WORKERS ON GUARDIANS OF TRAFFIC DRIVER

“We learned about the truck mounted AFADs and the benefits it presented made it a good option to trial.” “This incident underlines the impact these devices can have on improving site safety.”īook says the ministry decided to try out the AFADs because it was looking for a solution to mitigate the risk and remove flag persons from danger. “It only takes one incident to threaten the well-being of a flagger and everyone else on the job,” Book notes. The motorist nearly hit a flag worker before crashing into a ditch.

WORKERS ON GUARDIANS OF TRAFFIC DRIVER

He noted in late July, an alleged drunk driver swerved through a construction site on Highway 16 near Maymont at high speed. “Anyone being in close proximity to vehicles, especially on highways, faces a high risk.” “Flag persons face the risk of being struck by a vehicle when on the roadway physically directing and controlling traffic,” explains Patrick Book, senior communications consultant at the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways. The units are being tested at the various locations and used in a number of different work applications. Six devices are operating in work zones in the Moose Jaw, Outlook and Prince Albert areas. The AFADs are being tested this year as part of a new pilot program underway in the province. The device weighs 90 pounds, takes minutes to set up, and can be plugged into a two-inch receiver on a truck.

The truck is parked safely on the shoulder of the road and the flagger remotely operates a traffic light and stop arm with a stop sign from a safe location off the road. The device is mounted on the hitch of a pickup truck and allows flag people to be off the road while controlling traffic and minimizing their risk of injury.

Watrous-based entrepreneurs Kim and Donna Kreutzer started Guardian Angel Auto Flagger Manufacturing and developed a remote-controlled Guardian Angel automatic flagging assistance device (AFAD). Her death prompted a Saskatchewan company to develop a new system to make construction zones safer. Tragically, just three hours into her shift, the 18-year-old was struck and killed by a truck. Nine years ago, construction flag woman Ashley Dawn Richards was on the job on Highway 39 near Midale, Sask., about a two-hour drive southeast of Regina.

Workers on guardians of traffic