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Flaggers should stand in front of the first cone in a taper, per the published standards in that region. Flagging stations should always be highly visible and avoid visual obstructions such as trees, excessive shade, etc.

Hand-signaling devices, such as STOP/SLOW paddles, lights, and red flags, are used to control road users through temporary traffic control zones. Guidance: The STOP/SLOW paddle should be the primary and preferred hand-signaling device because the STOP/SLOW paddle gives road users more positive guidance than red flags.

Safety vests – During daylight hours, flaggers are required to wear a Class II vest. Other workers should wear high-visibility clothing such as a vest or orange T-shirt. At night flaggers must wear a Class II vest and high-visibility Class E orange pants and a hard hat with 12 square inches of retro-reflectivity.

Do not stand in front of construction equipment or signs. Keep your vehicle away from your flagger station. Advance warning signs tell motorists what to expect on the roadway and give them time to respond. Except in emergency situations, flagger stations must be preceded by an advance warning sign or signs.

The flagger should be visible for at least 500 ft. in daytime operations, 1000 ft. for nighttime operations, or more if conditions warrant.

Factors such as visibility, traffic speeds and volume, road conditions, and the work being done should be considered in determining your proper location.

Do not stand in the shade. Do not stand in front of construction equipment or signs. Keep your vehicle away from your flagger station. Advance warning signs tell motorists what to expect on the roadway and give them time to respond.

The flagger should stand either on the shoulder adjacent to the road user being controlled or in the closed lane prior to stopping road users. A flagger should only stand in the lane being used by moving road users after road users have stopped.

Flagging can be a very fast-paced job, as roadwork is often done on a tight schedule. You can expect to work all types of shifts, including overnight and the hours can be long. Flaggers don't work alone but rather in teams, communicating with each other on hand-held radios.