Driving the Future of Workzone Safety
REAL TIME INSIGHTS FOR SAFER ROADS
As asphalt maintenance and road rehabilitation projects become more frequent and critical to maintaining safe and efficient road networks, ensuring workzone safety remains a top priority for contractors, road operators, and project managers.
To address the challenges presented by dynamic work environments and evolving risks in traffic management workzones, Connect Sydney conducted a trial of Workzone Digitisation at Canterbury Rd, Belmore, on 31st March. This use of Workzone Digitisation demonstrated how real-time monitoring can drive safety, compliance, and efficiency while reducing environmental impact.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The trial aimed to achieve the following objectives:
Demonstrate the effectiveness of real-time monitoring in reducing safety risks.
Measure speed compliance and adherence to worksite speed limits.
Evaluate the reliability and performance of digital signage.
Quantify environmental benefits through carbon emission reductions.
Gather insights on integrating digital solutions in future deployments.
DEPLOYMENT INFORMATION
The digital deployment utilised smart assets (Portable Site Alarms, Cone Sensors & Intellitags) to provide real-time visibility into worksite conditions, highlighting safety and compliance challenges. During the shift, two incursions were recorded. At 23:07, a cone was knocked over, classified as a low-risk event with minimal hazard potential. A second incursion occurred at 23:43, where a cone was struck near contractors, raising the risk level to medium. Both incidents were logged as ‘fall alarms,’ indicating cones were dislodged but not at speed. Contractors provided constructive feedback, emphasising the benefits of instant notifications and data-driven decision-making in incident response.
Real-Time Safety Insights and Incident Prevention
Workzone Digitisation transforms traditional traffic management by offering live, data-rich insights into site conditions. This trial demonstrated the value of real-time monitoring in promptly identifying safety risks, enabling crews to react quickly.
Speed Compliance Overview
Speed compliance was monitored along Canterbury Rd. Westbound traffic averaged 36 km/hr, while eastbound traffic maintained an average of 38 km/hr—both well within the 40 km/hr limit. Controlled stop-slow movements and highly visible workers ensured drivers adhered to speed limits, with the highest observed speed being 45 km/hr. These findings validate the ability of workzone digitisation to promote compliance even in high-risk environments.
Digital Signage Performance
Intellitag’s offer precise tracking of traffic signage and assets and send instant alerts, when signage falls over, or becomes displaced.
The trial deployed 33 digital signs over 6 hours and 39 minutes, totalling 219.45 signage hours. Two fall events resulted in 1.39 hours of downtime, representing only 0.63% of potential signage hours and delivering a 99.37% compliance rate. The signs provided clear, dynamic messaging, enhancing driver awareness and supporting efficient traffic flow.
Environmental Impact and Carbon Emission Reductions
A key benefit of workzone digitisation is its environmental impact. By using event-driven signage maintenance processes and reducing unnecessary vehicle movements, the trial achieved a 0.014 tCO₂e reduction in emissions—a 97% decrease compared to traditional methods. Eliminating routine signage checks saved 17.5 km of travel per vehicle, demonstrating the benefits of digital technology to enhance sustainability, and reduce the project's environmental impact.
Lessons Learned and Future Applications
The Connect Sydney Workzone Digitisation Trial successfully demonstrated how real-time monitoring can enhance safety, ensure speed compliance, optimise traffic signage, and significantly reduce emissions.
Feedback from contractors on site highlighted the importance of seamless integration, intuitive interfaces, and reliable connectivity. The trial sets a new benchmark for the industry, reinforcing the value of workzone digitisation in improving safety, compliance, and sustainability across diverse environments.
Find out more about the Workzone Digitisation system here.
If you would like further information about Workzone Digitisation, please contact our Head of Digital, Beth Lilford at beth.lilford@altusgroup.com.au
