How We Produce Traffic Management Plans for Emergency Works

When an emergency comes in, whether it's a burst water pipe, damaged utility or another issue that needs dealing with quickly, the traffic management needs to be planned just as quickly.

At Cullen Utilities, the whole process from the initial phone call to having a checked TM plan with the operative can be completed within two hours.

It Starts With the TM Department

The client contacts our TM Department and provides the address, details of the emergency and any photos or videos they have from site.

The TM team looks through the information provided, along with Google Maps and street imagery, to get an idea of the traffic management likely to be required.

An operative is then mobilised to the yard to collect the vehicle and equipment needed for the job.

While they're making their way to the yard, the design is already being worked on.

The Plan Goes to Our TM Design Team

The TM Department sends everything they have over to Cullen's TM Design Team, including the location, scope of works, photos, videos and what they believe will be the best TM setup for the job.

The design team checks all the information and carries out a desktop-based risk assessment of the location before starting the drawing.

Using Google Maps, BricsCAD and Cone 12, we import the mapping for the location and recreate the existing road layout and road markings.

The work area is then added along with the required working space and protection before designing the traffic management around it.

The plan isn't just about keeping traffic moving. We need to make sure the setup protects the operatives working on site as well as vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists passing the works.

We also check for anything else that could affect the setup, such as bus stops, parking bays, loading bays or other restrictions. If something needs to be suspended or closed for the works to take place safely, this is clearly shown on the drawing.

Checked and Sent to the Operative

Once the drawing is finished, it's sent to another member of the team to be checked.

Once everyone's happy with it, the completed plan is sent back to the TM Department, who then send it directly to the operative attending the emergency.

By the time the operative has travelled to the yard, loaded the vehicle and is ready to head to site, the aim is to have the TM plan ready and in their hands.

From Phone Call to Plan Within Two Hours

The important part of the emergency process is that we're not waiting for one stage to finish before starting the next.

The operative is being mobilised at the same time as the site is being assessed and the traffic management is being designed.

That allows Cullen Utilities to go from receiving the initial emergency call to having a designed, checked and site-specific traffic management plan issued to the operative within two hours.

It means we can respond quickly to emergency works without skipping the planning and checks needed to make sure the traffic management is suitable for the location.