Monday, 19 August 2024
More than 1,000 people have now completed best practice roadside barrier design, installation and maintenance training as part of the ASHTAS initiative managed by Austroads.
Geoff Allan, Austroads Chief Executive, congratulated trainers, trainees and the participating road and transport agencies on the milestone.
“Lantra and its approved training providers are delivering a high standard of training. The commitment of Safe System Solutions and Roading Industry Support Services, Australia and New Zealand’s first approved training providers, has resulted in more than 1,000 trained operatives delivering services that will help keep people safe on our roads.”
The scheme provides a graduated pathway starting with entry-level safety and operational awareness and generic installation training.
Individuals can then undertake training for specific types of road safety barriers, such as W-Beam/Thrie Beam, Flexible/Wire Rope Safety Barriers or Rigid Roadside Barriers. Training is also available for proprietary systems.
ASHTAS aims to ensure everyone involved in the installation and maintenance of road safety barriers has the knowledge and skills required to deliver safe road infrastructure.
Austroads oversees ASHTAS and manages the relationship with Lantra on behalf of its members.
"Austroads members, represented by the Austroads Safety Barrier Assessment Panel (ASBAP), are to be congratulated for their adoption of ASHTAS. I also thank Michael Nieuwesteeg Program Manager Road Safety & Design and Chris Koniditsiotis, our Lead Implementation Consultant, for delivering this key initiative,” Geoff said. ASHTAS is mandated in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. South Australia have announced that the training will be mandatory from 1 January 2025.
For detailed information, including jurisdictions mandating ASHTAS, please see the Austroads website.
Background
Run-off-road and head-on crashes are the most common and severe types of crashes, particularly in rural environments and on high-speed urban roads. Installing high-performance safety barriers can create a safer environment for vehicle occupants by preventing vehicles from leaving the roadway and colliding with oncoming vehicles or hazards on the roadside. Safety barriers also protect road workers and others who may be on the roadside.
Austroads members, along with the road safety barrier industry, have been concerned about the quality of installation of road safety barriers which may put the safety of the public and road workers at risk.
To address this issue, Austroads worked with Australian state and territory road transport agencies and New Zealand along with the industry to introduce a nationally consistent training and ongoing accreditation program to ensure all installers and operatives in the workforce understand how to install, repair, and maintain road safety barriers correctly following the manufacturer’s specifications and best practices.