Traffic Marshals or Banksmen are the workers who have taken a course in order to be allowed to direct moving vehicles on and around construction sites.
Considering there are about 50 deaths and more than 5000 injuries because of accidents with moving vehicles on construction sites every year, safety measures are mandatory. The course for Traffic Marshals teaches the candidates about the protective personal equipment (PPE) the banksman must be provided with, about the hand signals recommended by the HSE and also about other safety measures like being provided with a good position from where they can work safely. The banksman must also agree with the driver that if he can’t be seen, the driver must stop operating the machinery immediately. The Traffic Marshal course will provide all the candidates with information about all the construction laws and regulations regarding Traffic Management, about accident prevention on construction sites, about the necessary protective personal equipment, about the safety of vehicle access, about hazard analysis, about risk management when directing vehicles and information about the persons allowed on site. The traffic marshals must know how to identify dangerous manoeuvres and how to plan the use of vehicles. The general health and safety related to Traffic Marshals, the use of safeguards for pedestrians and other staff members of the construction site and the legal responsibilities and obligations of employees and employers are also important pieces of information that the candidates must learn in order to be competent banksmen.
