Work Zone Safety Training

The Technology Transfer Program offers several options for work zone safety training to meet the dynamic needs of those constructing and maintaining roads in California. Four streamlined one-day courses on traffic control and a four-hour workshop for flagger training are available on request for delivery at your agency's location. Agencies may select one course or a combination of courses to meet specific safety training needs.

All training courses incorporate the latest State and Federal guidelines and are available to cities, counties, state and federal agencies, utility companies and private contractors. Customization is a key feature of the Work Zone Safety Training program — each course can be tailored to accommodate the different needs of crews working on local streets, low volume roads, or high-speed facilities. Furthermore, your agency or company can host a class exclusively for your own work crews, or coordinate with neighbors for further savings. The chart below describes training course options and includes links for detailed course outlines and more information about each option.

Our Instructors

Collectively, our team of instructors has over 150 years of work zone related experience and has trained thousands of workers in California.
Our instructor list is available here.

Two of our instructors, Dave Royer and Temo Galvez, are active members of the WATCH Committee. The WATCH Committee is an Administrative Committee of Public Works Standards, Inc (PWSI), made up of Traffic and Civil Engineers, Engineering Consultants and individuals who instruct agency and contractor personnel on work area traffic control. The Committee reviews and evaluates changes to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), and produces a new edition of the Work Area Traffic Control Handbook (WATCH) every three years, or after California adopts each new edition of the MUTCD. These pocket-sized publications comply with the California MUTCD and are specifically geared toward local agency use. All students receive a copy of the WATCH. For more information visit WATCH.

Request a Class

To request a class, please
email workzones@techtransfer.berkeley.edu
or call 510-642-3585.

Comparison Chart of Work Zone Safety Training Options

Traffic Control for Safe Work Zones (TS-10)

Tech Transfer provides Cal-OSHA-compliant work zone safety training for your work zone crew at your location, on request. We offer four convenient one-day course options to best suit your needs. All of the courses cover the basics of work zone traffic control, and each course focuses on a different road volume situation: rural, urban, or rural/urban combined.

The level of flagger training included in each option varies, as well. The options that focus on flagger training issue Flagger Cards, which are wallet-size cards certifying attendance at flagger training that meets CAL-OSHA requirements. This proof of training is needed when assigning crews to perform flagging functions on public roads.

The descriptions below provide a more detailed explanation of the specific content included in each course option.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the training, the student will:

• Understand the requirements to protect the driving public and work zone crew at and around construction and maintenance areas (or work zones)
• Be able to develop traffic control plans for work zones in accordance with state and national guidelines
• Understand safety equipment and markings and their uses/limitations under various conditions
• Be able to install traffic control devices for work zones to assure safety of the driving public and the work zone crew
• Be able to safely install and remove a variety of safety equipment and markings used to control/guide traffic safely through work zones
• Gain knowledge concerning actions to reduce risk of personal and agency liability arising from negligence in the work zone design and operation
• Be able to use flags and paddles to safely control vehicle movements around work zones in accordance with state and national guidelines (optional)

Traffic Control for Safe Work Zones in Rural Areas (with Flagger Cards) (TS-10A)

Detailed Course Outline [pdf]

• Develops 6 traffic control plans for various types of roadway situations encountered in cities and counties with low traffic volumes
• Provides extensive instruction on proper flagging procedures, resulting in the issuance of Flagger Cards for trainees
• Shows legal video on work zone tort liability, but has a less detailed accompanying presentation than the Urban Option

Traffic Control for Safe Work Zones in Urban Areas (TS-10B)

Detailed Course Outline [pdf]

• Develops 9 traffic control plans for various types of roadway situations encountered in cities and counties with high traffic volumes
• Provides basic instruction and shows video on proper flagging procedures
• Shows Legal Video on Work Zone Tort Liability with accompanying presentations on elements for liability, documentation, employee liability, subsequent improvements and joint and several liability

Traffic Control for Safe Work Zones in Urban Areas (with Flagger Cards) (TS-10C)

Detailed Course Outline [pdf]

• Develops 6 traffic control plans for various types of roadway situations encountered in cities and counties with high traffic volumes
• Provides extensive instruction on proper flagging procedures, resulting in the issuance of Flagger Cards for trainees
• Shows legal video on work zone tort liability, but has a less detailed accompanying presentation than the Urban Option

Traffic Control for Safe Work Zones in Urban Areas and Rural Areas (TS-10D)

Detailed Course Outline [pdf]

• Develops 12 traffic control plans for various types of roadway situations encountered in cities and counties with both low and high traffic volumes
• Shows video on proper flagging procedures
• Shows legal video on work zone tort liability with accompanying presentations on elements for liability, documentation, employee liability, subsequent improvements and joint and several liability

Flagging at Work Zones Road Show (TS-02)

The safety of the public and your work zone crew is a top priority. Learn how to set up and operate flagging stations that are both safe and effective. This Road Show emphasizes safety through effective communications between flaggers and road users. The training combines lectures, demonstrations, video presentations, and hands-on skill practice, and is designed for flaggers, road crews, crew leaders, and supervisors.

The training covers: flagger equipment and flagger clothing; flagging guidelines from Caltrans and CAL-OSHA requirements; how to use hand signals; and how to conduct flagging under different roadway and traffic conditions, using a single flagger, two flaggers, or a pilot car. This training meets the CAL-OSHA requirement.

This four-hour training session can be delivered on-site at your location for up to 40 attendees for $1,800 when combined with a TS-10 delivery, or $2,695 for stand alone delivery.

Request a Class

To request a class, please
email workzones@techtransfer.berkeley.edu
or call 510-642-3585.

Additional Resources

Work zone safety references from California agencies, Federal >agencies, and others.

Work zone video resources
More than 50 VHS and DVD videos available for loan from the Institute of Transportation Studies Library, and several streaming internet videos available any time!