Key takeaways
- Crews are most exposed while installing and removing signs, because they work on the road edge before the protection is in place or after it has gone.
- Generally, signs go in the order drivers meet them and come out in reverse, with the work area cleared first; the TGS and your state manual set the detail.
- Position the vehicle as protection, beacons on, and keep people on the far side of it from traffic wherever possible.
- Brief set-up and pack-down as separate tasks, with roles, radio calls and a final check that nothing is left behind or still showing.
- Pack-down is where fatigue and rushing cause mistakes, so slow it down and keep the same discipline as the morning.
Sign installation and removal safety matters because set-up and pack-down are when traffic crews are most exposed: on the road edge before the protection is in place, or after it has gone. Good crews brief both as separate tasks, follow the sequence in the TGS, use the vehicle as protection, keep radio discipline and finish with a full check.
This guide is for traffic controllers and team leaders who install and remove traffic control devices. It explains how to run set-up and pack-down in a way that limits exposure, with a worked example. It does not replace your traffic guidance scheme (TGS), the state manual or your company's procedure. The TGS must be prepared by a suitably qualified person, and the sign spacings, taper lengths and buffers come from it, not from this guide.
Why set-up and pack-down carry the most risk
During the shift, a well-built work zone protects the crew. Advance signs warn drivers, the taper moves them across, the speed is down and there may be barriers or a truck-mounted attenuator (TMA). During set-up, most of that is not there yet. During pack-down, it is being taken away.
That exposure combines with other risks:
- Drivers are not expecting you. The first sign is not yet up, or the last sign has just gone.
- People are on foot near live lanes. Placing a sign often means walking along the shoulder with your back to traffic.
- Carrying heavy, awkward gear. Signs catch the wind. Sandbags and stands strain backs.
- Vehicles stop and start. The install vehicle moves in short hops along the shoulder and sometimes reverses.
- Fatigue at the end. Pack-down after a long or night shift is when people rush.
Our guide to 15 set-up mistakes supervisors see covers what goes wrong once the set-up is in. This guide is about the minutes it takes to put it in and take it out.
The general sequence for set-up and pack-down
The detail depends on the TGS and your state manual. Most follow the same principle: install in the order drivers meet the devices, remove in reverse, and keep warning in place for as long as anyone is on the road.
| Step | Set-up | Pack-down |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brief, radio check, check equipment against the TGS | Brief, confirm the work area is clear of people and plant |
| 2 | Cover any conflicting permanent signs if the TGS says to | Remove work area devices, delineation and barriers as the procedure allows |
| 3 | Install the first advance warning sign | Remove the taper, working from the end nearest the work |
| 4 | Install the remaining advance signs in order | Remove the advance signs, working back towards the first one |
| 5 | Install the taper | Remove the first advance warning sign last |
| 6 | Install the work area delineation and devices | Uncover any permanent signs that were covered |
| 7 | Drive through and inspect from the driver's view | Drive through both directions and confirm the site is clear |
For the covering side, see our guide to covering permanent signs at roadworks.
Using the vehicle as protection
The install vehicle is the crew's protection during set-up and pack-down. Where you park it matters.
- Beacons on, arrow board running if fitted and required. Turn them on before stopping on the shoulder, not after.
- Park behind the worker, relative to traffic. The vehicle should sit between approaching traffic and the person placing the sign, where the road layout allows.
- Leave room. Park far enough back that a vehicle hitting yours does not push it into the worker. The TGS or procedure may set this, especially where a TMA is used.
- Don't hide the sign. Once the sign is placed, move on so drivers can see it.
- Get in and out on the safe side. Exit on the side away from traffic, and keep doors closed when not in use.
- Minimise reversing. Plan moves so the vehicle drives forwards between sign positions. If reversing is unavoidable, use a spotter.
Loading and unloading at each stop is its own hazard: keep signs stacked so the next one is easy to reach, and never climb on the tray with traffic passing on that side.
Briefing set-up and pack-down as separate tasks
Most crews brief the shift. Fewer brief the set-up and pack-down in detail. Five minutes at the start of each makes a big difference.
Set-up briefing points:
- The TGS for today and the sequence of devices.
- Who drives, who places, who watches traffic.
- Where the vehicle stops for each device.
- Radio calls, including "Stop work" and "Vehicle approaching fast."
- Which permanent signs need covering, and who does it.
- What happens if a driver does not slow or a vehicle stops near the crew.
Pack-down briefing points:
- Confirm with the client that work is finished and plant is clear.
- The order devices come out.
- Who is checking for anything left behind.
- Who drives through at the end, and in which direction.
- A reminder to slow down and keep the same discipline as the morning.
Worked example: a 60 km/h lane closure, set-up and pack-down
Example scenario: a crew of three, the team leader and two traffic controllers (TC 1 and TC 2), installs a single-lane closure on a four-lane, 60 km/h suburban road for a utility pit repair. The work runs from 9 am to 3 pm. The TGS shows advance signs, a taper, delineation and a work area with the client's truck parked inside. One permanent sign needs to be covered.
8.15 am, briefing. The team leader goes through the TGS and the sequence. TC 1 drives the ute, TC 2 places signs, the team leader watches traffic and calls warnings. Radio check done. Calls agreed: "Car coming fast" and "Stop work."
8.30 am, set-up. The ute stops on the shoulder behind the first advance sign position, beacons on. TC 2 exits on the kerb side, places the sign facing traffic, checks it is level and stable, and gets back in. The ute moves forward to the next position. The team leader walks behind, checking each sign is visible from the approach. The permanent sign is covered at the planned point.
8.50 am, the taper. The TGS shows the taper going into the kerbside lane. The team leader stands at the start of the taper watching traffic while TC 2 places the devices along it, working forwards so they are always facing traffic and inside the area already marked. TC 1 keeps the ute positioned behind TC 2.
What went wrong. At 8.55 am, TC 2 is about to step back off the kerb to place a device and has their back to traffic. The team leader calls "Car coming fast," and TC 2 steps onto the footpath. The car passes close to the line. The team leader pauses the set-up, reminds the crew to face traffic and to place the next device from the side already protected, and then resumes.
9.05 am, drive-through. The team leader drives the approach and confirms every sign is visible and correct. The inspection is recorded.
3 pm, pack-down. The client confirms the work is done and the truck has left the closure. The crew removes the work area devices, then the taper from the work end back, then the advance signs, with the first advance warning sign last. The permanent sign is uncovered.
3.25 pm, final check. The team leader drives both directions. One device has been left behind the kerb near the pit. TC 2 collects it.
For a full shift on a similar road, see our worked example of a suburban lane closure.
What gets recorded. Set-up start and finish times, the inspection, the near miss with the fix, pack-down times, the final drive-through, and the device that was nearly left behind.
Pack-down discipline when everyone is tired
Pack-down is where standards slip. People are tired, want to go home and stop looking at traffic.
- Keep someone watching traffic. The person with the best view calls warnings until the last sign is in the ute.
- Don't strip signs early. Leave advance signs up until the work area and the taper are clear.
- Don't pack the ute on the road side. Load from the kerb side or the protected area.
- Count devices. Check the count against the equipment list. Our packing for the job guide explains how to build that list from the TGS.
- Night pack-down. In darkness, use torches, keep beacons on and take more care with footing.
A printable set-up and pack-down checklist
- TGS on site and briefed, sequence agreed
- Roles named: driver, placer, traffic watcher
- Radio check and warning calls agreed
- Beacons and arrow board working
- Permanent signs to cover identified
- Each sign level, stable and visible after placing
- Drive-through inspection after set-up, recorded
- Pack-down briefed separately, work area confirmed clear
- Devices removed in the agreed order, warning kept until last
- Device count matches the equipment list
- Final drive-through in both directions, recorded
For more on standards and guidance, see Austroads, and in NSW, Transport for NSW and SafeWork NSW.
Next steps
Brief set-up and pack-down as their own tasks on your next shift. TrafWise's crew app captures pre-start checks, SWMS sign-on and digital timesheets, so set-up and pack-down times are recorded with the shift; see the TrafWise platform.
Frequently asked questions
What order should traffic signs be installed?
Generally, signs are installed in the order approaching drivers will meet them, starting with the first advance warning sign, then the rest of the advance signs, the taper and finally the work area devices. Your TGS, state manual and company procedure set the exact sequence for the site, so follow them and brief it before starting.
What order are signs removed at the end of the shift?
Generally in reverse: the work area devices first, then the taper, then the advance signs, working back towards the first sign drivers saw. That keeps warning in place for as long as anyone is on the road. Check the TGS and your procedure, which may set a specific pack-down sequence for the site.
Why is setting up traffic control so dangerous?
During set-up and pack-down, workers are on the road edge or in lanes before the full warning, separation and speed reduction are in place, or after they have been removed. Drivers are not yet expecting roadworks. Crews also carry heavy gear, walk backwards and work from vehicles, which adds trips, strains and reversing risks.
Should traffic control vehicles have beacons on during set-up?
Yes, vehicles used to install or remove signs normally run their flashing beacons and any arrow board as the procedure requires. They should be parked where they protect workers without blocking the view of signs or creating a hazard. Check your company procedure and the TGS for vehicle position and any shadow vehicle or TMA requirement.
What should be checked after pack-down?
Drive the full length of the site in both directions to confirm every temporary sign, cone and device has been removed or covered, permanent signs are uncovered if they were covered, and nothing is left on the road or verge. Record the time and who checked, and report anything left in place with a reason.