INDUSTRY IN FOCUS
18 | HIRE
AND
RENTAL
NEWS
| FEBRUARY 2014
With over 20 years’ experience in the
traffic management industry, founder of
All Road Traffic, Lee Vossen launched the
business in 2013 to improve road safety for
workers and, incidentally, help raise the
profile of the humble traffic controller.
Lee said he is tired of the stereotypical
approach to traffic management from
both motorists and within the road works
market itself and believes a professional
approach to training via providing highly
skilled crews, traffic planning/project
management and traffic engineering will
improve road works safety.
All Road Traffic offers combined
traffic control expertise of over 20 years,
experienced TCP designers and support
from a traffic engineer with a fleet of fully
equipped utes and experienced traffic
controllers.
Lee said common public motoring
perception is the traffic controller is only
there working the stop/slow bat so they
don’t get in the way of the ‘true work’ on
site.
“As a result, motorists alarmingly often
fail to comply with road work speed limits.
“Most motorists are unaware if a person
is struck by a vehicle at 40km/h there is a
27-30% chance of death, or this escalates
to 70% when exceeding approximately
55km/h,” Lee said.
“Motorists may see road changes due
to road works as an annoyance but must
realise they exist for worker safety. Traffic
management during road works includes
much more than just the stop/slow sign
manipulation,” Lee said.
“It also covers road layouts during
construction, lane widths, alignment
changes, lack of standard run off areas,
and sight distances due to plant.
“Most people are unaware of how
complex driving truly is, and how mentally
draining it can be. Thus it is also not
immediately apparent to the average
layman that a traffic controller’s job is
very similar in terms of concentration;
not just for themselves but all road users,
pedestrians and workers, all in the name
of safety and for seeing an event before it
has the chance to escalate.”
Lee said Traffic Controllers (TC), road
works companies and site managers are
all also seemingly unaware of how much
impact the first impression of the behavior
and appearance of the traffic controller
has on the worksite and road user.
“A professional TC is more likely to have
an impact if they present themselves better
and believe what they do is important.
“They are well aware of the need to
All Road Traffic believes a professional approach to training via providing highly skilled crews, traffic
planning/project management and traffic engineering will improve road works safety
Improving road safety via traffic control
create a safe work site however skill levels
in the industry are inconsistent, though
improving.
“Currently TC skills can be contributed
to via training progams, but are still
hampered by an overall belief the
qualification represents competence, when
in reality, the qualification needs to be
supported by mentorship and in-house
training if site safety is to improve.
“Currently the cultural focus within the
industry is on fulfilling orders and having
‘bodies on the road’, which has led to a
non-staff centric focus.
“We need to change the worksite belief
TC’s are the lowest common denominator
on a site, when in effect they are the front
line,” Lee said.
“Strangely it seems there is a failure
on road worksites to understand TC’s are
spotters and thus may hold workers lives in
their hands.”
Lee Vossen founded Allroad Safety
& Training in 2002 with a passion for
changing the way in which Traffic Control
training was delivered and the way a
newly trained traffic control person
entered the industry.
“The aim was to equip traffic controllers
with the most up-to-date information and
technical expertise,” Lee said.
Since that time Lee has trained over
10,000 Traffic Controllers of all levels of
certification from the RMS Blue stop/slow
ticket through to the RMS Orange Design
and Inspect certification.
In 2011 Lee became a certified Road
Safety Auditor Level II. In 2013 Lee
recruited from within the traffic control
industry to found Allroad Traffic.
“Allroad Traffic has only been in business
a short time but already works for some
of the biggest companies in NSW and
is building a reputation for technical
excellence, reliability and safety. We pride
ourselves on the vision of: ‘Customer
service through safety and technical
excellence.’
“We strive for a staff centric cultural
focus, with a primary focus on project and
client liaison abilities (responsive to client
needs),” Lee said.
“We take the time to mentor the staff
through training, customer feedback
surveys and onsite assessments, always
with the goal of improvement, not blame.
“We believe what we do is important,
safety driven and can make a difference.”
For more contact 0466 725 155 or visit:
HR
