A Safety Story
By Lynne Bell
Until last week, I'd never heard of an AFAD (Automatic Flagger Assistance Device), but I have never forgotten the tragic death of 18-year-old highway flagger Ashley Richards, who was hit by a vehicle hat was speeding through a construction zone near Midale in 2012. The New Brunswick native had come to Saskatchewan for a fresh start with her fiance, Ben Diprose, who was working nearby when Richards was struck by a vehicle and killed. To compound the already sad circumstances of this fatal accident, Richards was pregnant at he time of her death.
Richards was thrown 54 metres (about the width of a CFL football field) from the point of impact and the driver-who showed no signs of intoxication-was travelling between 82 and 99 km/hr and was passing other vehicles in a clearly-marked construction zone.
This tragedy swiftly sparked changes to roadway safety rules in Saskatchewan. Prior to 2012, a 60 km/hr speed limit was in place in highway work zones only when workers were present. However, legislation was changed, and the v60 km/hr (or lower, if posted) speed limit is now extended throughout a work zone whether workers are present or not. And fines are triple that of a regular speeding ticket.
But what does this have to do with AFADs?
Well sadly, some people still aren't getting the message about flaffer safety.
After a flag person was injured on a highway near Paradise Hill in August 2015, his employer decided to take matters into its own hands.
The people at Potzus Paving & Road Maintenance built two AFADs, which are essentially portable traffic signals with lights that flash with-you guessed it-red for 'stop' and green for 'go.' And the company witnesed immediate positive changes in driver behavior when they started to use the devices.
Company spokesperson Brennan Wiens told Global News: “(Drivers) immediately would stop. The first time we did it, turned it to red, the motorist stopped. Turned it to green, the motorist went through the zone. No problems.”
Now the province is wholeheartedly following the lead od Potzus Paving, and by the time this column is printed, the province of Saskatchewan will have expanded its use of AFADs in highway work zones after their successful introduction last year.
As AFADs are still remotely operated by a flagger outside of a highway's travel lane, the devices don't pose a threat to existing jobs, either.
Highways and Infastructure Minister David Marit recently stated: “We are happy to expand the use of AFADs in Saskatchewan construction zones, as they improve safety and reduce costs.”
But as AFADs aren't yet in use everywhere, we should all heed Minister Marit's final statement, too: “While new technology helps, people need to remember the basics of slowing down, putting their cell phones away and paying attention while driving through work zones.”
It may mean the difference between life and death.
Safety on the roads for flaggers
By Kelly Running
The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure in Saskatchewan have decided to expand their use of Automated Flagger Assistance Devices (AFADs) after a pilot project was found to be successful last construction season.
The AFAD flashes red for stop and green for go, pretty basic and easy to understand. The AFAD is portable and can easily be moved from location to location.
On the surface the idea is a good one. It’s taking a high risk job and eliminating the risks of a human standing on the side of the road. People working as flaggers have been hit and killed. AFADs are supposed to improve safety and reduce costs. It will still be operated remotely by a flagger who will be outside the travel lane.
When I first heard that they were switching to an AFAD, I wondered what it would mean for the person and their current job. A better term may have been to call it a remote flagger as someone is still controlling it on site. Automated, comes with the implication that it’s set-up and left, taking a job away from an individual.
However, upon research this is not the case, and flaggers will still have jobs, which was my main concern after reading the initial title of the article I read.
So, since no one will be losing their job, I think the focus on safety is a great idea. That and it looks like it would be a tough job in the sense you’re literally standing there all day, in whatever weather it might be, with cars passing by either going 60km/hr or faster. It seems like it would be a sketchy place to be. Therefore providing a safer way to do the job is fantastic.
An example, which is relatively close to home about the dangers of the job, was the incident near Midale in 2012. Ashley Richards was on the second day of her job, only two and a half hours into her shift, when she was struck by a vehicle and killed.
So, to make the job safer is something that definitely should be done. Human error when it comes to the rules of the road is huge. People get lazy in their driving habits because they become overconfident in their abilities. They go too fast or feel confident using an electronic device behind the wheel, both actions which are illegal and warrant fines. But, they do it anyway, and these distractions can lead to collisions on the highway. Work zones are an area that can be missed for these distracting reasons and with people standing on the side of the road it can be dangerous.
Will people be likely to obey these automated signs though? I think if they’re distracted they may blow through these automated signs as well, but at least a person’s life will potentially be saved that would otherwise be at risk.
