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Traffic Management SWMS: Safe Work Method Statement for Roadside Work

Work on, in, or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane, or other traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians is classified as high-risk construction work (HRCW) under WHS Regulation 2025 Schedule 1. Every time a crew sets up within the road reserve, works on a footpath adjacent to a live traffic lane, performs utility work in the carriageway, or carries out any construction activity where workers could be struck by a passing vehicle, a Safe Work Method Statement must be prepared before the first traffic cone is placed on the ground. The SWMS must be supported by a Traffic Management Plan (TMP) prepared by a qualified traffic management designer and, in most jurisdictions, approved by the relevant road authority before work commences. Traffic-related incidents are among the most lethal in Australian construction. A worker struck by a vehicle travelling at 60 km/h has virtually no chance of survival — the kinetic energy of a 1500 kilogram vehicle at 60 km/h is equivalent to that of a person falling from a 14-storey building. Even at 40 km/h, the fatality rate for pedestrian strikes exceeds 50 per cent. At 80 km/h and above (the typical speed on undivided highways where maintenance work is carried out), any strike is effectively unsurvivable. No amount of personal protective equipment can protect a worker from that impact energy; the entire strategy must be to keep workers physically separated from live traffic. Roadwork incidents have occurred across every Australian jurisdiction, including multiple fatal cases involving traffic controllers, flaggers, asphalt crews, and utility contractors working in or beside live traffic lanes. The recurring findings in fatal investigations are: traffic management plans that were inadequate or not implemented; speed management measures (temporary speed limits and enforcement) that were ignored or absent; physical separation barriers that were not used despite being reasonably practicable; and SWMS documents that treated traffic management as a generic administrative control rather than a life-safety engineering priority. This template is developed in accordance with WHS Regulation 2025, the Code of Practice: Construction Work (2018), the Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace (2020), AS 1742.3 (Manual of uniform traffic control devices — Traffic control for works on roads), AS/NZS 3845 (Road safety barrier systems), the Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management, and the relevant state road authority traffic management standards. It covers utility work, civil construction, road maintenance, footpath work, and related activities and must be reviewed, customised for the specific site, and developed in consultation with workers before use.

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Legal Requirements

regulation

WHS Regulation 2025 Part 6.1 Division 3 — High Risk Construction Work

hrcw category

Work on, in, or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane, or other traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians (WHS Regulation 2025 Schedule 1)

code of practice

Code of Practice: Construction Work (2018); AS 1742.3 (Manual of uniform traffic control devices — Traffic control for works on roads); Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management; relevant state road authority traffic management standards

section 26a binding

true

Hazards

HazardConsequenceLikelihood
Worker struck by passing vehicle on the adjacent live traffic lanePedestrian-vehicle strike at road speed is almost always fatal or causes permanent disability. At 60 km/h, the fatality rate exceeds 90 per cent; at 80 km/h and above, strikes are effectively unsurvivable. Outcomes include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple fractures, internal organ trauma, and death. Safe Work Australia fatal injury data and state regulator investigation reports consistently identify pedestrian-vehicle strikes as a leading cause of fatality in civil and road maintenance work.Possible (C) — elevated when physical separation barriers are not used and when temporary speed limits are not enforced
Vehicle intrusion into the work zone — driver fails to observe signage, barricading, or lane closureAn intruding vehicle entering an active work zone at full traffic speed creates multiple-casualty incidents. Drivers intrude through inattention, fatigue, impairment, unfamiliarity with the signage pattern, or deliberate non-compliance. Outcomes include fatal and serious injury to multiple workers and damage to plant and equipment. Intrusion incidents are a focus of regulator enforcement and have resulted in significant prosecution outcomes.Possible (C) — elevated at night, in wet weather, and on high-speed roads
Traffic controllers struck while managing traffic at the upstream or downstream end of the work zoneTraffic controllers are physically positioned closest to live traffic, holding stop-slow bats or flagging devices to manage vehicle flow through the work zone. They are particularly exposed to inattentive or impaired drivers. Traffic controller fatalities have occurred on Australian roads and are a recurring cause of concern in regulator enforcement activity. Outcomes include fatal injury to the controller and disruption to the traffic management system for the duration of the work.Unlikely (D) — but consequence is catastrophic; risk elevated at positions without lateral clearance from traffic
Worker struck by construction plant reversing or manoeuvring near the traffic laneWithin the work zone, powered mobile plant (trucks, excavators, rollers, dump trucks, graders) moves between the active work area and the traffic lane boundary. Workers on foot interacting with plant are at risk of being struck, crushed, or run over. The risk is elevated where plant has reversing blind spots, where plant operators are focused on avoiding live traffic and lose awareness of workers on foot, and where plant movements are not coordinated with worker positions.Possible (C) — routine exposure within any active civil work zone
Pedestrian entering the work zone from an adjacent footpath or accesswayMembers of the public — including pedestrians, cyclists, and children — can enter a work zone if pedestrian management is inadequate. Pedestrians entering an active excavation, plant operating area, or open utility trench can fall, be struck, or be caught in the work. Injury outcomes range from minor to fatal. The risk is elevated on footpaths adjacent to shopping centres, schools, and residential streets.Likely (B) on urban sites without physical pedestrian barriers
Reduced visibility during night work and in adverse weather conditionsNight work on roads is a high-risk activity because drivers have reduced visibility, may be fatigued, and have less time to respond to unexpected work zone conditions. Adverse weather (rain, fog, smoke) further reduces visibility and increases stopping distances. Strike outcomes are the same as daytime strikes but the probability of an incident is higher. AS 1742.3 specifies lighting, retroreflective signage, and hi-visibility clothing requirements for night work.Possible (C) — elevated during night and adverse weather operations
Temporary speed zones not observed by driversTemporary speed limits posted on approach to a work zone rely on driver compliance to be effective. Where drivers ignore the speed limit, vehicles pass through the work zone at full traffic speed, negating the primary administrative control for vehicle strikes. Non-compliance rates are a recurring issue on Australian roadworks and are one of the main arguments for relying on physical separation barriers rather than speed limits alone as the primary worker safety control.Likely (B) without active speed enforcement or physical separation
Worker fatigue during extended traffic management shiftsTraffic controllers and flaggers who work extended shifts in high-attention positions are at risk of fatigue-induced errors including missed vehicle approaches, delayed signalling, and impaired situational awareness. Fatigue reduces reaction time and judgement, elevating the probability of both strike incidents and errors in traffic control.Possible (C) — elevated on shifts longer than 10 hours or at night
Exhaust fume exposure from sustained traffic in and around the work zoneWorkers positioned close to live traffic lanes are exposed to carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter (including diesel particulate), and volatile organic compounds from passing vehicles. Acute exposure causes headaches, nausea, and irritation; cumulative exposure increases cardiovascular and respiratory disease risk and elevates lung cancer risk. Diesel engine exhaust is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by IARC.Likely (B) — routine exposure on busy arterial road work

Controls (Hierarchy of Controls)

[Elimination] Schedule work for periods of low traffic volume (off-peak, late night) or arrange full road closures with diversions to eliminate traffic-worker interaction entirely
[Elimination] Specify trenchless utility installation (horizontal directional drilling, microtunnelling) for in-road service installation to eliminate the need to open the carriageway
[Substitution] Substitute workforce-intensive methods with mechanised equipment that reduces the number of workers on foot in the work zone
[Substitution] Substitute manual flagging with automated traffic management systems (portable traffic signals, automated boom gates) where the traffic pattern permits
[Isolation] Install physical separation barriers between the live traffic lane and the work zone — water-filled plastic barriers, concrete jersey barriers, or wire rope safety barrier systems compliant with AS/NZS 3845
[Isolation] Establish exclusion zones between the work activity and the live traffic lane — minimum 1.2 metre lateral clearance to AS 1742.3 for works on low-speed roads, with increased clearance for higher speeds
[Isolation] Install vehicle-mounted attenuator (TMA or truck-mounted attenuator) upstream of the work zone to absorb the impact energy of an errant vehicle that fails to observe the lane closure
[Engineering] Install arrow boards and variable message signs (VMS) to alert approaching traffic, provide advance warning of lane closures, and communicate the required driving behaviour through the work zone
[Engineering] Install temporary traffic signals or portable traffic signal systems for lane closures on two-way roads where manual flagging is insufficient
[Engineering] Install temporary speed reduction signage and enforceable temporary speed limits per AS 1742.3 — typically reducing from 60 to 40 km/h or from 80 to 60 km/h at the work zone
[Engineering] Night work lighting per AS 1680 — minimum 40 lux illumination across the work zone, with additional task lighting at controller positions and at locations where workers perform close-tolerance tasks
[Administrative] Traffic Management Plan (TMP) prepared by a qualified traffic management designer, approved by the relevant state road authority where required, and available on site before work commences
[Administrative] Qualified traffic controllers (minimum two per lane closure) holding current RIIWHS205E (Control traffic with a stop-slow bat) or RIIWHS302E (Implement traffic management plan) as appropriate to the role
[Administrative] Pre-start briefing covering the TMP, emergency procedures, escape routes from the work zone, and the specific hazards of the day's traffic pattern
[Administrative] Shift duration limits — traffic controllers maximum 4 hours continuous at a station before mandatory 30-minute break; maximum 10 hours total shift in high-attention positions
[Administrative] Communication protocol between traffic controllers, site supervisor, and plant operators using two-way radios; agreed escape-route signals for vehicle intrusion events
[Administrative] Emergency response plan for vehicle intrusion including immediate evacuation routes, muster point, first aid, and notifiable incident reporting
[PPE] Hi-visibility clothing to AS/NZS 4602.1 Class D/N (Day/Night rated) for all workers within the work zone; night work requires retroreflective garments
[PPE] Hard hat to AS/NZS 1801; safety glasses to AS/NZS 1337.1; steel-cap safety boots to AS/NZS 2210.3; hearing protection to AS/NZS 1270 for workers near plant and traffic
[PPE] Retroreflective tape on all plant and equipment operating in the work zone; flashing beacons on stationary plant near the traffic lane boundary

Recent Prosecutions

SafeWork NSW road work enforcement activityMultiple improvement and prohibition notices; court-imposed penalties in fatality cases

SafeWork NSW has pursued enforcement against civil construction and road maintenance businesses following worker strikes and vehicle intrusion incidents in roadwork zones. Common findings include traffic management plans that were inadequate for the traffic volume and speed, absence of physical separation barriers where they were reasonably practicable, and SWMS documents that did not address the specific traffic management controls. The Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management and AS 1742.3 have been cited in prohibition notices.

2024 — SafeWork NSW Construction Compliance Programme

WorkSafe Victoria road and civil sector enforcementDirections and enforcement undertakings

WorkSafe Victoria has pursued enforcement following pedestrian-vehicle strikes on road maintenance and civil sites. Investigations identified SWMS and traffic management plans that did not specify minimum lateral clearances from the traffic lane, absence of vehicle-mounted attenuators on high-speed roads, and traffic controller positions that did not meet AS 1742.3 requirements. The Compliance Code: Workplace Traffic Management and the Compliance Code: Construction Work have been cited.

2023 — WorkSafe Victoria enforcement activity

What Your SWMS Must Include

✓Identification of the HRCW category (work on or adjacent to a traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians)
✓Traffic Management Plan (TMP) prepared by a qualified designer, referenced by document number, and available on site
✓Speed zone details including the existing speed limit, temporary speed limit, and sign placement per AS 1742.3
✓Barrier type and placement plan including physical separation between traffic and the work zone and gap management
✓Traffic controller positions, qualifications (RIIWHS205E or RIIWHS302E), and communication equipment
✓Vehicle-mounted attenuator (TMA) requirements and positioning upstream of the work zone for high-speed roads
✓Pedestrian management plan including diversion routes, signage, and physical barriers around excavations on the pedestrian side
✓Night work controls including lighting levels per AS 1680, retroreflective clothing, and visibility enhancements
✓Emergency procedures for vehicle intrusion including evacuation routes and muster point
✓Plant operation controls near traffic including reversing procedures, spotter requirements, and retroreflective markings
✓Fatigue management for traffic controllers including shift duration, rest breaks, and rotation
✓Worker sign-on register confirming each worker has been briefed on the SWMS and TMP
✓Training and licensing requirements (White Card CPCCWHS1001, traffic controller accreditation, plant HRWL as applicable)
✓Review triggers and review log

Build Your Traffic Management SWMS in Minutes

This SWMS template pre-loads traffic management hazards, barrier requirements, traffic controller positioning, and night work controls. Compliant with AS 1742.3 and state road authority requirements. Your first SWMS is free.

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