Paths for All Factsheet 5.7 Updated: May 2015 Original version: 2002 Path Construction Project Checklist This factsheet provides a quick checklist of all the main points and issues to consider when carrying out path construction on either a small or large project. Refer to the other factsheets (5.1-5.6) for more information about project management and health and safety for path construction projects. To complete your path construction project successfully, you should consider all of the following points. Tick boxes have been provided to help you work through the process. Consultation to determine exactly what pathwork is needed. Determine if expert help is needed, e.g. project manager. Survey the area(s) to be worked on to determine what is there already, and how it will be affected by the new proposal. Determine what health and safety legislation applies including the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Refer to factsheet 5.4 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 in Path Construction. Determine if the path construction will last more than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working on site at any one time, or exceeds 500 person days - if it does, notify project to the Health and Safety Executive - by completing and submitting online F10 form on HSE website: F10 - Notification of construction project. Check to see if the site where the new proposal is to happen affects natural heritage or historic site interests contact the local Scottish Natural Heritage office and local authority/ national park archaeologist. Check to see if the site where the new proposal is to happen needs planning permission contact the local authority/ national park planning department. Appoint a designer to prepare a design for what you are proposing that is safe to build, maintain, and use.
Appoint a principal designer (only for projects where more than one contractor will be on site) to plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate the pre-construction phase. Produce tender document, including pre-construction information to enable the path construction to be priced Appoint a contractor to do the path construction and plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate the construction phase. Appoint a principal contractor (only for projects where more than one contractor will be on site) to do the path construction and plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate the construction phase. Also manage the other contractors on site under their control. Make sure contractor prepares construction phase plan before construction phase begins, and provides suitable and adequate welfare facilities on site. Make sure principal contractor prepares construction phase plan before construction phase begins, and provides suitable and adequate welfare facilities on site for all contractors. Provide site supervision to make sure the contractor (or principal contractor) works to specification and health and safety regulations. Make sure principal designer develops and produces a health and safety file for the project or an existing file is updated. Note: if principal designer is not still involved by end of project, principal contractor finishes off the file. Sign the works off with a completion certificate on satisfactory completion of all works. Have a 6 month or 12 month defects liability period legally binding on the contractor (or principal contractor) for doing workmanship defects, not design issues. 2
Examples 1. Installing 6 gates and 12 signs along an existing path What is required Number and type of signs and gates, as reasonable step consider the least restrictive option - two-way opening gate. Expert help No need for a professional surveyor, walk the path marking the location of signs and gates on an OS map of suitable scale. You need someone to design and manufacture your signs - a sign company will do. Purchase the gates from a company, who manufacture the types of gates suitable for outdoor access/ public rights of way. Refer to Paths for All s Contractor and Consultants List (available on the Paths for All website: www.pathsforall.org.uk ) for sign companies and gate suppliers. Survey Look at sign and gate locations: where will signs point, what gap width is available, what fencing work is required, what are the ground conditions like at each installation point, and what underground utility services may be present (gas, electricity, water, telecommunication, etc.). Health and safety CDM Regulations 2015 will not apply, but as minimum site specific risk assessments for each location would be required. Design Determine wording / layout, produce design, proof design, and manufacture, obtain manufacturers installation recommendations. Specify insertion depths, post fixings, preservatives or other treatments. Obtain any approvals from relevant local authority, e.g. Roads and Planning Department. Tender document Need only be brief for this type of work. Basic bill of quantities, site plans (OS maps) showing location of each sign and gate, and any specifications showing insertion depths for signs and gate hanging posts and installation instructions from gate suppliers. Also, provide any pre-construction information, which will advise the contractor of any hazards within the installation site locations such as underground services - if reasonable obtainable, ask utility service providers to supply service plans. Appoint a contractor No need for formal tender process for this scale of work. Obtain three quotes and go with the best value or, negotiate a price with a good local contractor. Site supervision Mark clearly, where gates and signs are to go and where signs are to point. Make sure they are put in correctly, signs are in the right place, and point in the right direction. Make sure gates open and close properly. In addition, sites are 3
left tidy. Health and safety file Not required, as CDM Regulations 2015 do not apply to his work, but record sign and gate locations for future maintenance works and replacement. Sign off Use a simple certificate, which will be signed, by the you and the contractor on satisfactory completion of all works. Defects period 6 months defects period to cover for example sign posts which become loose, fence wires which slacken off, gate catches which break, self-closers which fail. 2. Construction of a new tarmac path (500 metres) What is required Who is going to use it, where it will go, type of path surface, width and gradients to make it fit for purpose meeting the user needs and making sure it is appropriate for environment setting. Determine this through appropriate consultation. Speak to any landowners to find out if their happy with the proposal, and to see if there is any issue that could stop project moving forward at later stage. Expert help Appoint a designer to do a specification survey and prepare a design for the path. Appoint a principal designer, as there will more than one contractor working on site at any one time, to plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate the preconstruction stages they will work with the designer and advise and assist the client with their CDM duties. Survey Look at the existing path to determine slopes, ground conditions, drainage requirements, access restrictions, and if necessary, re-alignment. Look for hazards that may affect how the paths designed and built. Health and safety CDM Regulations 2015 will apply in full. There is going to be two contractors on site at same time, groundworks contractor and tarmac surfacing contractor so project needs to appoint principal designer at planning stage, and principal contractor at tender stage. Estimate number of construction working days is 35, number of workers going to work on site at any one time maximum 10 people, and number of person days is 350. Based on these estimate numbers, this project is non-notifiable, so will not need notifying to Health and Safety Executive. 4
Hazard issue - Dealing with the public who may want to use the path. This hazard needs managing by principal contractor with suitable safe system of work (method statement) whilst the works carried out by them and the surfacing contractor. Hazard issue Contact with overhead electricity powerlines crossing over line of new path at two locations. This hazard needs managing by principal contractor with suitable safe system of work (method statement) whilst the works carried out by them and the surfacing contractor. Delivery lorry drivers will also be affected by this hazard when tipping out the stone and tarmac. Planning permission The existing route is grass surfaced and the survey has established that there is no engineered surface beneath. Based on that information, the local authority planning department were contacted to find out if planning permission would be required. The planner advised that planning permission is needed as there is no path surface there the path is a new development and land use will change. Client need to apply for full planning permission. Natural heritage and historic site interests Local SNH office contacted to find out if the new path had affect upon any landscape or nature conservation interests in the area. SNH advised the client that there was no landscape or natural heritage sites (or reported protected species) in area. However, the SNH office did advise the client to carry out wildlife survey in case there was something of wildlife importance along the route, or nearby. Client undertook a wildlife survey with nothing of importance found. Local authority archaeologist contacted to find out if the new path would affect any historic heritage sites in the area. Archaeologist advised that there were no sites of historic importance on or near the route Design The paths design should be fit for purpose and suitable for the environment through which it passes. Hazards must be identified with the design and removed if possible. Any remaining risks must be reduced and controlled information about those risks must be passed onto client/ principal designer for inclusion in pre-construction information. Tender document Produce a tender document including instructions to tenderers, terms and conditions of contract, specifications, construction drawings, bill of quantities, site layout plan, and pre-construction information. The principal designer will advise and assist the client with gathering and putting together information for pre-construction information document. Where information is lacking/ missing, the client must reasonable steps to obtain that information the principal designer will assist with this task. Appoint a contractor Appoint a principal contractor by tender preferred contractor selected on price, health and safety accident record, and previous similar work experience, and organisational capabilities. 5
Construction phase plan Principal contractor must produce a construction phase plan before starting site set up and path construction. Welfare facilities Principal Contractor or Contractor must provide suitable and adequate welfare facilities onsite before any work begins. Site supervision Hold a pre-start meeting with all others involved in the project. Hold fortnightly site meetings throughout construction phase. Designer (or principal designer) to visit the site at least twice a week for work progress meetings with principal contractor. Health and safety file There is no existing file so principal designer must start to develop a new file at pre-construction stages. Throughout the construction phase, principal designer continues to gather relevant information from the designer and principal contractor for the file. Within reasonable time of construction work completion, principal designer finishes off the files content, and then passes it over to client. Client retains it, keeps it up to date with respect to any minor changes, and make sure it is available for any future maintenance projects (to assist in preparing any relevant information for the new pre-construction information). Sign off Provide a completion certificate, which should be signed by the principal contractor and client on satisfactory completion of all works. Defects period Hold 3% of the total contract cost for a period of one year during which time the contractor has a defects liability. At the end of the year, have a further sign off and formal handover to the client. Important note This factsheet has been compiled using the best information available to Paths for All at the time of publication. It is intended as a general guide to the topic and should not be viewed as a substitute for expert advice and professional guidance. Contact Paths for All at: Alloa office Office 8 Forrester Lodge Tullibody Road ALLOA FK10 2HU Tel: 01259 218888 Fax: 01259 218488 e-mail: : info@pathsforall.org.uk Inverness office Great Glen House Leachkin Road INVERNESS IV3 8NW Tel: 01463 725152 Fax: 01463 725067 e-mail: info@pathsforall.org.uk 6