Work zone items influencing driver speeds at roadworks: worker, driver and expert perspectives

Roadworks are essential to a safe and efficient road network, yet somewhat paradoxically the necessary work is often associated with increased risk to motorists and workers, as well as with traffic flow disruptions. A major source of increased crash risk at roadwork sites (work zones) is poor speed limit compliance. Speeding in work zones is examined in existing literature to the extent that major issues are known and some effective countermeasures are identified. However, as speeding remains a major problem in work zones, influences on driver behaviour arguably need to be better understood to achieve greater compliance and thus realise further gains in road safety. Current research on safety at Queensland roadwork sites has examined the views of workers, measured work zone speed profiles, and conducted an online survey of drivers (N=410). This paper focuses on survey participants’ ratings of 12 specific work zone items (including traffic control measures) in terms of their influence on speed choice. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences (p<0.001) in the ratings of these items, with the most influential including visible presence of workers, visible police presence, and speed feedback displays. Those rated least influential included ’roadwork speed limits are enforced’ and ‘reduce speed’ signs and increased fines for speeding in work zones. The paper considers the alignment of these findings with those from other sources, including worker interviews and the literature, to provide a consolidated assessment of the influence of work zone items on driver speeds.

Proactive training system for safe and efficient precast installation

The construction industry is a crucial component of the Hong Kong economy, and the safety and efficiency of workers are two of its main concerns. The current approach to training workers relies primarily on instilling practice and experience in conventional teacher-apprentice settings on and off site. Both have their limitations however, on-site training is very inefficient and interferes with progress on site, while off-site training provides little opportunity to develop the practical skills and awareness needed through hands-on experience. A more effective way is to train workers in safety awareness and efficient working by current novel information technologies. This paper describes a new and innovative prototype system – the Proactive Construction Management System (PCMS) – to train precast installation workers to be highly productive while being fully aware of the hazards involved. PCMS uses Chirp-Spread-Spectrum-based (CSS) real-time location technology and Unity3D-based data visualisation technology to track construction resources (people, equipment, materials, etc.) and provide real-time feedback and post-event visualisation analysis in a training environment. A trial of a precast facade installation on a real site demonstrates the benefits gained by PCMS in comparison with equivalent training using conventional methods. It is concluded that, although the study is based on specific industrial conditions found in Hong Kong construction projects, PCMS may well attract wider interest and use in future.

Chirp-spread-spectrum-based real time location system for construction safety management: A case study

Observing the working procedure of construction workers is an effective means of maintaining the safety performance of a construction project. It is also difficult to achieve due to a high worker-to-safety-officer ratio. There is an imminent need for the development of a tool to assist in the real-time monitoring of workers, in order to reduce the number of construction accidents. The development and application of a real time locating system (RTLS) based on the Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) technique is described in this paper for tracking the real-time position of workers on construction sites. Experiments and tests were carried out both on- and off-site to verify the accuracy of static and dynamic targets by the system, indicating an average error of within one metre. Experiments were also carried out to verify the ability of the system to identify workers’ unsafe behaviours. Wireless data transfer was used to simplify the deployment of the system. The system was deployed in a public residential construction project and proved to be quick and simple to use. The cost of the developed system is also reported to be reasonable (around 1800USD) in this study and is much cheaper than the cost of other RTLS. In addition, the CCS technique is shown to provide an economical solution with reasonable accuracy compared with other positioning systems, such as ultra wideband. The study verifies the potential of the CCS technique to provide an effective and economical aid in the improvement of safety management in the construction industry.

The creative fulcrum : Where, how and why the creative workforce is growing

Contrary to the view that the creative workforce is shrinking, a decade of detailed research by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (CCI) shows that the number of workers in creative occupations is growing strongly, and that these workers are spread right across the whole economy. Furthermore, these occupations can be thought of as a ‘creative fulcrum’ for innovations that leverage competitiveness in all sectors, and create positive job spirals that stimulate opportunities for many other occupation categories.

Worker views on safety at roadworks

Roadworks in live traffic environments are hazardous to workers and road users alike. In an increasing body of international research literature, roadwork risks and hazards have been comprehensively examined. As in the broader field of road safety research, much of the work rightly takes a quantitative approach to assessing risk and related issues and to addressing the identified risks appropriately. In Australia, however, limited official data constrains the ability of researchers to achieve an in-depth understanding of the situation at state/territory and national levels based on traditional quantitative analyses. One way to enhance and supplement the limited available data is to consult those who are directly involved in roadworks for qualitative information, although such an approach is rarely reported in the roadwork safety arena. As part of the major study focusing on safety at roadworks in Queensland, 66 workers were interviewed about their perceptions and experiences regarding roadwork safety. This paper thus outlines a qualitative examination of workers' perceptions of the causes of roadwork incidents and the effectiveness of hazard mitigation measures. Consistent with findings reported in the literature is the view among workers that speeding is a major hazard and that police enforcement is the most effective countermeasure. Other hazards commonly observed by workers but less frequently reported elsewhere include driver distraction and aggression toward workers, working in poor weather and working at night. Workers mostly suggested educational measures to address distraction and aggression issues, though such measures are only tentatively supported in the literature.

Family mediation and women’s services: Towards effective referral

Central to Government’s strategy for separating families is the management and resolution of disputes away from courts and litigation processes wherever this is achievable. A key group of players in facilitating this vision are workers within the wide range of women’s services. This study surveyed workers at a number of Victorian women’s services that provide advice, support, and referral for women and explored their understanding of mediation processes and outcomes. The results indicate that, while generally supportive of mediation as a process that could assist their clients, workers were concerned about its appropriateness when family violence was an issue. Some of these concerns appeared to be based upon a good understanding of the limitations of mediation practices, but it is also apparent that some concerns were influenced by a misunderstanding and limited knowledge of contemporary mediation practice. It is recommended that family mediation services work proactively with women’s services in order to better inform each other of the possibilities and constraints in working with postseparation disputes.