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Posted By PS
Can anyone help me out with this one.
Speed limits on construction sites. The HSE doc Workplace Transport Safety gives some very useful advice but does not indicate vehicle speeds. Is there a maximum speed limit relating to construction sites? Or any other guidance I could read. If anyone could advise it would be appreciated.
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Posted By PST
PS
Most sites have 10 mph speed limit some 20 depends upon what type of vehicles and if you can totally segregate people from vehicles. 10 mph gives you a chance to get out of the way !!
PST
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Posted By Edward H
The limit that you apply will depend on the circumstances: if the route has vehicles sharing space with unsegregated pedestrian traffic then a very low speed is essential [walking speed is about 3-4mph] If the route is well segregated and is a main vehicle road then a higher limit is reasonable.
One of the difficulties in setting a very low numerical limit such as 5 or 10 mph is how well the drivers can comply with it. Most road going speedometers are inaccurate/impossible to read at such low speeds and many construction site vehicles do not have a speedometer.
You could consider setting site rules that are not numerical such as: WALKING SPEED ONLY or KEEP IN 1ST GEAR WHILST TRAVELLING
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
PS
We used to have a limit of 5mph on our production site as it was built on a steep incline and this just felt like a safe speed.
Also consider buying a radar gun. Bought a sports one for use with tennis balls that type of thing for £150, measures the speed of trucks just as easily. Saves any arguement with the driver cos you know they were speeding. Do a google for Bushnell radar gun.
Use it enough round site and you get to the stage where pointing your phone the right way makes drivers slow down. Like a remote control only more fun.
Kind regards
Jeff
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Posted By Descarte
Our site speed limit is 6mph O.o
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Posted By The toecap
Some good answer here. I always think how will the speed limit be enforced
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Posted By Gerry Newton
Have a look at the article in Croners newsletter of the 24th April, gives you all the information you need to make a risk assessment about speed limits in the work place.
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Posted By anon1234
Edward has mentioned a point I would like to re-emphasise.
It is no good setting speed limits and employing radar guns to 'trap' the offenders if the limit is set so low as to:
1) be outside the accurracy of the spedo in the vehicle
2) be below the point at which spedos effectively show a reading that can be read.
Have a look at your car next time you are driving and see what is the lowest speed at which you get an accurate read out - I accept it is probably easier to comply with a digital spedo but even these jump in steps etc.
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Posted By Peter MacDonald
Remember also that if you are trying to manouvere a heavy goods vehicle or a piece of plant at 5mph the driver may not be in full control of the vehicle. Heavy vehicles are not designed for that speed and will probably cause the drivers to "feather the clutch" rather than drive in full control. Concentrate on segregation of pedestrians and vehicles and allow reasonable speed in areas where it is safe to do so. 5 mph is far too slow in most cases. Try driving in a family saloon at 5mph and you'll see how impracticable it can be.
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Posted By Gerry Newton
PS
Sorry misquoted the date earlier it should be the Croners H&S Briefing of the 10th April 2006, Issue No. 321, not the 24th.
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Posted By Jerry Lucey
Hi PS,
Speed limits are a good idea and should be based on a risk assessment and should be appropriate to your specific site and its risks.
It may also worth making drivers aware that while speed limits are mandatory, it does not necessarily mean that you can drive to these limits and their experience still needs to come into play and they need to exercise due care and attention.
If you are introducing such restrictions on speed it is worth making the signage prominant enough to stand out from all other background signage. A well thoughtout signage strategy will ensure that signage for lesser hazards does not obscure or take from that for greater hazards.
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Posted By Stupendous Man
You certainly need to take account of the type of vehicles being used on site when setting maximum speeds - as others have mentioned, cars, vans, pick-ups and lorries (unless they are equipped with low-ratio or crawler gears) will certainly find it difficult to keep to a 5mph limit and, in personal experience, even a 10 mph limit may prove difficult in some circumstances. Have you ever tried to drive that slow? it's not easy even on a smooth road surface.
Separating vehicles and pedestrians should be the priority where possible - after that, I would prefer a rule to keep to a 'reasonable speed for the conditions' and back that up with supervision rather than signs that people can just ignore.
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Posted By PS
Thank you all for your responses, your views / advise have been very much appreciated.
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Posted By Alex Ryding
This one always niggles me...
I think that 10mph should be the limit, look at the spedometer in your car does it have a 5mph increment? How can you set a limit that most people can't know if they're adhering to it?
We have a 5mph limit on out site. I aksed the facilities manager how you adhere to the limit and got him to drive me round the car park. Within seconds of being in his car we where in breech of the policy he had set. Alas common sense didn't prevail, "we've bought the signs now".
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