CTSP CTSP Ground Operations and Traffic Control 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During tree removal operations on a city street, who is ultimately responsible for ensuring the traffic control plan is implemented correctly?
- The municipal traffic engineer on call
- The crew's qualified line-clearance arborist or job supervisor (Correct answer)
- Each individual worker on-site
- The local police department
Correct answer: The crew's qualified line-clearance arborist or job supervisor
The designated job supervisor or qualified arborist is accountable for proper implementation of the traffic control plan on the worksite.
Question 2: What does the acronym TAPER describe in traffic control zone setup?
- The warning sign spacing formula used on high-speed roads
- The transition area where lanes merge before the work space (Correct answer)
- A type of reflective barricade used at night
- The required distance between flaggers on a two-lane road
Correct answer: The transition area where lanes merge before the work space
The taper is the transition area with channelizing devices that guides traffic from the normal lane into the adjusted path around the work space.
Question 3: A tree crew must work after dark on a roadside. Which additional requirement applies compared to daytime operations?
- Flaggers are no longer needed if cones are in place
- All channelizing devices must include retroreflective material or lighting (Correct answer)
- The work zone buffer can be reduced by half
- High-visibility vests are optional if headlamps are worn
Correct answer: All channelizing devices must include retroreflective material or lighting
MUTCD and ANSI Z133 require retroreflective or illuminated channelizing devices for nighttime work zones to ensure visibility to drivers.
Question 4: A ground worker is feeding brush into a chipper when a large limb jams the infeed. The CORRECT response is to:
- Use hands or a boot to push the limb further into the drum
- Shut off the chipper and follow the manufacturer's lockout/tagout procedure before clearing the jam (Correct answer)
- Increase engine throttle to force the limb through
- Ask the climber to cut the limb smaller while it remains in the infeed
Correct answer: Shut off the chipper and follow the manufacturer's lockout/tagout procedure before clearing the jam
Lockout/tagout procedures must be followed before any attempt to clear a chipper jam to prevent catastrophic injury from unexpected machine start-up.
Question 5: Which factor MOST influences the length of the activity area (work space) in a temporary traffic control zone?
- The number of workers on the crew
- The size and location of the tree being removed (Correct answer)
- The type of vehicles used by the crew
- The time of day the work is performed
Correct answer: The size and location of the tree being removed
The size and location of the tree dictates how much roadway space must be closed to safely perform removal or pruning operations.
Question 6: When establishing a one-lane, two-way operation controlled by flaggers, which communication method is REQUIRED between the two flaggers?
- Visual hand signals only
- A reliable two-way radio or equivalent communication system (Correct answer)
- Cellular phone calls
- A predetermined color-coded flag system
Correct answer: A reliable two-way radio or equivalent communication system
MUTCD requires reliable two-way communication between flaggers at opposite ends so they can coordinate releasing vehicles safely.
Question 7: A ground worker observes that a co-worker has been struck by a falling branch and is unconscious. After calling 911, the NEXT priority is to:
- Remove the worker from the work zone immediately regardless of spinal injury risk
- Administer CPR if the worker is not breathing and there is no pulse (Correct answer)
- Document the incident in the safety log
- Clear the drop zone of all additional debris before rendering aid
Correct answer: Administer CPR if the worker is not breathing and there is no pulse
After activating EMS, providing CPR for an unresponsive, pulseless victim is the highest life-safety priority guided by standard first-aid protocols.
CTSP CTSP Ground Operations and Traffic Control 5
During tree removal operations on a city street, who is ultimately responsible for ensuring the traffic control plan is implemented correctly?