We’ve all had the experience of driving down the road, and suddenly you find yourself approaching a disorganized, confusing mix of Temporary Traffic Control (a.k.a. TTC or MOT) devices scattered about the road ahead,possibly accompanied by a sign or two haphazardly installed on the shoulder. While those devices were intended to help motorists safely navigate through or around the work zone, when done improperly, they can create a far more hazardous situation, compromising the safety of the workers and the traveling public. Failure to have the appropriate warning signs and devices, installed properly means motorists entering your work zone do not have sufficient time to react to changes in the roadway. Improper TTC is most often the result of inadequate certification, training or both. Many contractors who work on or near the roadway may not be familiar with who is authorized to install TTC devices and what the certification requirements are for these individuals, so we want to try and shed some light on this subject. The good news is that in Florida, FDOT outlines the certification requirements very clearly for us in the
MOT Training Handbook.
There are three training categories:
●
Basic (Flagger) – Required for all personnel flagging traffic ONLY
● Intermediate and Intermediate Refresher – Required for personnel with duties that include any of the following activities:
o Supervising the installation, removal and field maintenance of TTC devices, excluding temporary barriers, end treatments and crash cushions.
o Inspection of the placement or operational function of temporary traffic control devices, excluding temporary barriers,end treatments and crash cushions.
●
Advanced and Advanced Refresher – personnel with the authority and responsibility for making decisions on the specific TTC requirements to be implemented. These positions include:
o Personnel responsible for supervising the installation, removal and field maintenance of TTC devices, including temporary barriers, end treatments and crash cushions.
o Personnel responsible for inspection of the placement or operational function of temporary traffic control devices,including temporary barriers, end treatments and crash cushions.
o The Professional Engineer responsible for the development of the Transportation Management Plan (TMP) and design of the TTC Plan.
o The Worksite Traffic Supervisor in accordance with FDOT Standard Specifications, Section 102.
Setting up MOT or TTC devices without having the proper certification creates significant liability for your company in the event an accident occurs in or near your work zone. In order to mitigate this liability,it is important to become familiar with the MOT Training Handbook and the certification requirements.
It is also important to verify that any sub-contractors you hire to perform MOT / TTC work on your jobsites have the required MOT certifications. In our view, the best practice is to require personnel responsible for the installation of Maintenance of Traffic and Temporary Traffic Control devices to hold the Advanced MOT certification.
Training for the Advanced, Advanced Refresher, Intermediate and Intermediate Refresher categories must be performed by an approved Provider listed on the
MOT Administration website. The MOT Training Handbook provides requirements for becoming an approved training provider. Certifications are valid for four years.
