Highway safety inspection policy

During safety inspections, all observed defects that provide a risk to users are recorded and the level of response determined on the basis of risk assessment.

This Policy defines defects in four categories:

• Emergency ‐ those that represent an immediate or imminent hazard or risk short term structural deterioration and require immediate attention.
• Category 1 ‐ those that do not represent an immediate or imminent hazard, or adversely impact the integrity of the highway asset but require relatively urgent attention.
• Category 2 ‐ other defects above Category 1 , that through an assessment of risk do not require immediate or urgent response.
• Planned works/observations - In addition to the above categories, works that require additional planning consideration, proposals for future planned works, or observations should also be recorded. These can be categorised as instances where no repair is currently or urgently required and may include, for example:
  • specialist works
  • works that require more significant coordination
  • notes for consideration which will contribute to the development of future programmes of planned maintenance
  • the instigation of a more regular inspection for monitoring purposes

Emergency defects will be corrected or made safe at the time of the inspection, if reasonably practicable. In this context, making safe may constitute displaying warning notices, coning‐off or fencing‐off to protect the public from the defect or other suitable action. If the inspection team cannot make safe the defect at the time of inspection, then they will instigate the relevant emergency call procedures to ensure appropriate resources are mobilised to make the defect safe. These procedures aim to ensure initial attendance to the defect within 2 hours of the defect being identified. Follow up assessments are carried out to identify whether any further action or works are required.

Category 1 defects may also be corrected or made safe at the time of the inspection, if reasonably practicable. If it is not possible to correct or make safe the defect at the time of inspection, then an appropriate repair, defaulted to be a permanent repair should be carried out within five working days.

If for any reason a permanent repair cannot be carried out then a temporary repair should be effected within 5 working days of the identification of the defect. A subsequent permanent repair completed within 28 working days of the identification of the defect, with the site regularly monitored by the contractor, at a frequency agreed with the Service Manager or their representative, in the intervening period.

If a permanent repair cannot be carried out within the 28 day period, then this needs to be agreed with the Service Manager, and again the site regularly monitored by the contractor at a frequency agreed with the Service Manager or their representative. This is to ensure it remains in a safe condition until a permanent repair can be carried out.

Category 2 defects will be attended to with a targeted permanent repair within 28 working days. The 28 days period should allow such defects to be planned and organised in an efficient and effective way reducing travelling times between sites, return visits etc. and carried out on an area approach basis.

If a permanent repair cannot be carried out within the 28 day period, then this needs to be agreed with the Service Manager, and the site regularly monitored to ensure it remains in a safe condition until a permanent repair can be carried out. The default is that it will be a permanent repair, and the onus is on the contractor to advise if not, and put arrangements in place to monitor until a permanent repair is carried out.

Any arrangements will be recorded on Alloy. An example of the above may be that there is planned works scheduled to be undertaken which would render the repair redundant however, the site would need to be regularly monitored, at a frequency agreed with the Service Manager or their representative, to ensure it remains in a safe condition until the planned works are carried out.

In addition to the above categories, works that require additional planning consideration, proposals for future planned works, or observations should also be recorded. This may be where no repair is currently required and include notes for consideration for future planned works in assisting and contributing to the development of future programmes of planned maintenance. It may also include larger scale works, which will be the subject of further discussion and agreement to determine the most effective timescale to carry out the repair, e.g. in conjunction with other larger scale repairs of a specific or specialist nature. Again, the site may require additional monitoring, to be determined and agreed, to ensure it remains in a safe condition until the planned works are carried out. This may include a more regular inspection requirement for monitoring purposes, and any arrangements will be recorded in Alloy.

Generally, it is expected that defects are repaired permanently wherever possible. However, where defects are made safe through temporary repairs, then a system of monitoring must be in place to ensure the make safe repair is maintained until such time as a full repair is completed. In most cases temporary repairs will be repaired permanently. On occasion the risk assessment may determine that the temporary repair is likely to remain until the next inspection takes place or there may be other reasons not to make a permanent repair (an imminent resurfacing scheme for example). The inspector should make this assessment and record this on Alloy. For Planned works /Observations, the intention is that the contractor will advise the timescale for repair, and similar to above arrange for a more frequent inspection until this time.

All Inspectors are trained in the appropriate classification of defects and training includes examples of defects which may be encountered on the network and potential categorisation. However, on‐site assessment will always need to take account of particular circumstances.

The inspector will also take into account the likelihood of further deterioration before the next scheduled inspection, and where this is a considered a high probability, a higher defect classification may be determined. Response times are based on recommendations contained within Well‐ managed Highway Infrastructure, BC’s general and historic experience, other highways authorities, so that they are at least sufficient for their respective defect category.