How to ensure your roadside work site is safe

If you are operating on a work site that affects motor traffic by being near or even on the road, it's vital that you utilise safe working habits.

As our cities have grown, motor vehicles have become an increasingly larger part of Australia's society. Roy Morgan Research reveals that there are now around 15.9 million daily motorists in our country, up from 13.3 million just a decade ago.

Unfortunately, there is always the potential for mischance - the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development asserts that the annual cost of road crashes is estimated to be around $27 billion.

On the bright side, however, the number of accidents has been decreasing every year - most likely in light of improved safety measures such as clearer road signs and attenuators. Here are a few ways you can make your road work site safer for all involved.

A continual focus on roadside safety is important.

Traffic signs

Perhaps one of the most universal languages, road signs can help give motorists plenty of notice about your work site, in addition to how they should act. Kennards Hire has all sorts of official road signs, including "Reduce Speed", "Road Closed", "40km" and the tradesmen at work graphic.

In an ode to the increasingly digital age, you can also hire a range of electric signs, including variable message signs and arrow boards.

We also have bollards, which are rigid posts that can be arranged in a line to close off certain parts of the road or pavement to general public, and of course the standard traffic cones (commonly known as witches hats).

This isn't to mention the variety of bunting, hazard tape and lollypop man attire we also have in stock.

Barriers

Depending on your work site, you may need some more heavy-duty restriction to properly seal off your area. Kennards Hire has a range of options, including concrete barriers that have been crash-tested to 100kph, highly visible water-filled plastic barriers and more lightweight barriers for crowd control.

Attenuators

In a worst case scenario, our attenuators could be the difference between a tragedy and a miracle. They are considered the ultimate in mobile work zone protection, as they are on the back of a truck and can be parked wherever is most suitable.

If impacted, the support frame progressively collapses, which absorbs the stray vehicle's energy and brings it to a controlled stop, protecting both the motorist and any workers on site.

Regardless of what you need, if you would like to know more about the colossal range of equipment we have available, get in touch with your local Kennards Hire today.