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Public Industry Group
Public Industry Group
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Health and Safety Forum is an open forum for members of the Electricity Supply Industry to discuss... View more
Public Industry Group
Group Description
Health and Safety Forum is an open forum for members of the Electricity Supply Industry to discuss health and safety matters and learn from each other.
The Electricity Distribution Sector has a Health and Safety meeting every three months, to find out more contact Maarten Tinsel – maarten.tinsel@omexon.co.nz.
Waka Kotahi is consulting on the draft guide to temporary traffic management
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Waka Kotahi is consulting on the draft guide to temporary traffic management
Posted by James Dodwell on 8 March 2022 at 4:25 pmSee below link for more information –
https://nzta.govt.nz/roads-and-rail/new-zealand-guide-to-temporary-traffic-management
Stephen Small replied 2 years, 9 months ago 5 Members · 10 Replies -
10 Replies
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HI James
These are my thoughts, I haven’t had the opportunity to develop this with others in the business.
I think the proposed changes highlighting & clarifying overlapping and shared primary duties of care, 3 Cs, Control & Influence are useful for the contracting PCBU, though we should already be aware of and acting in that way.
I think the focus on risk and not prescription is well intentioned but will need constant encouragement from Waka Kotahi and examples of success – this is a big shift for TTM companies who have trouble keeping staff as it is, and training to prescription is quicker than developing shared risk appetite and judgement. This could lead to lower level prescription in industry bodies (something for EEA to look out for) TTM companies and contracting PCBU rather than genuine consultation, cooperation and coordination site by site job by job risk by risk.
Losing the reliance on road level categories as a proxy for risk is a useful shift, however it leaves the various PCBU looking for alternative data sources for type, amount and speed of traffic at that point at that time.
The overt statement about emergency response being different and that you do the best you can with what you’ve got in the first response is useful for us, along with the corresponding insistence that the longer the emergency lasts the better planning and implementation should be.
Aligned to the previous point is the recognition that some jobs can be safely carried out just waiting for a lull in the traffic so long as that has been carefully assessed as a reasonably practicable solution rather than just doing it while no-one is looking.
The parallel development of NZTA training looks good with onsite assessment as well as class room learning.
The overarching GPG will be interesting to read as it has legal authority and so shapes our implementation of HSWA & NZGTTM, though I expect it’ll be as generic as other GPG with no straight answers so as to ’empower’ the PCBU to make the safest decision based on assessing risk of harm rather than risk of non-compliance.
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Thanks Robert, you’ve made some great points that I’ll make sure we convey in our submission.
I agree that the implementation of the draft guide will need to carefully consider how the supply of capable staff can be ensured. I’ll be careful how we make this point so it isn’t read as an objection.
Let me know if you have any other brilliant insights into the draft. 🙂
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Today, Northpower reached out to us to coordinate on our respective submissions, which we are doing.
I’m keen to hear from others submitting so that we can reinforce common points and concerns.
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In case you aren’t a subscriber, or didn’t attend the recent webinar on the proposed changes, here’s an update from Waka Kotahi.
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Hi everyone,
I’m preparing EEA’s submission with help from several EEA / Knowledge Network members.
I’ve been reflecting on some of the issues we raised originally with the Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management, and it would be good to hear from you whether you feel the proposed guide has fully addressed these – let me know in the comments. The specific feedback we gave are in the attached file and were about:
Section B3.4.2 requirements for fluorescent STMS garments
Our members cannot comply with this requirement. They are required to wear fire retardant clothing, and such garments are not available in fluorescent yellow. We suggest engaging with us to establish a workable solution.
Section C8 – requirement for advanced warning signage &
Section D5.1 – requirement for a pilot vehicle
For reactive work (e.g. faults), the restoration of power as soon as is reasonably practicable is a priority. Of course, safety comes first, and our industry has alternative setups that adequately manage the risks. Requiring advanced signage or pilot vehicles introduces delays, which in many situations does not offer an advantage over our industry’s setups. We suggest engaging with us to establish a workable solution.
Section D – requirements for ‘Road Inspection’ signage
The required sign is not relevant to our industry, who do not carry out ‘road inspections’, and instead carry out routine and reactive inspection of electricity network infrastructure assets. This requires them to drive at reduced speed and stop regularly in the road reserve for less than 10 minutes at a time (i.e mobile operation). We suggest that signage saying ‘Inspection’ should be allowed.
Section D1.2 – Semi-static closure does not include the road reserve
Some work in the road corridor by the electricity industry is carried out in the road reserve that does not fit the definition of a semi-static operation. However, the provisions for semi-static operations are often a good fit for the work our industry carries out in the road reserve. We suggest amending the definition to include the road reserve.
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Hi James
Robert’s summary is right on the money!.
Our main concern is the over-reliance on specialist TTM companies, as businesses whose core activity is not
working on the road will not have the resources required. This will become a vicious circle.Changing
from a prescriptive COPTTM plan that took 20 years to grow into what it is now, straight to a full risk-based but subjective approach seems a step to far – a measured phasing in would make more sense!As far as the specific questions:
NZTA still haven’t fully responded to mandated FR not being available.
The other issues have now been overtaken by events as ‘mobile’ and ‘semi-static’ definitions are no longer present in the draft Guide.
Cheers
Stephen.
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The draft Waka Kotahi documents include information around Non-road construction activities including activities for Utilities and services – telecommunications, power, gas, breakdown, waste collection etc. Orion and the industry need to consider if ‘Network Operating’ falls into this category and if it does, how can we ensure the ‘operator vehicle’ may be acknowledged – throughout the country.
Orion have piloted a twenty year programme that has utilised reflective chevrons around our operator fleet to provide other road users visible identification of network operating activities shown no significant impacts or risks to traffic flow or our workers. That process has been accepted and approved by our local authorities as a safe work method to control the known risks. Our community is very familiar with our chevron marked up vehicles which demonstrates we have influenced a change in their behaviour especially when we are patrolling an area or crossing their land.
The draft Waka Kotahi NZ guide to temporary traffic management – Supporting material section 1.6 indicates that a ‘Practice note’ may be prepared for a specific activity that is to be repeated regularly.
The description for a Practice note includes
Waka Kotahi recommend (1.6.4) where possible, practice notes should be prepared by national bodies to maximise consistency.
My question for the EEA is, have Waka Kotahi and/or the EEA considered the option for distribution networks to be able to operate their equipment situated at the side of or in proximity to the road?
As a Utility Operator functioning under the Utilities Act our front line operators may be recognised as essential workers so that they may operate in all circumstances. While they are not an emergency service they often work with emergency services attending incidents on our roads. Having that status supports our position to move towards being seen as an essential service with appropriately marked vehicles.
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Thank you to everyone who helped the EEA inform its submission. You can access our submission here:
https://eea.co.nz/shared-learning/submissions/previous-submissions/#96-153-waka-kotahi
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The comment re STMS
jackets not able to be fluro yellow and FR is incorrect. Jaedon make two
versions; a polo
shirt and a jacket.
Our contractor utilises them. -
Hi Bill
Good to know – We use Jaedon as a supplier and were unaware that they existed!
(Not being amongst the rest of theirArc-Rated clothing doesn’t help)
Cheers
Stephen.
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