Traffic Control Flagger Safety Program
Chapter Section
High-visibility Clothing
Flaggers must wear high-visibility clothing so that pedestrians and vehicles can see them easily even from a far distance. During daytime, the flagger’s vest, jacket or shirt should be orange, yellow, yellow-green or a fluorescent version of these colors.
Flagging Position
- Flaggers must remain alert and standing at all times. No lawn chairs or straddling barricades.
- However, a small plastic foot rest can go a long way to reducing fatigue and back pain.
- Always face oncoming traffic and never turn your back to oncoming traffic or stand in the path of moving traffic.
- A flagger’s normal station is on the shoulder of the road, not in the line of traffic.
- Stand in a location that allows approaching traffic adequate time to respond.
- Vehicle drivers must be able to recognize you as a flagger for at least the minimum site distance.
- As an example, if the posted speed limit is 30 miles per hour, minimum site distance is approximately 550 feet.
