Road cones key in triple fatal

Investigators are tight-lipped on whether three road workers killed in a crash near Matata¯ on Tuesday had road cones and other traffic management items in place when they were hit.

In aerial photographs taken by paramotor pilot Dean Remnant traffic cones, temporary signs or other safety items to protect workers are not visible along the stretch of road.

Police confirmed Soul Raroa, 55, David Reginald Te Wira Eparaima, also 55, and Haki Graham Hiha, 40, were clearing a roadside culvert at the time of the crash.

The New Zealand Transport Agency, Worksafe New Zealand, New Zealand Police and Fletchers Building, which owns the victims’ company Higgins, would not comment on whether a traffic management plan was in place and if temporary speed limits were being enforced in the area.

FIRST Union spokesman Jared Abbott said he would have expected a temporary speed limit to be in place along with other safety features.

‘‘I would have expected to see an advanced warning sign up the road as well as shadow vehicles to slow traffic down while the guys are working,’’ he said.

‘‘It is also likely a temporary speed limit should be put in place for work such as this.’’

Abbott was unable to confirm if the safety systems mentioned were being followed at the time of the accident but the union is interested in finding out.

NZTA code of practices for temporary traffic management state traffic management isn’t needed for jobs like clearing culverts if the job can be done in five minutes.

Activities longer than this or in more dangerous environments require some form of traffic management or spotters to be used.

Worksafe New Zealand confirmed it is conducting an investigation into the incident.