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Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #20 on: January 27, 2008, 01:19:39 pm »
Quote
Using temporary traffic lights requires a licence and you wont get one of those without having attended a course on how to use them, I went on one years ago, it was about £350.00 for a 2 day course.


Is a licence needed for the use of temporary lights ?
No - but you must get permission to use them first. You should complete the service request form and send the details to us. An officer will then contact you directly and arrange a site meeting to discuss the proposed location of work, type of work and dates.

xxmattyxx

Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #21 on: January 27, 2008, 01:47:34 pm »
Quote
Using temporary traffic lights requires a licence and you wont get one of those without having attended a course on how to use them, I went on one years ago, it was about £350.00 for a 2 day course.


Is a licence needed for the use of temporary lights ?
No - but you must get permission to use them first. You should complete the service request form and send the details to us. An officer will then contact you directly and arrange a site meeting to discuss the proposed location of work, type of work and dates.


It is to be able operate them, use them without the licence/course say bye bye to public liability; it isnt the local authorities responsibility to ensure you are adequately qualified, thats the operators responsibility, so far as the council are concerned they dont give a hoot. They'll talk to you about the operation, sure, but thats as far as it goes.

The course I went on was to enable us to do landscaping works in and around a public highway, we had to learn how to operate traffic-lights; as we needed to shut off a couple of lanes on ahighway to allow us working space. As Ive already said, you dont just plug em in and watch them switch from green to red; they need programming/setting up. There are so many variables that need to be taken into consideration when using lights, things joe-public just wouldnt think of having to consider.

Matt

Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #22 on: January 27, 2008, 02:57:11 pm »
Not my words my friend but local council

xxmattyxx

Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #23 on: January 27, 2008, 04:57:42 pm »
I know.

What, you mean you expected competence from a council ?


 ;)



Bonkors

  • Posts: 152
Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #24 on: January 27, 2008, 08:21:43 pm »
The only tip I can give you regarding temporary traffic lights, is when you hand them back, try to beg,steal,or borrow the rubber mat that runs across the road to protect the cable? There ideal for putting your hose in if you have to run your hose across the road.


how much do one of these rubber mats cost and from where can you get it from.

jeff1

  • Posts: 5855
Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #25 on: January 27, 2008, 08:29:19 pm »
The only tip I can give you regarding temporary traffic lights, is when you hand them back, try to beg,steal,or borrow the rubber mat that runs across the road to protect the cable? There ideal for putting your hose in if you have to run your hose across the road.


how much do one of these rubber mats cost and from where can you get it from.
I got mine off a guy who was packing away a set of temporary lights, very expensive to buy I think? :'(  I took it home and had to use a circular saw to make the channel bigger to fit the hose, used it loads of times now, it also has the affect of slowing the trafic down.

Here's a pic of it in use, I cut the full lenght into 2 pieces the smaller one fits across pavements, so no one trips on the hose.

stevekennedy

  • Posts: 677
Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #26 on: January 27, 2008, 10:06:34 pm »
Hi Matt

I've never used them myself. I was actually thinking of using a stop/go sign with one of my guys radioing me when a car comes along and turning it for me.

Was told by guy at HSS that cars often drive right through a stop/go and lights are better.

Had no idea it was so involved. Now I know why it takes 6 men to dig a hole in the road  ::)

think I'll go for the "stand in the road with hi-vis and run away when a car comes" approach.

xxmattyxx

Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #27 on: January 27, 2008, 10:25:33 pm »
Think you'd be better off.

Thing about lights is that a set of lights is a set of lights, but every set of roadworks is different, depending on what needs to be done, where it is, what the road system is like, how many junctions there are bla bla bla........... you could go on forever. So basically its no good setting a set of lights out that have been used on a different set of works before; that have been set up for the previous place and expect the traffic to be managed without an accident, you'd have one  ;D


But, when you get a set of lights you dont just plonk a set down at each end of the works, plug it in, turn on and think its all going to be okay.

You basically have to think of the sequence (I dont mean RED, RED/AMBER, GREEN) I mean, how long do you want the colouring sequence to last from each end, how long is the run, how long will it take the traffic to pass you, how long a time must each end be allowed to go to green after the other end has gone to red, what is the level of traffic like on that road at any given time of day; the list is endless.

Do you know how to manage the lighting sequence on a set of lights to allow for all the above mentioned criteria?

Are you accustomed with the manual needed to determine how long needs to be allowed in a lighting sequence for any given type of road?

With lights you also need cones, did you know there are regulations that need to be adhered to when using cones on the public highway? How theyre set out, spacings, sizes, allowances for traffic, pedestrians etc

And theres more  ;D  ;D

I did that cones and lights course at the Highways dept just off the M4 Swindon, I knew it was for 2 days, but couldnt understand why before I went, then knew I knew nothing once I was halfway through  ;) if you see what I mean.

Matt

jeff1

  • Posts: 5855
Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #28 on: January 27, 2008, 10:29:09 pm »
Stick plenty of signs out Steve and put them in such a position they have to slow down, if you have the big signs then stick them on the road were your working, traffic will have to slow down to go around them and it gives you the extra width of the sign to step back into the road.
Hi-vis coat along wiith a buddie you should be fine.

And after Matts post, Just give the Job a wide berth  ;D ;D

stevekennedy

  • Posts: 677
Re: Traffic lights
« Reply #29 on: January 27, 2008, 11:48:58 pm »
Thanks guys, I think this is defo the way to go.

Matt, I was going to use them on manual because the road is one-way. I.e. my guy pushes button, they change, he pushes button again, they change back.

Nopt going to go for the lights though. Too much hassle with red tape and no time to organise. Maybe look at it for next clean.