic control person or persons. The purpose of section 18.4 is to ensure responsibility for supervision for traffic control operations is clearly established at the workplace.
The responsibility for designating the traffic control supervisor is with the employer if the workplace has workers from only one employer. If the workplace is a multi-employer workplace, the prime contractor has responsibilities under section 24 of the Workers Compensation Act ("Act"). The prime contractor would normally be expected to arrange or check for the designation of the traffic control supervisor as part of the prime contractor's responsibility to coordinate health and safety at the workplace. The traffic control supervisor need not be a worker of an employer at the workplace. The person so designated could, for example, be a consultant or a qualified supervisor of the sub-contractor.
Authority
The person designated to be a supervisor of a traffic control operation will need sufficient authority, from the employer or prime contractor as applicable for the workplace, to effectively carry out the duties specified in section 18.4(2). The granting of authority would include ensuring all workers and other supervisory people in the workplace affected by the traffic control operation know the identity of the supervisor designated responsible for traffic control.
The person designated as traffic control supervisor must be able to effectively carry out the duties specified in section 18.4(2) of the Regulation, as well as those specified in section 23 of the Act. Under section 23, the supervisor must, among other things:
- Ensure the health and safety of all workers under the direct supervision of the supervisor.
- Be knowledgeable about the provisions of the Act and regulations applicable to the work being supervised.
- Comply with the Act, regulations and any applicable orders, and ensure workers also comply.
- Ensure that workers under their direct supervision are made aware of all known or reasonably foreseeable health or safety hazards in their work area.
- Consult and cooperate with the joint committee or worker health and safety representative for the workplace.
Knowledge and training
The traffic control supervisor needs to have knowledge of the applicable parts of the Regulation and the Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways (refer to section 18.3 of the Regulation) and the traffic control plan for the workplace (refer to section 18.3.2 of the Regulation). If the traffic management plan requires the use of traffic control persons (TCP), the designated supervisor should have a good knowledge of the operations of a TCP.
A supervisor who has taken a formal course of TCP instruction provided by a WorkSafeBC-approved training provider (see guideline G18.6.2) will have substantial knowledge of traffic control training and procedures, but such training, although recommended, is not a formal requirement. One of the additional benefits is that the supervisor who has TCP training can assume TCP duties where needed in the circumstances.
Presence at the worksite
The supervisor designated responsible for traffic control need not be present at the workplace at all times when traffic control is being used. However, the supervisor must be present as necessary to effectively carry out the duties specified above. This includes being reasonably available to respond to questions or to address changing conditions at the site. In a circumstance where a supervisor is not on site, contact by phone or similar means is sufficient if supervisory responsibilities and site issues can be effectively addressed by such means.
G18.4(1) Supervision - Traffic control person training in a manner acceptable to WorkSafeBC
Issued January 1, 2007; Editorial Revision May 3, 2007; Revised September 30, 2009; Editorial Revision March 7, 2011; Editorial Revision August 13, 2021; Retired consequential to December 1, 2021 Regulatory Amendment
Under the December 1, 2021 regulatory amendments, the new section for traffic control person training is 18.6.2. A new guideline has been developed under this new section: refer to guideline G18.6.2(1).
Guidelines Part 18 - Traffic Control Persons (TCPs)
G18.6.2(1) Traffic control person training
Issued consequential to December 1, 2021 Regulatory Amendment; Editorial revision April 6, 2023
Regulatory excerpt
Sections 18.6.2(1) and (2) of the OHS Regulation ("Regulation") state:
(1) An employer must ensure that a traffic control person has completed a Board-approved traffic control training program.
(2) On and after December 1, 2023, the traffic control training program must be based on
(a) analysis of the knowledge, skills, abilities and other requirements to perform the job, and
(b) training and competency assessment criteria contained in any one of the following:
(i) ISO/IEC 17024:2012, Conformity Assessment - General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons;
(ii) ANSI/ICE 1100: 2019(E), Standard for Assessment-Based Certificate Programs;
(iii) ASTM International ASTM E2659-18, Standard Practice for Certificate Programs;
(iv) CAN/CSA Z1001-18, Occupational health and safety training;
(v) another standard acceptable to the Board.
Purpose of guideline
The purpose of this guideline is to provide information on what WorkSafeBC considers to be "a Board-approved traffic control training program."
WorkSafeBC-approved training programs
Traffic control persons (TCPs) play an important role in protecting workers by helping to ensure road safety at worksites. The Regulation requirement is that TCPs complete "a Board-approved traffic control training program."
The names of approved TCP training programs can be found on worksafebc.com: Traffic control person training.
Other courses
WorkSafeBC may review training prepared and delivered by other agencies to ensure they constitute a "Board-approved traffic control training program." Applications to have a TCP training program approved can be made to WorkSafeBC's Certification Services.
Note that it remains the employer's responsibility in all situations to instruct workers regarding specific risks at the workplace and to ensure the traffic control plan is adequate.
Out-of-province high-risk workplace TCPs
TCPs who possess a certificate as required by a regulatory authority in another province or territory in Canada may not need to undergo further training, testing, or assessment.
Applications to have an out-of-jurisdiction certificate recognized can be made to WorkSafeBC's Certification Services.
G18.8 Safe position for a traffic control person
Issued April 21, 2016; Retired consequential to December 1, 2021 Regulatory Amendment
The new OHS Regulation provides information on this so this guideline is no longer required.
Guidelines Part 18 - Equipment for Traffic Control Persons
G18.9 Safety headgear for traffic control persons
Issued February 27, 2001; Editorial Revision January 1, 2007; Revised September 28, 2007; Editorial Revision July 15, 2019; Revised consequential to December 1, 2021 Regulatory Amendment
Regulatory excerpt
Section 18.9(d) of the OHS Regulation ("Regulation") states:
Each traffic control person must be provided and must use, when directing traffic, the following:
…
(d) safety headgear of a high visibility colour with a strip of retroreflective tape across the top from front to back and a strip of retroreflective tape on each side;
Purpose of guideline
The requirement to provide and use a high visibility colour for safety headgear for traffic control persons under Part 18 allows for a choice of a high visibility colour. This guideline describes acceptable colours for safety headgear under Part 18 of the Regulation.
Description
The CSA Standard Z96-02, High-Visibility Safety Apparel, and WCB Standard: PPE 2 High Visibility Garment - Personal Protective Equipment Standard 2, provide acceptable high visibility colours for safety garments; these include fluorescent yellow-green, fluorescent orange-red, and fluorescent red. These colours are acceptable for safety headgear provided to, and used by, traffic control persons under Part 18 of the Regulation. High visibility colours of equivalent luminance quality, as well as the orange colour specified in the Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways
issued by the Ministry of Transportation, are also acceptable colours for traffic control persons' safety headgear.
The retroreflective tape strip on the safety headgear is to meet the specifications for VE Trim as set out in WCB Standard: PPE 2 High Visibility Garment - Personal Protective Equipment Standard 2.
G18.9(a) - Illuminated traffic control paddles
Issued February 27, 2012; Revised consequential to December 1, 2021 Regulatory Amendment
Regulatory excerpt
Section 18.9 of the OHS Regulation ("Regulation") states, in part:
Each traffic control person must be provided and must use, when directing traffic, the following:
(a) a traffic control paddle meeting the requirements set out in the Traffic Management Manual and, if determined by a risk assessment as required to control fatigue, an extension pole for the paddle;
Purpose of guideline
The purpose of this guideline is to clarify the acceptability of using illuminated traffic control paddles in traffic control operations.
Illuminated traffic control paddles
Recent developments in technology have allowed for the placement of lights (typically LEDs) along the outside edge of traffic control paddles, providing illumination to the sign in an effort to increase visibility of the sign, and consequently of the traffic control person and other workers.
One such design provides a ring of eight red LEDs around the perimeter of the red "Stop" side of the sign, and a similar configuration on the yellow "Slow" side of the sign. While LED lighting is not considered in the Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways (as defined in section 18.3 of the Regulation), such a configuration is referenced as acceptable in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). LEDs arranged on a sign in this fashion can enhance visibility and safety.
Paddles illuminated with LEDs may be used if all other requirements specified in the Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways are met and followed, providing that the visibility and effectiveness of the paddle is in no way reduced or compromised.