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A traffic control signalman uses standardized symbols and gestures to maintain safe road conditions during unusual situations. Certification requirements and necessary skills vary by location, and communication devices are important tools for coordination. Machines are used in some countries instead of human workers for safety and cost reasons.
A traffic control signalman is a person whose job it is to maintain safe road conditions when unusual road conditions exist. These conditions can be related to construction, emergency vehicles, or unexpected road interference such as an accident or a fallen tree. The traffic control beacon alerts vehicles to the appropriate actions to take using standardized symbols and gestures, keeping drivers and people working on the road as safe as possible.
As this is a qualified position with great responsibility, some areas require traffic control beacons to be certified by a regulatory agency. In others, skills are learned on the job. A traffic control signalman must have an excellent understanding of traffic laws, knowledge of the standardized signal signs used in the area he works in, and the ability to use all equipment associated with the job.
The skills needed to be a traffic control signalman vary by location. This is because the knowledge required to be a signaller in Japan, for example, is different from the knowledge required in Australia. Different traffic signs, signs and conventions can be used in different areas.
Among the many tools that can be used by a traffic control signalman, some of the most important are the signals and gestures used to notify drivers of conditions ahead. This includes signs instructing drivers to slow down or stop, cones to direct traffic, and hand signals to communicate more forcefully or in lieu of these other measures. At night, they can be supplemented with light signals and signal sticks. A brightly colored and often reflective uniform is also important for safety, as it helps drivers see the flag. Communication devices such as portable walkie-talkies are less visible than other tools, but arguably even more important because they allow for coordination between beacons and quick communication when conditions change.
In most situations, a traffic control beacon is only used when road changing conditions are not permanent. If the condition were permanent and drivers were not in danger, an electronic sign and signals could be used to alert drivers of this change in the road. In some countries, machines designed to fulfill the function of a traffic control signal are used instead of human workers. This is thought to offer road workers the same degree of safety as a human worker, but with less human error, lower costs, and without the dangerous working conditions created by being in traffic.
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