Plant, Equipment and Working Safely Near Live Carriageways
Plant and equipment
All plant must be suitable for the task, inspected before use, and maintained under PUWER; lifting equipment and accessories fall under LOLER with thorough examination. Only trained, authorised, competent people operate plant, and the operator is responsible for the machine. The biggest killers on roadworks are reversing and slewing: use a trained vehicle marshaller or banksman where visibility is restricted, agree hand signals in advance, keep pedestrians out of the plant operating area with barriers and exclusion zones, and remember that a banksman does not overrule an operator who cannot see.
Small plant and tools carry their own risks - abrasive wheels, cut-off saws (silica dust, noise, kickback), breakers (hand-arm vibration), generators and cables. Use the right tool, the right PPE, and the right controls.
Working near live traffic
Plan the work so operatives face oncoming traffic where possible, never turn their back on a live lane, and always have an escape route into a protected area. Cross at a planned point, not diagonally through cones. Vehicles working on the highway should display beacons and be parked within the closure; if a vehicle must stop briefly on the carriageway, it should be protected by cones and signage and the occupant should stay within the protected area.
Traps
Questions test whether you know a marshaller is required rather than optional, and whether you can spot the false comfort of a flashing beacon standing in for a proper closure. Another favourite: operating plant adjacent to an excavation edge without checking the surcharge.
Rule of thumb: if you cannot see the operator's eyes, the operator cannot see you - get out of the machine's area.