Independent Safety Audit Scheme

In 1994, the Works Branch and Hong Kong Construction Association initiated the implementation of Independent Safety Audit Scheme (ISAS). After a trial in three contracts, the new scheme was formally introduced in 1996 to public works... 

PFSS was introduced in Hong Kong in 1996. It primarily aims at accident reduction in competitive tendering system. It runs in line with Independent Safety Audit Scheme. It includes a fixed sum under site safety section in the Bills of Quantities. Safety items usually include safety officer appointment, site safety meeting, safety plan and safety training. These items will then be priced based on total payment to the contractor. It costs approximately 2 % of the estimated contract sum (Fong 2000). 

Another important issue is the way local authorities audit development-led schemes. Some authorities audit all schemes related to new developments on an in-house basis while others insist that an independent Road Safety Audit be carried out for the developer. 

Road Safety Audit is not an opportunity to redesign a scheme or to make changes to design with no apparent link to a safety issue. It is not intended to be a technical check on the design elements nor a design standards check. These should be carried out independently of the Road Safety Audit. 

Road Safety Auditors should have experience of road safety, and have undertaken an approved course in Road Safety Audit. They need to demonstrate independence from the design team. The Road Safety Audit Team Leader should be a qualified engineer registered as an auditor, with 3 years road safety engineering experience. A Road Safety Auditor Team Member requires 2 years experience. The team normally consists of two auditors, but a single auditor is allowed on small schemes. 

Most organisations imdertake a technical audit (or check) of their designs. Sometimes these are formalised through their Quality Assurance process and sometimes they involve less formal procedures. They are used to ensure that the design complies with national or local standards and to minimise mistakes within the design. They may include elements of road safety but do not set out to check the final safety performance of a scheme. The audits may be carried out by a senior member within the design team or by an independent person from another design team. 

A cycle audit is a check on a scheme design to ensure that the particular needs of cyclists have been taken into account. The Institution of Highways and Transportation produced guidelines on cycle audit (IHT, 1996), which helps to define this task and explain how it should be carried out. The guidelines were endorsed by the Department for Transport in a Traffic Advice Leaflet (DfT, 1998a). The safety of cyclists is one of the items to be considered in a cycle audit, but there are other matters such as comfort and continuity of route. Cycle audits are normally carried out by someone independent of the design team who has experience of the needs of cyclists. 

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