Mental Health and Wellbeing for Traffic Controllers

Traffic controller mental health is shaped by the job itself: abuse from drivers, near misses with traffic, long and irregular hours, isolation and uncertain rostering. These are psychosocial hazards that employers must manage like any other WHS risk. Good companies change the work to reduce them, respond quickly after bad shifts, and make help easy to reach.

This guide is for controllers, supervisors and the people who run traffic control businesses. It is general information, not medical or legal advice. If you or someone you work with is in immediate danger, call 000. For 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Why the job takes a toll

Most people outside the industry see a person holding a sign. People inside it know what the shift can actually involve:

• drivers shouting, swearing, throwing things or driving at controllers
• near misses where a car does not stop or a truck comes too close
• witnessing a crash, or having to manage the scene afterwards
• standing alone at the far end of a closure for hours, sometimes at night
• learning at 9 pm where you are working at 5 am, or whether you are working at all
• heat, noise, long drives and broken sleep from rotating shifts

None of this means the work is bad for everyone. Many controllers enjoy the outdoor work, the crew and the variety. But these pressures build up, particularly when they arrive together and nobody acknowledges them.

Psychosocial hazards: what the law expects

WHS laws require employers to eliminate or minimise risks to health, and health includes psychological health. Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice on managing psychosocial hazards at work sets out common hazards and how to control them, and SafeWork NSW has its own code. In Victoria, the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations commenced on 1 December 2025, with a compliance code alongside them. Check the current version with your regulator: Safe Work Australia, SafeWork NSW or WorkSafe Victoria.

The approach is the same risk management used for traffic hazards: identify the hazards, assess them, control them through the hierarchy of controls, consult workers, and review. Here is how the hazards in the model code tend to show up in traffic control.

Designing work that does less harm

The strongest controls are the ones that change the work, rather than asking people to be tougher.

Rosters people can plan around

Uncertainty about tomorrow's shift is one of the most common complaints in the industry. Release rosters as early as the work allows, give notice of night shifts, spread extra shifts and call-outs fairly, and make it safe for a controller to say no. Our traffic controller rostering guide covers how to balance this against late bookings.

Fatigue and sleep

Poor sleep and mental health feed each other. The roster limits in our fatigue management guide, real rest between shifts and care with consecutive nights all matter here too.

Not alone with the worst of it

Pair less experienced controllers with experienced ones, keep radio contact and check-ins for anyone out of sight of the crew, and give a quick way to call for help. The lone worker safety guide covers check-in intervals and duress alarms.

A response to aggression that does not rely on the controller

Clear advance signs and VMS messages reduce surprise. A firm rule that controllers never argue, never approach vehicles and walk away from threats protects them. Supervisors who back their crews, report assaults to police and change the set-up when abuse is repeated show that the company takes it seriously. Our guide to abuse of traffic controllers goes into escalation and reporting.

After an abusive shift or a near miss

What happens in the hour after a bad event often matters more than the event itself.

1. Check on the person straight away. A supervisor or crew member asks how they are, in private, without rushing.
2. Relieve them if needed. Do not send someone straight back to the position where they were threatened or nearly hit.
3. Let them talk, but do not force it. Some people want to go over it, others do not. Both are normal.
4. Make sure they get home safely. Offer a lift if they are shaken. A rattled driver on the way home is another risk.
5. Offer support. Give them the employee assistance program details and helpline numbers, in writing.
6. Follow up. Check in the next day and later in the week. Sleep problems, irritability or dread about returning can appear days afterwards.
7. Fix the site. Record the incident and review the controls. A controller who sees nothing change learns that reporting is pointless.

For controllers: looking after yourself between shifts

Employers own the hazards, but there are things that help individuals cope with a demanding job:

• Protect your sleep. Blackout curtains and a consistent routine after night shifts make a real difference. Tell the allocator when you are running on too little.
• Leave the abuse at the site. Drivers who scream at controllers are reacting to the delay, not to you. Talking a bad shift through with a crew mate on the way back to the depot helps many people let it go.
• Watch the wind-down habits. Alcohol can feel like it helps after a hard shift but tends to worsen sleep and mood.
• Keep something outside work. Long shifts squeeze out family, sport and friends. Guard at least some of that time.
• Report it. Recording abuse and near misses is not complaining. It is how sites get changed.
• Ask early. Using the assistance program or seeing a GP before things get bad is a sensible step, not a sign of weakness.

Noticing when a mate is struggling

You do not need to be a counsellor to help. Changes worth noticing include:

• withdrawal from the crew or going quiet on the radio
• irritability or flashes of anger that are out of character
• talking about not sleeping, drinking more, or feeling hopeless
• turning down shifts they used to want, or taking every shift going
• mistakes and lapses that are unusual for them

A simple way to start is to ask privately how they are really going, listen without judging or trying to fix everything, encourage them to talk to someone who can help, and check in again. If someone tells you they are thinking about suicide, take it seriously, stay with them if you can, and call Lifeline or 000.

Where to get help

These national services are free and confidential. Details checked at the time of writing; check the service's website if anything has changed.

Your employer's employee assistance program, if it has one, offers confidential counselling. A GP can also talk through options and refer you to a psychologist or other support.

What supervisors and managers can do this month

• Add psychosocial hazards to the risk register and the SWMS, not just physical ones
• Ask crews, in toolbox talks or a short survey, what makes shifts hardest
• Release rosters earlier and publish how extra shifts are allocated
• Brief every crew on the no-engagement rule and how to call for help
• Make sure every supervisor knows the post-incident steps above
• Put helpline and assistance program details in every ute and in the crew app or noticeboard
• Report assaults and serious threats to police and follow them up
• Review abuse and near-miss reports monthly and change the sites that keep appearing
• Train supervisors to start a conversation about wellbeing and where to refer people

Next steps

Start with the rosters, because predictability and rest affect every crew member every week. The free roster fatigue checker helps spot weeks that leave too little rest. If you run a traffic control company, TrafWise applies fatigue limits when shifts are offered and puts lone-worker check-ins in the crew app.