Traffic Safety and Control Officer (TSCO)

A traffic safety and control officer (TSCO) is involved with making important decisions on how best to control traffic management. This could include situations such as traffic incidents, planned roadworks, big events or new developments.

Outdoors
Surveying-Planning
Secondary qualifications
Excellent communicator

What does a traffic safety and control officer do?

As a traffic safety and control officer, you will be responsible for ensuring the smooth and safe movement of traffic around road incidents, planned roadworks, large events or construction projects.

The job role of a traffic safety and control officer may involve the following duties:

Making important decisions on how best to design the layout and management of traffic systems
Predicting traffic flow and potential issues on planned routes
Producing daily reports recording traffic management
Handling incidents, such as road traffic collisions, and arranging the swift removal of debris and other risks
Providing a highly visible presence at road traffic incidents
Keeping traffic flow as smooth as possible without compromising public safety
Liaising with the traffic manager on a daily basis to agree a programme of works
Undertaking continuous improvement by monitoring user experiences and making changes accordingly
Planning the safest, quickest and most efficient routes.

How to become a traffic safety and control officer

There are no set qualifications usually required to become a traffic safety and control officer, however you could gain useful skills by completing a college course, an apprenticeship, or on the job training.

Some employers will require a Lantra qualification, such as 12A Foreman Training, 12D Working on Single Carriageways or M7 Managers Client Officers.

You should explore these routes to find out which is the right one for you. Although some of these options have certain qualification requirements, many employers are more interested in people who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and can follow instructions.

You may need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site.

College/training provider

You could attend a specialist college or training provider and begin by studying civil engineering to help you on your journey to becoming a traffic safety and control officer.

Once you’ve qualified, you could specialise in traffic safety and control to help you move into this area.

Apprenticeship

You could train as an apprentice civil engineer to help you on your journey to becoming a traffic safety and control officer. Alternatively, you could complete a town planning apprenticeship with a local authority, and then move into traffic management.

Guide to apprenticeships

Work

If you have some basic experience, you could apply directly to a construction company to gain onsite experience and training as a traffic safety and control officer.You might start out as an assistant to a more experienced traffic safety and control officer and progress as your abilities improve.

Work experience

Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works as a traffic safety and control officer. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV.

Find out more about work experience

Skills

Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as a traffic safety and control officer include:

Knowledge of transport methods, costs and benefits
Ability to think analytically and problem solve
Excellent verbal communication skills
Good attention to detail
Flexible and open to change
Ability to use your judgement and make decisions.

Qualifications

England

To become a traffic safety and control officer, you could complete a:

Level 2 Temporary Traffic Management Operative Apprenticeship

Scotland

To become a traffic safety and control officer, you could complete a:

SVQ at SCQF level 5 in Temporary Traffic Management
SCQF Level 5 in Temporary Traffic Management

Wales

To become a traffic safety and control officer, you could complete a:

Level 2 Traffic Officer NVQ

How much could you earn as a traffic safety and control officer?

The expected salary for a traffic safety and control officer varies as you become more experienced.

Newly trained traffic safety and control officers can start at £25000
Trained with experience traffic safety and control officers can earn up to £50000*

Salaries depend on location, employer, level of responsibility, any overtime you may do, and whether you have completed an industry recognised training route.

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources