The Safety Update - Reduced Daylight & Visibility Hazards

As we move into the darker months, we’re starting earlier in lower light and finishing later with reduced visibility.

This creates additional risks for everyone on site, particularly labourers working around plant and traffic controllers managing vehicle movements.

Reduced visibility makes it harder for operators, drivers, and other workers to see hazards, pedestrians, changes in ground conditions, signage, and site movements. Even if you can see the plant, that does not mean the operator can see you.

For Labourers:

• Always ensure you remain outside plant exclusion zones unless you have made positive contact with the operator and they acknowledge your presence.
• Avoid walking behind reversing vehicles or entering blind spots.
• If work areas are poorly lit, stop and raise it. Do not continue working in unsafe visibility conditions. Check your high-vis clothing is clean and worn correctly, as dirty or covered PPE significantly reduces visibility.

For Traffic Controllers:

• Reduced daylight can affect approaching motorists’ reaction time and their ability to see signage, tapers, cones, and your directions.
• Ensure all traffic management devices remain visible, correctly positioned, and not obscured by shadows, vehicles, or weather conditions.
• Stand in safe, visible locations where drivers can see you clearly with enough time to react. Remain alert to distracted or late-reacting motorists, particularly during dawn, dusk, and poor weather.

Points to Be Aware of:

Everyone on site should be mindful that wet weather, fog, glare, and shadows can further reduce visibility even during daylight hours.

If lighting towers or portable lighting are required, ensure they are positioned correctly to illuminate work areas without creating glare for plant operators, workers, or road users.

Visibility is a shared responsibility; if you can’t see clearly, or you believe others can’t see you, the task is not being performed safely.

Key Reminder:

Do not assume you have been seen. Make eye contact, communicate clearly, and work to the site controls at all times.