common on light-duty tow trucks although carry at least one, and preferably two. Advance warning signs are particularly effective when there are limited sight or visibility issues such as rain, fog, and darkness or sight obstructions such as hills, curves, bridges or intersections. Advance warning of an incident ahead can alert motorists early enough for them to prepare for a transition to another lane. These signs should be placed on the blind side of a curve or hill.

22 • November 2021 | Towman.com

In addition to securing your workspace, tow-truck operators should always practice safety while at the side of the roadway. So wear the appropriate PPE, keep an eye on traffic, don’t turn your back to traffic, plan an escape route, complete your work and leave the scene as quickly as possible. Securing your workspace is by no means a guarantee the scene is safe, but it can significantly reduce your exposure to the hazards of working near traffic.

Being Cone Conscious To deploy traffic cones safely at an incident that is on the shoulder and not blocking traffic, but is close enough to the live traffic to create an unusual hazard, follow these steps using six cones: 1. Always keep your eye on traffic during the whole process. 2. Remove all six cones from the truck and place one cone on the outside edge of the shoulder of the road a few feet past the front of the disabled vehicle. 3. Carry the rest of the cones and walk upstream along the shoulder and place a cone on the outside edge of the shoulder near the front of the truck. 4. Continue walking upstream along the shoulder approximately 20 feet and place a cone on the outside edge of shoulder. 5. Continue the same sequence until you are at the last 20 foot space mark with the last cone and you are approximately 80 feet from the tow truck. Place the last cone at the outside edge of the shoulder. 6. Walk back downstream on the shoulder to the next cone and place that cone in the middle of the shoulder. 7. Walk back downstream to the next cone and place that cone just outside of the live traffic lane marker on the roadway. 8. Walk back downstream to the next cone and place it just outside the traffic lane marker on the roadway near the front of the tow truck 9. Walk back downstream to the next cone and move it to just outside of the live traffic lane marker on the roadway. 10. When you are ready to retrieve the cones start at the incident and work your way upstream and place each cone on the shoulder. Pick up the last cone and walk back downstream while picking up the rest of the cones from the shoulder.