Street works

Helen Street works (Rover), 223 Henley-on-Thames, 149-150, 230 Henry Butcher Co, 141 Herben Morris Co, 67 Heron, Colonel G. C. H., 130 Herston Caves, 15 High Explosives, imported, 42 Hispano cannon, 149,170,... 

The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 stipulates circumstances under which certain excavation contractors, defined as utilities and other undertakers, must give notice of their planned works. Emergency, urgent and some minor works are excluded from this duty. It also requires that contractors keep up-to-date records of the location of their apparatus and make them available, free of charge, for inspection at all reasonable hours. The exemptions applicable to the Act do not affect contractor liability under the HSW Act. 

The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 requires that the person who supervises any street works must be qualified under the Street Works (Qualifications of Supervisors and Operatives) Regulations 1992. There must also be an operative who is qualified under the same regulations, on site while work is in progress. 

Hazards to the general public and the associated controls in construction activities, including street works... 

Street works present particular hazards to pedestrians and many of these hazards are discussed in Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10. Work on a pavement or road is hazardous for both members of the public and the construction workers. Pavements should be kept clear of tripping hazards, such as trailing cables. The site must be well lit at night. Road traffic past the site may also need to be controlled to protect the workforce. Members of the public and traffic vehicles must also be protected from the elbows of loaders, excavators and cranes which may swing into their path. More detailed advice is available from the Code of Practice Safety at street works and road works related to the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. The following points for the protection of pedestrians should be considered when work in streets or similar areas is being planned ... 

The prevailing legislation surrounding street works is primarily enshrined in The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA). This is a detailed Act with 171 sections but it is Part III, which applies to street works in England and Wales, and IV, which applies to road works in Scotland, that most concern health and safety. A summary of the general requirements only is given. 

Prior to this legislation, the Public Utilities and Street Works Act 1950 (PUSWA) gave public utilities the right to dig up roads without needing to obtain prior permission, while local authorities were generally responsible for carrying out the permanent reinstatements. As this... 

Street works or road works (in Scotland) means works for any purpose (other than works for road purposes) executed in a street or road in pursuance of a statutory right or a street license (permission granted under Section 109 in Scotland). It covers works of any of the following kinds ... 

The sheer volume of street works is colossal - with the vast majority giving less than seven days notice. Clearly it would be unrealistic and unwieldy to expect local authorities to inform residents and businesses about every last piece of activity. 

As a result of the widespread perception that street works are often unnecessarily protracted, the government held consultations before activating Section 74 of the NRSWA under The Street Works (Charges for Unreasonably Prolonged Occupation of the Highway) (England) Regulations 2001. 

New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, Chapter 22, London, The Stationery Office... 

Every year there are thousands of incidents involving damage to buried cables, some of which result in burn injuries and a few (typically one or two) are fatal. Most of the incidents occur during street works where utility companies, construction companies and local authorities carry out excavations in the highway and damage an electricity supply company s underground mains. Other incidents take place on construction sites and other private property and involve a supply company s service cables or mains, or distribution cables belonging to the site occupier. 

Under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 the local authority has to keep a register of information concerning the apparatus in the streets and coordinate the activities of excavators digging them up. The excavator should therefore be able to obtain all the details of the buried services from the local authority without the need to approach all the undertakers before excavating. 

National Joint Utilities Group, The (NJUG) http //www.njug.org.uk/ (accessed November 3, 2010). This is the U.K. trade grouping for the utilities in street works. 

Plant operator training and certification to CITB standard is required. Supervisors must be trained in traffic management. Supervisors and operatives required to be qualified to Street Works (Qualification of Supervisors and Operatives) Regulations 1992. 

DoT publication — Safety at Street Works and Roadworks, ACoP... 

Fourfold Mouldings Ltd Hollings Street Works Cottingley Bingley Yorks Bingley 2852... 

Streetly Manufacturing Co Ltd Streetly Works Sutton Coldfield Warwicks 021 -353 2411... 

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