| WORK
NEAR TRAMWAYS
Special
safety precautions must be taken when works are to be
carried out near a tramway. A summary of the
main safety points is given below. Detailed
advice must be obtained by your supervisor from the
relevant track or transport authority prior to
starting work and given to those carrying out the
works.
Risk of
collision with the tramcar
Unlike
other traffic a tramcar cannot swerve to avoid a
person or obstruction. Tramcars are wider than the
tracks on which they run. The
path of a tramcar which must be left unobstructed is
known as the ‘swept path’.
In some cases this is indicated by a line of yellow
discs, a painted line or a raised kerb.
It
is essential that signing and guarding equipment,
operatives, vehicles and pedestrians are kept out of
the swept path. Where the
works cause the footway to be diverted into the
carriageway, the barrier between the
pedestrians and the tramway must be kept at least 0.5
metres away from the edge of the swept path.
Where
the safety zone sideways clearance would intrude on
the swept path, your
supervisor should consult the
transport authority. The
safety zone may be reduced to 300mm and the transport
authority may impose a
speed restriction on tramcars, and/or provide a
lookout.
Risk of
electrocution
Tramway
electrical cables consist of overhead lines and
underground cables that may be placed outside the
swept path.
No equipment, plant,
vehicles, etc. should be brought within 2 metres of
the overhead lines. Your supervisor should liase with
the track or transport authority before working close
to overhead lines.
Underground
cables should be dealt with using standard safe
digging practices.
Tramway
crossings
Where
a tramway runs on a reserved track but crosses the
road at certain places, such crossings should be
treated as railway level
crossings.
Works on Footways
Greater emphasis is
placed on works which effect the footway. Where the
pedestrians are diverted into the carriageway in a
temporary walkway, a safety zone must be provided
appropriate to the speed of traffic for the longways
and sideways clearances.
Boards or plates
(minimum 1 metre wide) used to cover excavations in
the footway to maintain pedestrian access must be
rigid enough to support the type and volume of
pedestrians. Where the boards are adjacent to
any excavations an edge board must be provided as well
as rigid barriers which include a top and bottom rail.
Ramps must be used
where pedestrians have to negotiate the kerb which
must be fixed to prevent movement. The ramps
must not prevent the flow of rainwater in the gully or
cover a drain/gully cover.
Where works effect the
use of a pedestrian or cycle crossing the Street
Authority must be consulted as the crossing may need
to be closed and alternative routes used.
Road Plates
Where road plates are
used they must be strong enough to support the type of
traffic and be ramped on the approach and exit. Ramp
signs should be used and the plates fixed to the
surface to prevent movement. Alternately the
road plates are to be sunk into the surface. A
skid resistant material should be on the surface.
Edges of road plates adjacent to excavations must be
fenced to prevent falls. The trench must
be adequately supported to resist overloading the
sides of the excavation.
Note:
The Code of Practice does not cover works on motorways
and dual carriageways with Hard shoulder.
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In
exceptional circumstances where the road width
prevents the provision of the appropriate sideways
clearance, and diversion of
traffic would be impracticable, traffic speeds must be
reduced to less than 10 mph
and a safe method of working imposed. This must
be agreed with the highway authority. At least two
chicanes are required, of the
minimum size to allow a large vehicle to pass through
slowly. Traffic must first be
brought to a halt by positive traffic control and then
released in small batches by careful use of Stop/Go
boards or manually controlled
portable traffic signals. This may have the effect of
reducing speeds to 10 mph
over short lengths of shuttle working. For longer
lengths or problem sites a convoy system will be
necessary, i.e. where a suitable
works vehicle leads traffic through at 10 mph. This is
the only way of ensuring
traffic complies with a 10 mph traffic order. Display
‘Convoy system in operation’ signs at each
end.