Legal Status
O1.3.1 Chapter 8 The Traffic Signs Manual is applicable in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Chapter sets out a code of practice to enable the legal requirements to be met in a wide variety of circumstances, although it has no statutory force, except in Northern Ireland where an authorised officer for the Department may deem it to have such force. (In Northern Ireland, Article 31 (or equivalent) is the legal status that deems Chapter 8 to be a legal document for certain roads only and only for the signs and devices used.)
O1.3.2 It should be noted that many of the basic principles contained in chapter 8 are also covered in the Safety at Street Works and Road Works – A Code of Practice, which has legal backing under Sections 65 and 124 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and Article 25 of the Street Works (NI) Order 1995. ( Not applicable to highway Works).
O1.3.3 Section 174 of the Highways Act 1980 and Section 60 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and Article 31 of the Road Traffic Regulation (NI) Order 1997 make it clear that the proper guarding, lighting and signing of the works are the responsibility of the person carrying them out.
Why Do We Need Traffic Management
The complexity of traffic management arrangements varies from scheme to scheme, but the primary objective is always to maximise the safety of the workforce and the travelling public.
O2.1.2 The live carriageway of any road is a dangerous working environment in which to work. In particular, during the periods when traffic management arrangements are being set up, changed, maintained or removed, operatives may need to work on the live carriageway without the protection afforded by the fully installed layouts. It is therefore essential that temporary traffic management operations are designed, planned and implemented in accordance with a safe system of work.
O2.1.4 Where works are in progress on a highway, or on any road to which the public have access, the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 (or Health and Safety at Work Order (NI) Order 1978) requires those responsible for the works to establish and maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe systems of work, including:
- the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health;
- arrangements for ensuring the safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances;
- the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of their employees;
- the maintenance of any place of work under the employer’s control in a condition that is safe and without risks to health including the provision and maintenance of means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without such risks;
- and the provision and maintenance of a working environment that is safe, without risks to health, and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work.
Training Requirements
O6.2.1 Each operative engaged in the installation, removal and maintenance of traffic management equipment shall be competent in the particular activity in which they are involved and should have a full understanding of the signing requirements for the activity and the correct operation of the equipment they are using. Only adequately trained and competent operatives and foremen/supervisors should be engaged in temporary traffic management operations.
O6.2.3 In the case of Highway Authority road works, members of the workforce should have successfully completed the appropriate nationally recognized training and have been successfully assessed for competency against national standards for temporary traffic management. Training includes appropriate driver instruction for use of impact protection vehicles within static traffic management operations and mobile lane closure operations.
O6.2.4 The National Highway Sector Schemes (NHSS) 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D provide details of one such nationally recognized training and competency assessment regime that may be considered appropriate for Highway Authority road works traffic management activities.
NHSS 12D no longer recognizes the training, assessment and accreditation for street works as it is only recognized as a qualification for the installation, maintenance and inspection of utility apparatus in the carriageway under the NRSW order 1995 (NI). Any works carried outside the scope of Streetworks will be incorporated into The NHSS 12 as highway works for the installation of temporary traffic management.
O6.2.5 Other sector schemes such as NHSS13A also include requirements for temporary traffic management based on the training and competency assessment requirement contained in NHSS 12A to 12D. Details of all these sector schemes can be downloaded from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, UKAS website, www.ukas.com.
O6.2.6 Operatives should undertake regular refresher training to ensure their knowledge and skills remain up to date. Sector schemes require operatives and supervisors to be reassessed every fi ve years and to attend refresher training as part of that re-assessment process. The Street Works (Qualifications of Supervisors and Operatives) Regulations 1992 will provide the necessary details in regard to undertakers’ street works.
O6.2.7 On the Highways Agency network in England, the organisations engaged in traffic management operations are required to comply fully with the requirements of the National Highway Sector Schemes. All operatives are required to carry the appropriate registration card at all times when working and the contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all operatives (including any sub-contract personnel) meet these requirements.
All information above are extracts from Chapter 8 Traffic Signs Manual (parts 1+2). This shows clearly how you should meet regulatory requirements for the installation of temporary traffic management for all roads.