On site
What is segregation?
Segregation is separating people from moving plant and vehicles, physically and by route. Being struck by a moving vehicle is one of the largest causes of serious injury on construction sites.
The strongest form is physical and permanent: separate routes, barriers and gates that make the wrong route difficult rather than merely discouraged.
Where routes must cross, the crossing is the control point — sightlines, signage, and priority all have to be decided rather than left to whoever arrives first.
Reversing is where most incidents happen, which is why one-way systems and banksmen feature so heavily in site traffic plans.
What goes wrong in practice
- Pedestrian routes marked on a drawing but not physically separated on site.
- Traffic plan unchanged as the site layout and deliveries evolved.
- Reversing accepted as routine rather than designed out.