Company traffic refers to everything that is connected with the movement of people, means of transport, raw materials and products within company spaces, whether these are closed departments or external areas.
The tendency is often to consider the safety of internal traffic only for the aspects that concern transport or escape in case of emergency; general traffic is instead often experienced as a complementary problem, difficult to manage due to its precarious and dynamically variable nature based on various contingent factors such as possible interference caused by external companies (suppliers and maintenance workers), the variety and multiplicity of routes and parking of internal and external means of transport, pedestrians, etc.
Instead, we need to aim for an organization that also considers the problem of traffic as a possible cause of major accidents for investment in companies.
It is therefore necessary to tackle the problem of the viability of a settlement in an organic way by managing it in
less disorganized way with certain provisions and rules defined by the company:
- Simplify and reduce product flows as much as possible, based on the company layout and limit internal transport operations as much as possible, also using, where possible, automatic product advancement systems, such as, for example, conveyor belts.
- If possible, combine changing rooms, toilets, sinks, showers and rest areas into a single block:
a rational distribution of the sanitary and assistance services allows for the creation of complete, easy-to-use structures
to be managed thus limiting the need for pedestrian transit outside the buildings.
- If there are two road entrances, it is good practice to opt for one-way traffic in external yards, dedicating one access to the entrance and the other to the exit; in this way the risk of being hit by trucks and forklifts is automatically halved.
The above must be given maximum dissemination to all workers, suppliers and visitors, regarding the traffic rules in force in the company.
The Company Road Plan Project
The Company Traffic Plan must be designed and defined in written form, and must define the traffic rules in use in the departments and external areas of the Company and establish the organizational and procedural measures sufficient to guarantee the safety of workers with respect to the risks associated with the use of forklifts and all other internal and external means of transport (pallet trucks, cars, trucks, etc.) and of workers/pedestrians.
The plan must include in particular:
- the condition of the pavement and its maintenance must be to avoid holes or depressions that are dangerous for the stability of the vehicle and the load; furthermore it must be constantly kept clean from processing waste in order to make the transit of people and vehicles safe;
- adopt clear signage that allows for a clear interpretation of the company traffic, the layout of places and spaces and the overall organization of internal circulation; provide for the separation of traffic lanes, highlighting with stripes and pictograms the places where goods are stored, where trolleys and pedestrians pass;
- create horizontal signage with non-slip and highly visible materials;
- highlight pedestrian crossings, STOP signs, any particular dangers (crossing bans), fixed obstacles, etc.
It is recalled that the road signs, especially the horizontal ones, are subject to wear and tear, they must be kept in regular maintenance in order to guarantee their efficiency over time; it is good that the frequency of the checks and the restoration is defined by a specific program, forming an integral part of the road plan.
It is important to inform workers of the content of the internal company circulation plan and monitor the actual compliance with safety procedures. For this purpose, it is advisable to identify, with a specific formalized procedure, a person in charge of frequent periodic checks (e.g. a supervisor/warehouse manager).
In the event of non-compliance with the traffic regulations in force within the company, take measures, such as, for example, verbal and written warnings, temporary or permanent suspensions from accessing the company by external companies. Such measures must be taken in the event of:
- excessive speed of trolleys and vehicles;
- driving trolleys without the necessary visibility;
- failure to respect signs and priorities;
- "wild" parking of vehicles, especially if this occurs in correspondence with emergency exits;
- "chaotic" storage of materials outside the designated areas, especially when this constitutes an obstacle to traffic and a danger for workers in the event of materials stored at height falling onto workstations and passageways;
- transit of pedestrians and vehicles outside the designated and prescribed areas;
- operation of means of transport and work without permits, authorisations and specific training;
- transport of people in unauthorized vehicles.
For mixed traffic of vehicles and pedestrians
The minimum width (X) of traffic routes with vehicular and pedestrian traffic is obtained by adding the width of the largest vehicles or their load (xl), the minimum width of pedestrian routes (0.8 metres) and a minimum manoeuvring tolerance (x2) of 0.4 metres.
One-way traffic with limited pedestrian traffic.
For pedestrian traffic
Main traffic routes intended for pedestrian traffic within buildings must have a minimum width of 1.2 metres.
Based on the provisions contained in the building and fire safety laws, it is possible to request routes of
wider circulation.
The clear height of pedestrian traffic routes must not be less than 2.1 metres (in exceptional cases 1.9 metres is sufficient).
Traffic lighting
All internal company traffic routes must be provided with sufficient natural or artificial lighting, suitable for the purpose.
The required illuminance values vary depending on the location.
