Can Contractors Reuse a Traffic Control Plan for Similar Work Under WorkSafeBC Part 18?

Contractors should not assume that an existing traffic control plan can be reused unchanged simply because the next project involves similar work. Under WorkSafeBC Part 18, a traffic control plan for short- or long-duration work must be based on the applicable risk assessment and address the hazards of the specific work zone.

Why Similar Work Does Not Always Mean the Same Traffic Control Plan

Two projects may involve the same activity such as utility work, road maintenance, or construction but have different traffic conditions.

WorkSafeBC requires the risk assessment for short- and long-duration work to consider factors including work duration and time of day, traffic volume, sight lines, posted speeds, lane configuration and widths, equipment movement and storage, environmental conditions, overlapping work activities, and other reasonably foreseeable hazards.

That means a traffic control arrangement prepared for one location should not automatically be treated as suitable for another location simply because the construction activity is similar.

When Does an Existing Traffic Control Plan Need to Change?

WorkSafeBC requires the risk assessment to be reviewed and updated when there is reason to believe it is no longer valid or when there has been a significant change in the scope or nature of the work.

If that risk assessment changes, the traffic control plan must also be amended to address those changes.

For example, moving similar work to a road with a different lane configuration, traffic exposure, equipment operation, sight distance, or work-zone layout may affect the hazards identified and therefore the traffic-control measures documented in the plan.

Contractors can review the official WorkSafeBC Part 18 Traffic Control requirements when determining how these requirements apply.

How Should Contractors Approach Reusing a Traffic Control Plan?

Instead of asking whether the old drawing can simply be reused, first compare the new work zone against the conditions and hazards on which the existing plan was based.

Check the work limits, road configuration, traffic conditions, work duration, equipment requirements, and other site-specific constraints. Where those conditions affect the risk assessment or required controls, the plan should be revised accordingly.

PlanMyTraffic can help contractors review the project information and prepare a traffic control plan that reflects the conditions of the new work location. This helps ensure the drawing is developed around the actual work zone rather than relying on a plan created for a different site.