HS2 Compliance

Going to be working on HS2 Compliance?

How do you talk about compliance in this case compliance for HGV on HS2 sites and make it interesting and informative?

Well, you could talk about the benefits of compliance but often the approach is the impact of not being compliant. At Daltec, we take a holistic view touching on all the key aspects from the rationale behind the requirement to be compliant, and the benefits that come from it but also recognising that not being compliant usually comes at a cost so that you have all the facts.

For our second in a series of compliance-related blogs and our close proximity to London, we will be looking at the Vehicle Safety requirements for vehicles over 3.5T attending any HS2 work site.

So let us provide some background and look at what is HS2 and its objectives…

What is HS2?

This is how the HS2 website presents the project:

HS2 is the UK’s flagship transport project with the biggest rail investment ever made in the North of England and is Europe’s largest infrastructure project.

Major civil engineering works are now underway with £23 billion contracted into the supply chain and over 350 active sites between the West Midlands and London, supporting over 29,000 jobs, and delivering benefits before a single train has started running.

The new high-speed line will run between the North West and the South East, stopping at Manchester, Birmingham and London with trains continuing on the existing network to Scotland and elsewhere.

HS2 will integrate with new lines and upgrades across Britain’s rail system to deliver faster travel to many towns and cities across Britain not directly on the HS2 route, including Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham, and Derby.

The project is widespread with 170 miles of the new high-speed line already under construction between Crewe and London. In total, over 250 miles of new high-speed line are planned across the country, including:

• HS2 Phase One (linking London, Birmingham and the West Midlands);
• HS2 Phase 2a (extending the line to Crewe);
• HS2 Phase 2b (completing the line to Manchester);
• HS2 East (linking the West and East Midlands with services to Sheffield and Leeds); and
• Northern Powerhouse Rail (with a high-speed link between Warrington and Yorkshire that relies on HS2 Phase 2b infrastructure).
• HS2 will begin running between 2029 and 2033 when Phase One is complete and services will expand as new sections of the network are built.

As a result of this much haulage and transport, businesses are or likely to be involved in its construction so preparation and planning will be key as compliance will be monitored.

Overview

The construction of a project on the scale of HS2 will require the removal and delivery of large quantities of materials throughout the main construction phase along the route line. The project is founded on extensive use of construction haul routes along the alignment of the railway, to manage the flow of construction materials without the need to pass along the public highway network. However, there will be the use of the public highway network.

There will be extensive use of permitted lorry routes approved by local planning authorities to and from work sites, and the volume of vehicles on specified routes will be monitored.

As a result vehicle and driver safety requirements are above the legal minimum standards, which will be adopted to protect vulnerable road users.

How do these impact vehicle operators?

HS2 will require additional compliance over and above the minimum and regulatory requirements so we have reviewed the HS2 Information paper (February 2021) and extracted key information to help:

Vehicle Identification

All vehicles over 3.5t regularly employed on construction will be required to display an A4 size identifier, stating ‘HS2’, inside the cab windscreen in a position that does not obscure the driver’s visibility.

It should only be in use when the vehicle is on HS2 business. The purpose of the identifier is to allow emergency services, stakeholders and the public to identify HS2 vehicles if the vehicles are off permitted routes, parked inappropriately, badly driven or involved in a road traffic incident.

Fleet Operator Quality Plans

Principal Contractors will need to ensure that their heavy goods vehicle fleets operate in accordance with an approved and audited fleet quality plan, such as the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), DVSA’s Earn Recognition or ISO39001.

Light van fleets can follow more appropriate quality plans, such as Van Excellence.

Driver training

The Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) standard is a voluntary standard that has been developed to protect vulnerable road users. Principal Contractors, and their supply chain, will be required to follow appropriate CLOCS requirements.

Drivers need to undertake periodic training, to maintain their Certificate of Professional Competency (CPC). Drivers of vehicles over 3.5t who regularly attend any HS2 worksites must complete CPC training in vulnerable road user awareness, rural driving and fuel efficiency driving within time limits which will be set by the nominated undertaker. Driver training records will be entered into a suitable database for regular review by contractors and compliance monitoring by the nominated undertaker.

Vehicle Safety

Vehicles over 3.5t regularly attending any HS2 work site, as well as complying with all legal regulations and standards, will be required to have the following safety equipment fitted and in full working order at the start of each working day:

• Prominent signage warning other road users not to get too close to the vehicle (this will also apply to certain construction vehicles less than 3.5t )
• Side under-run guards on both sides, unless the contractor has demonstrated that site conditions mean that they are not capable of being fitted; and
  Blind spot minimisation, which may be a combination of Class IV, V and VI mirrors, a camera system for blind spots, audible or visual front nearside driver alerts and audible nearside left turn and reversing external warnings. Fresnel lenses will not be considered adequate for blind spot minimisation.

• Vehicles over 7.5t used for the movement of mass spoil material must also have
• A four-way or 360-degree camera system fitted that can store up to two weeks’ data and which may be viewed by the principal contractor on a ‘just cause’ basis.
• Vehicles failing to comply with the above requirements will not be allowed on HS2 worksites, and drivers will be subject to suspension from all HS2 worksites.

Other vehicle safety standards will also apply and whilst failure to comply will result in vehicles being turned away from HS2 worksites, a driver suspension policy would not apply.

The additional standards are that vehicle:

• Must not have any tinted windows
• Must have clean standard registration plates
• Must have a working beacon fitted
• May only carry passengers for the number of seats fitted
• Must not carry alcohol
• Must carry appropriate emergency aids, such as a first aid kit
• May not carry children or pets
• Must have winter tyres fitted where and when it is a contractor policy for works vehicles.
• Where appropriate, vehicle safety measures can be extended, so that as technology and vehicle design improves these could be adopted sooner by the project as a business case allows.

Compliance Monitoring

Prior to construction, Principal Contractors will be required to produce an Environmental, Sustainability and Safety Management Plan (ESSMP) which will set out how they will adopt:

• A quality plan for fleet operations with audit and annual re-inspection.
• The project’s driver training measures and what further measures, such as driver health management, they propose to adopt.
• The project’s vehicle safety measures and what further innovation they propose to adopt.
• Measures to reduce the environmental impact of construction, such as further improvements to fuel efficiency and reducing road noise.
• Monitoring of compliance will be led by a dedicated monitoring and compliance team employed by the nominated undertaker.

The administrators of the vehicle monitoring system will review contractor performance and compliance with driver and vehicle safety, as well as ensure that contractors comply with approved lorry routes and any relevant undertakings and assurances.

In addition, the compliance team will ensure that the nominated undertaker’s policies and procedures are being adhered to.

How Can Daltec Help?

As you can see there is a lot to contend with so let us highlight how Daltec can support you in becoming compliant for HS2.

Our Expertise

The team at Daltec AI Ltd understand that is absolutely key that our customers can get access to the highest quality products to ensure they can carry out their work with absolute confidence.

Many of our team have come from the same background as our customers or manufacturers, such as fleet management, vehicle telematics, electrical engineering and aftermarket fulfilment sectors, so we understand your business. This means we can also deliver a practical, user-friendly approach that will enable you to grow your business knowing that you have chosen to work with a reliable & personal supplier.

We have years of knowledge within our team and bring the best line of direct support to you. Offering in-house technical support on most cameras, connected & hard drive product groups, plus direct support from all our other manufacturers and vendors.

Daltec products to help with your HS2 Compliance

The depth of our range and solutions is extensive from Cameras, Monitors and Digital Video Recorders to 360 Degree Vision Systems and Driver Monitoring we can help.

Our Ultrasonic and Left/Right/Reverse speaking or White Noise Alarms can help you get noticed along with our Lighting Beacon range.

If you then need to workshop supplies to help fit the equipment Daltec has an extensive range of materials from Cables, Cable Ties, Drill Bits, Relays, Screws and Fasteners to a Soldering Kit, Tape and Terminals.

Just click on one of the links above for more information or visit our website HERE

Summary

With HS2 work continuing to at least 2029 and possibly as long as 2033 compliance will no doubt get tighter, Daltec stands ready to help.

Want to check your DVS star rating? DVS compliance is mandatory in London so if you are likely to be working at a London and also on one of the HS2 sites we can help and advise you with DVS and HS2.

Click HERE for your FREE DVS Compliance Check, for help and support on HS2 compliance, Contact us at info@dal-tec.com or call us on 020 8515 7820 to talk through your requirements.