Traffic Safety

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Lesson 6

• Traffic Safety
• Protecting People While
• Stabilizing The Incident

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Identifying, Assessing Managing Risk

• Upon approaching the scene
• Identify hazards and develop a plan to protect
  the scene

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Identifying, Assessing Managing Risk

• Expect other drivers to make mistakes
• Consider the type of roadway you will be working
  on
• (i.e. freeway vs. city street)
• Weather conditions
• (dry vs. wet road or good vs. poor visibility)
• Time of day (or night)
• (scene and personal visibility and proper use of
  lighting)

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Identifying, Assessing Managing Risk

• What is Risk Assessment?
• Assessing or determining the possibility of
  suffering harm or loss, and to what extent
• This is the first step in determining your plan
  of action

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Identifying, Assessing Managing Risk

• What is Risk Management?
• The development of strategy and tactical plans
  based on an accurate risk assessment taking into
  consideration current and potentially changing
  scene conditions

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Driver Reaction Time

• Components of reaction time
• Mental Processing Time
• Sensation
• Perception / Recognition
• Situational Awareness
• Response Selection

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Driver Reaction Time

• Components of reaction time
• Movement Time
• The time required to perform the selected action

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Driver Reaction Time

• Components of reaction time
• Device Response Time
• The functional time of a mechanical device to
  activate

9
Temporary Traffic Control Zone

• Provides reasonably safe and efficient movement
  of traffic.
• Reasonably protects workers, responders to
  traffic incidents, and their equipment.

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Temporary Traffic Control Zone

• Components of a TTC Zone
• Advance Warning Area
• Transition Area
• Activity Area
• Buffer Space
• Termination Area

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Temporary Traffic Control Zone

• Advance Warning Area
• Tells drivers what to expect ahead.
• Typical distances for placement of advance
  warning signs on high speed roadways should be
  longer because drivers are conditioned to
  uninterrupted flow.

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Temporary Traffic Control Zone

• Transition Area
• Moves traffic out of its normal path and away
  from the activity area.

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Temporary Traffic Control Zone

• Activity Area
• This is where the work takes place.
• This also includes your Buffer Space

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Temporary Traffic Control Zone

• Buffer Space
• Separates traffic from your work area.
• Also provides some recovery area for an errant
  vehicle.
• Neither work nor equipment storage should occur
  in the Buffer Space.

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Temporary Traffic Control Zone

• Termination Area
• Returns traffic back to their normal path beyond
  the incident scene.
• Should include its own Buffer Space.

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Traffic Control Devices

• Used to warn or guide road users
• Provides for the orderly movement of traffic

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Traffic Control Devices

• Should meet 5 basic requirements
• Fulfill a need
• Command attention
• Convey a clear, simple meaning
• Command respect from road users
• Give adequate time for proper response

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Channelizing Devices
Traffic Cones
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Channelizing Devices

• Minimize the possibility of the cones being blown
  over

• Double up on the cones to increase their weight
  if needed

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Channelizing Devices

• Traffic cones should have a retro reflective band
  that is no less than 4 inches in height

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Channelizing Devices

• Minimum traffic cone height of 28 inches

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Channelizing Devices

• Placing a flare in front of the cone at night
  increases the visibility of the cone

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Placement of Traffic Control Devices

• The road user should have adequate time to make a
  proper response in both day and night conditions

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Placement of Traffic Control Devices

• Should be in a uniform and consistent manner

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Placement of Traffic Control Devices
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Placement of Traffic Control Devices

• Your apparatus is also a traffic control device

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Placement of Apparatus

• Place within the Activity Area
• Uniform and consistent with other traffic control
  devices

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Placement of Apparatus

• Physical protection barrier to secondary
  collisions
• Protection of the pump operator
• Protection of the crews
• Protection of the citizens

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Placement of Apparatus

• Fire engines and other large apparatus
• Park at a 45 degree angle
• Exposes more surface area to absorb an impact
  from an errant vehicle
• Provides a wall of protection

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Placement of Apparatus
Transport vehicles

• Park within the Activity Area
• Downstream or in the shadow of the fire engine

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Placement of Apparatus
Transport vehicles

• Downstream
• Parallel with traffic
• Ease of loading gurney into vehicle
• Clear access to roadway when leaving for
  transport

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Placement of Apparatus
When the fire engine is to be staffed with a pump
operator/engineer

• Park at a 45 degree angle with the pump panel
  (drivers side) facing the Activity Area

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Night Time Visibility
At the incident scene

• Common misconception
• The more warning lights that are flashing, the
  better we can be seen

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Night Time Visibility
At the incident scene

• The reality is
• The warning lights can be seen very well
• Drivers get drawn in to the lights
• Personnel visibility is reduced when they are
  overcome by excessive emergency lights

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Night Time Visibility
At the incident scene

• Turn off all unnecessary warning lights
• Excessive warning lights may
• Cause a distraction to drivers
• Act as a deadly attraction to drivers who are
  under the influence of drugs or alcohol

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Night Time Visibility
At the incident scene

• Turn off all unnecessary headlights
• When parked at the scene
• Excessive headlights may
• Be blinding to oncoming traffic and
• Cause personnel to be nearly invisible to
  oncoming
• drivers when they stand or walk in-between the
  headlights and the oncoming traffic

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Night Time Visibility
At the incident scene
Turn off all unnecessary headlights when parked
at the scene
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Night Time Visibility
At the incident scene

• Use vehicle mounted floodlights to light the
  scene
• Provides a safer working environment
• Reduces distraction to traffic drivers caused by
  warning lights
• Do not aim the floodlights into the path of
  traffic drivers
• Ensure the floodlighting does not produce a
  disabling glare to traffic

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Night Time Visibility
At the incident scene

• Use vehicle mounted floodlights to light the
  scene

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Key ElementsofPersonnel Safety

• Training
• Practice traffic safety risk assessments
• Establish safe working environments

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Key ElementsofPersonnel Safety

• Emergency Responder Safety Apparel
• All personnel exposed to the risks of moving
  traffic shall wear a high visibility vest day or
  night

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Key ElementsofPersonnel Safety

• Emergency Responder Safety Apparel
• Provides more retro-reflective area for better
  visibility than firefighting turnout gear
• Visibility of personnel is increased during
  daylight hours with the use of a high visibility
  vest
• Its the law!

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Key ElementsofPersonnel Safety

• Incident Scene Traffic Barriers
• Should be appropriately placed giving
  consideration to
• Clearance of personnel from moving traffic
• Speed of traffic
• Duration and type of operations
• Time of day
• Volume of traffic

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Key ElementsofPersonnel Safety

• Speed Reduction
• Minimizes vulnerability of personnel and can be
  accomplished by
• Lane reduction
• Funneling traffic
• Uniformed officers or flaggers to control traffic
• Electronic signs
• DOT incident response vehicles

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Key ElementsofPersonnel Safety

• The responsibility of safety is shared among all
  personnel from the moment the emergency brake is
  set until it is released to clear the scene after
  the incident

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Expect drivers to make mistakesand prepare for
them