Ask a Highways England Traffic Officer anything
Discussion
mintsauce5 said:
TheRainMaker said:
mintsauce5 said:
did my assessment centre role play and interview on the 12th of September in Birmingham , still haven't heard anything back so I presume it must be a no
Did you offer to change a tyre?No I didn't offer to change a tyre ( had already seen before hand about not being allowed to) the role play and interview seemed to go ok I thought but then again it was only my second formal interview in 30 years and apart from a bit of role play during first aid/trauma training and a few exercises over the years I may have been a bit rusty
HelterSkelter said:
Here's a question for you as it's something that's cropped up on shift today...
When you ask for a TM enhancement at an incident, say for a lane 1 you have installed. Where would you expect the crash cushion to sit in regards to your closure?
In English for those of us unfamiliar with the jargon ?When you ask for a TM enhancement at an incident, say for a lane 1 you have installed. Where would you expect the crash cushion to sit in regards to your closure?
When a traffic officer attends an incident they will sometimes put a small closure (TM = traffic management - cones, signs, lamps etc) out to guide traffic around the incident depending on what it is. If the incident will take some time to clear or the traffic is particularly heavy then they will ask the area maintenance contractor (my job) to come and enhance their closure. This is because we have larger cones and impact protection vehicles (crash cushions) to make the closure more visable and safer. We will also undertake other work if needed such as clear debris from an rtc and assess and fix crash barriers/signs etc depending on the severity of the incident.
My question regarding to where they believe the crash cushion should be deployed in regards to their closure is directed to any TO's on here.
My question regarding to where they believe the crash cushion should be deployed in regards to their closure is directed to any TO's on here.
Edited by HelterSkelter on Sunday 14th October 20:00
BossHogg said:
The IPV driver should put the vehicle as per their Ch8 procedures.
But as your emergency closures dont conform to chapter 8 my question still stands. Edited by BossHogg on Sunday 14th October 21:44
I'm not trying to be funny about it, I'm just wondering if the confusion is isolated to our area or not.
HelterSkelter said:
But as your emergency closures dont conform to chapter 8 my question still stands.
I'm not trying to be funny about it, I'm just wondering if the confusion is isolated to our area or not.
Our closure is emergency traffic management, if you're coming out to put on a closure to "overlay" ours, it will be a proper Ch8 closure, therefore, the placing of the IPV would be down to the area team driver. To be fair, I've requested reinforcement and IPV many times and never got it. I'm not trying to be funny about it, I'm just wondering if the confusion is isolated to our area or not.
According to my tame TO, the crash cushion would pull up at the start of the TO's taper, but then move along to protect the TM staff laying out their big cones.
It then moves back to the beginning of the TM taper as necessary.
But a lot of the time just a big IR van turns up, no cushion, and lays out the big cones. If a cushion turns up, she says she just expects it to be behind the work area for protection.
It then moves back to the beginning of the TM taper as necessary.
But a lot of the time just a big IR van turns up, no cushion, and lays out the big cones. If a cushion turns up, she says she just expects it to be behind the work area for protection.
Gafferjim said:
Someone has dropped a b
k.
Part of setting up a roadworks area goes like this;
The TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT foreman is ready to put out his hard signage, (the sings on frames, 800 yds, 600 yds lane closures etc. (along with mandatory speed signs if authorised)
He phones the HE control room, who take all the details of the work, ie. Lane closures, start marker-post & end marker-post, any mandatory speed limits etc.
They now have several things to do, All the signals within the 2 marker-post locations need their HDS (Highest Displayable Speed) altering to 10 mph lower than the mandatory speed informed, or to 50 mph in a roadworks where no mandatory speed has been requested. This means that should any signals need to be set for ANYTHING within those roadworks, they will not show a higher reading than the one set by the altered HDS.
The control room operator has also then got to disable the MIDAS pads within the 2 marker-post locations to stop any automatic signal setting (These are the automatic signals that are triggered by queues etc. in fact ANY signals with a message about "QUEUE" are set this way. (Go Google MIDAS)
Once the operator has done these tasks, they then set the lane closures that the TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT foreman requires,
Note: any lane closure set will automatically put prior warnings signals before them, either with "Lane divert" arrows or reduced speeds, The system will not allow reduction steps larger than 20 mph.
Meanwhile, back on the tarmac, the Traffic Management crews put out the lane closures ready for the roadworks crews to start work within the closure.
Once they have got the closure in place, with all hard signage and cones etc. The TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT foreman then recalls the HE control room to have the electronically set signals cleared. The TM crew will usually then move off to put another closure on elsewhere.
Now the roadworks crew come along and do what-ever it is they have to do.
Once the roadworks are completed, the ROADWORKS foremen will call the TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT crews back to the job to get the lane closures removed etc.
As the TM crew arrive back to the job, they call up the HE control room to get the electronic signals reset, Once set, they then start to remove the closure, cones etc. first, then they need to go around the junctions to come back to remove the hard signage (This is often why signals can be set for lane closures, no coned closure out, but signage not removed until they've gone around to do it.)
Once the TM crew has cleared everything, he recalls the HE control room. The control room operator then cancels the electronic signs, rests the HDS back to normal (= 60) and re-activates MIDAS to allow auto signals to work.
So as you can see, it all depends on everyone doing their bit at the correct time, 99% of the time it works fine, but sometimes things can go wrong with poor communication,
A TM crew can put a closure on and forget to call the HE control room.
Incorrect marker-posts can be given, or they'll move the closure down a bit further without informing the HE control room, so HDS & MIDAS in the extended bit are not adjusted,
The roadworks could be on for several nights (or longer) and the TM crew might says " All off now, see you tonight" meaning the physical closure has been removed. but the HE operator thinks that the whole work is finished, so resets everything back to normal. What they should have said, "Closure off, mandatory speeds still show, we'll be back tonight" Then, HDS & MIDAS would still be adjusted in line with the mandatory speeds.
Note: There are specific crew that put out the closures, ie: TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT" they are not part of the roadworks crew that will be doing the job, and often are responsible for the implementation & removal of several closures through the night (When most roadworks go on)
Is this the four call 'Roadworks' COBS enhancement or was that only a trial ?k.Part of setting up a roadworks area goes like this;
The TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT foreman is ready to put out his hard signage, (the sings on frames, 800 yds, 600 yds lane closures etc. (along with mandatory speed signs if authorised)
He phones the HE control room, who take all the details of the work, ie. Lane closures, start marker-post & end marker-post, any mandatory speed limits etc.
They now have several things to do, All the signals within the 2 marker-post locations need their HDS (Highest Displayable Speed) altering to 10 mph lower than the mandatory speed informed, or to 50 mph in a roadworks where no mandatory speed has been requested. This means that should any signals need to be set for ANYTHING within those roadworks, they will not show a higher reading than the one set by the altered HDS.
The control room operator has also then got to disable the MIDAS pads within the 2 marker-post locations to stop any automatic signal setting (These are the automatic signals that are triggered by queues etc. in fact ANY signals with a message about "QUEUE" are set this way. (Go Google MIDAS)
Once the operator has done these tasks, they then set the lane closures that the TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT foreman requires,
Note: any lane closure set will automatically put prior warnings signals before them, either with "Lane divert" arrows or reduced speeds, The system will not allow reduction steps larger than 20 mph.
Meanwhile, back on the tarmac, the Traffic Management crews put out the lane closures ready for the roadworks crews to start work within the closure.
Once they have got the closure in place, with all hard signage and cones etc. The TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT foreman then recalls the HE control room to have the electronically set signals cleared. The TM crew will usually then move off to put another closure on elsewhere.
Now the roadworks crew come along and do what-ever it is they have to do.
Once the roadworks are completed, the ROADWORKS foremen will call the TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT crews back to the job to get the lane closures removed etc.
As the TM crew arrive back to the job, they call up the HE control room to get the electronic signals reset, Once set, they then start to remove the closure, cones etc. first, then they need to go around the junctions to come back to remove the hard signage (This is often why signals can be set for lane closures, no coned closure out, but signage not removed until they've gone around to do it.)
Once the TM crew has cleared everything, he recalls the HE control room. The control room operator then cancels the electronic signs, rests the HDS back to normal (= 60) and re-activates MIDAS to allow auto signals to work.
So as you can see, it all depends on everyone doing their bit at the correct time, 99% of the time it works fine, but sometimes things can go wrong with poor communication,
A TM crew can put a closure on and forget to call the HE control room.
Incorrect marker-posts can be given, or they'll move the closure down a bit further without informing the HE control room, so HDS & MIDAS in the extended bit are not adjusted,
The roadworks could be on for several nights (or longer) and the TM crew might says " All off now, see you tonight" meaning the physical closure has been removed. but the HE operator thinks that the whole work is finished, so resets everything back to normal. What they should have said, "Closure off, mandatory speeds still show, we'll be back tonight" Then, HDS & MIDAS would still be adjusted in line with the mandatory speeds.
Note: There are specific crew that put out the closures, ie: TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT" they are not part of the roadworks crew that will be doing the job, and often are responsible for the implementation & removal of several closures through the night (When most roadworks go on)
https://highwaysengland.taleo.net/careersection/in... register for job alerts on here and wait to be contacted.
BossHogg said:
https://highwaysengland.taleo.net/careersection/in... register for job alerts on here and wait to be contacted.
Wonderful.Many thanks.
ETA: It appears impossible to register for alerts, will have to keep checking back!
Edited by cmvtec on Tuesday 11th June 02:03
I have been watching A1 Britains Longest Road.
One thing that has got me confused is that HATO's leave people on the side of the road on the basis that they have receovery sorted, and they leave whilst the person is still in a potentially dangerous position.
Weird how that happens as if it was the police, fire, ambulance they wouldnt leave them with duty of care, potential backlash if something goes wrong etc
One thing that has got me confused is that HATO's leave people on the side of the road on the basis that they have receovery sorted, and they leave whilst the person is still in a potentially dangerous position.
Weird how that happens as if it was the police, fire, ambulance they wouldnt leave them with duty of care, potential backlash if something goes wrong etc
pavarotti1980 said:
Weird how that happens as if it was the police, fire, ambulance they wouldnt leave them with duty of care, potential backlash if something goes wrong etc
But they would. You have to work with what have. You can't always err on the side of an idiot passing.https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/great...
https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/wo...
The truck driver was pished in that 2nd one "and all because the lady ran out of fuel".
Happens plenty of times.
speedyguy said:
But they would. You have to work with what have. You can't always err on the side of an idiot passing.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/great...
https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/wo...
The truck driver was pished in that 2nd one "and all because the lady ran out of fuel".
Happens plenty of times.
What still appalls me to this day about the M60 one is that drivers drove around him as he lay there dying in the road with no one stopping or attempting to help him. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/great...
https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/wo...
The truck driver was pished in that 2nd one "and all because the lady ran out of fuel".
Happens plenty of times.
Utter scum.
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