The interaction between traffic and pedestrians creates a significant risk of incident and injury. Schools have a legal and moral duty to protect employees, students, visitors, volunteers, contractors and other people entering the school grounds.
The advice below has been compiled to ensure that areas where traffic hazards may occur are identified, assessed and controlled to ensure that the school environment can be made as safe as possible
Process
In consultation with your staff use the Traffic Management Checklist to review areas where traffic hazards may occur. Remember to consider the whole site including:
- pick up and drop off of students (including camps and excursions)
- couriers/deliveries
- staff car parking
- vehicles that may access school grounds such as tractors, lawn mowers, garbage trucks, etc
- special events such as fetes and sports carnivals.
This list of potential hazards should be assessed using a risk assessment.
Once the school has documented the hazards, the school should develop and implement solutions where required. This can be done by using one or more of the following methods:
- eliminating the need for vehicles to enter the school grounds
- improving the design and layout with marked walkways, parking bays, physical barriers and speed humps
- installing speed limit signage
- substituting the use of ride on lawn mowers for push lawn mowers
- provide information, instruction and training as appropriate to staff and students regarding traffic related hazards
- develop a formal Traffic Management Plan.
Monitoring and reviewing the implemented solutions is vital to ensure new risks are not created.
Responsibilities
School
- Identify areas that place people at risk of traffic hazards
- Develop and implement solutions to reduce the risk of traffic related incidents
- Provide appropriate training and resources to employees in relation to traffic hazards
- Review the traffic management plan for special events and following any change in the existing site situation (Eg. New pathways installed, maintenance works being undertaken)
- Keep a record of inspections and make sure that the OHS Risk Register is kept up to date.
Staff
- Follow workplace policies and procedures
- Notify your employer of hazardous areas that you become aware of.