Cal Poly Code of Safe Practice
Traffic Control Safety on Campus Roads
These safety practices shall be followed where a hazard exists to employees because of traffic or haulage conditions at work sites that encroach upon campus roads.
Traffic Control Safety Procedures
- Employees (on foot) exposed to the hazard of vehicular traffic shall wear orange, strong yellow, green, or fluorescent versions of these colored warning garments such as vests, jackets, or shirts. During rainy weather, employees may wear rainwear in these colors.
- Employees exposed to traffic hazards after the hours of darkness shall wear clothing with a minimum of one retroreflective stripe around the torso, visible at a minimum of 1,000 feet.
- Flaggers shall be used at locations on a work site where barricades and warning signs cannot control the moving traffic.
- For work where employees are exposed to traffic hazards on main campus roads, a Traffic Control Zone shall be established with the following minimum elements:
- A warning sign shall be placed at 75-125 feet before the work area (depending on sight distance on the road) informing motorists that they are approaching an area where personnel may be in the road.
- A tapered line of cones shall be established beginning 55 feet before the work area to redirect traffic away from personnel performing work. This line of cones shall taper out from the edge or center of the road nearest the work area and shall separate the work area from traffic. Cones shall be at least 18 inches tall and shall be spaced approximately 4 feet apart.
- Cones shall also be placed on the opposite side of the lane from the work area if necessary to clearly separate two opposing lanes of traffic.
- Traffic lanes shall be maintained a minimum of 10 feet wide. If two lanes (one in each direction) will not fit in the available space, a two-way one-lane zone shall be established using flaggers to control traffic.
- Flaggers shall use a SLOW/STOP paddle and the following procedures to control traffic:
- To Stop Traffic: The flagger shall face traffic and extend the STOP sign paddle in a stationary position with the arm extended horizontally away from the body. The free arm should be raised with the palm toward approaching traffic.
- To Direct Stopped Traffic to Proceed: The flagger shall face traffic with the SLOW paddle held in a stationary position with the arm extended horizontally away from the body. The flagger should motion with the free hand for traffic to proceed.
- To Alert or Slow Traffic: The flagger shall face traffic with the SLOW sign paddle held in a stationary position with the arm extended horizontally away from the body. The flagger may motion up and down with the free hand, palm down, indicating that the vehicle should slow down.
Questions or comments regarding this page should be e-mailed to David Ragsdale, Environmental Health & Safety Manager, Cal Poly Risk Management.
This page last updated October 26, 1998