Safety Statement for a Civil Engineering Contractor Working on Public Roads

Civil engineering contractors working on public roads in Ireland face a unique combination of hazards including live traffic, buried services, and...

The Unique Hazards of Road Construction

Civil engineering contractors working on public roads face a combination of hazards that is unlike almost any other construction environment. The most distinctive hazard is live traffic. Unlike a building site that can be fenced off and secured, a road construction site is typically adjacent to, or within, a live carriageway. Vehicles travelling at speed pass within metres of workers on foot, plant operators, and temporary works. The consequences of a vehicle striking a worker or entering a work zone are almost always severe.

In addition to the traffic hazard, road construction involves excavation work, with the associated risks of excavation collapse and buried services. It involves the use of heavy plant and machinery, including excavators, rollers, pavers, and articulated trucks. It involves the use of hot materials, including bituminous surfacing materials. And it often involves working in remote locations, away from immediate emergency assistance.

The Legal Requirement for a Safety Statement

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires every employer with three or more employees to prepare a written Safety Statement based on a risk assessment of the hazards in the workplace. For a civil engineering contractor working on public roads, the Safety Statement must address the specific hazards of road construction, including traffic management, excavation work, and the operation of plant and machinery.

A generic construction safety statement that does not address these specific hazards is not suitable and sufficient under Irish law. The Safety Statement must be specific to the work carried out by the company and must be reviewed whenever there is a significant change in the work activities or when a new hazard is identified.

Traffic Management

Traffic management is the most critical safety issue for a roads contractor. The Safety Statement must address the risk of vehicle incursion into the work zone and the controls in place to manage that risk. These controls should include the preparation of a Traffic Management Plan (TMP) for each project, in accordance with the Traffic Management Guidelines published by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the relevant local authority.

The TMP should specify the layout of the traffic management scheme, the signing and delineation to be used, the speed limits to be imposed, and the arrangements for maintaining the traffic management scheme throughout the project. The TMP should be prepared by a competent person and should be reviewed and updated as the work progresses.

The Safety Statement should also address the risk of workers being struck by vehicles within the work zone. Controls should include the provision of high-visibility clothing for all workers, the segregation of plant and pedestrian routes within the work zone, and the use of banksmen where plant is operating in the vicinity of workers on foot.

Excavation Work

Road construction typically involves significant excavation work, including the excavation of trenches for drainage and services, the excavation of road cuttings, and the excavation of foundations for structures such as bridges and culverts. The Safety Statement must address the risk of excavation collapse and the controls in place, including the use of shoring or battering for excavations deeper than 1.25 metres.

The risk of striking buried services is particularly significant on public roads, which are typically densely serviced with electricity cables, gas pipes, water mains, telecommunications cables, and sewers. The Safety Statement must address the procedures for obtaining service drawings, using cable and pipe locating equipment, and hand digging in the vicinity of identified services.

Plant and Machinery

Road construction involves the operation of a wide range of plant and machinery, including excavators, rollers, pavers, compactors, and articulated trucks. The Safety Statement must address the risk of plant and vehicle interactions and the controls in place, including operator competency requirements, pre-use inspection procedures, and the arrangements for segregating plant and pedestrian routes within the work zone.

Hot Works and Bituminous Materials

Road surfacing work involves the use of hot bituminous materials, which present risks of burns and fire. The Safety Statement must address these risks and the controls in place, including the provision of appropriate PPE, the procedures for handling and applying hot materials, and the arrangements for dealing with spillages.

What the Safety Statement Must Include

A Safety Statement for a civil engineering contractor working on public roads should include company details and scope of work, management structure and responsibilities for health and safety, written risk assessments for each significant hazard including traffic management, excavation work, buried services, plant and machinery, and hot works, safe systems of work for high-risk activities, competency requirements for key roles including plant operators and traffic management personnel, inspection and maintenance arrangements for plant and equipment, emergency procedures including the arrangements for dealing with a vehicle incursion into the work zone, and review arrangements.

Conclusion

A Safety Statement for a civil engineering contractor working on public roads must be specific to the hazards of the work. Traffic management is the most critical issue, but excavation work, buried services, plant and machinery, and hot works all require careful risk assessment and robust controls. A well-prepared Safety Statement is not just a legal requirement; it is the foundation of a safe and well-managed roads construction project.