Many landscaping contractors have not yet conformed to the new benchmark National Highways Sector Scheme 18 (NHSS 18). This scheme was set up by the Highways Agency in partnership with industry representatives of Local Authorities, landscape contracting companies and organisations active in other related ecological principles, writes Ann- Marie Knegt.

NHSS18 promotes sustainable longevity and reduced maintenance on trunk roads and highways, and it aims to increase sustainable maintenance of roadside verges and shoulders. The scheme rests on three main principles – environmental sustainability, increased health and safety for roadside workers and enhanced road safety for the public.

According to Tony Sangwine, head of environmental policy for the Highways Agency, NHSS 18 offers a defined and measurable standard that can be assessed and accredited. Based on ISO 9001, a well-recognised international standard for quality management, the scheme has now become a contractual obligation for any contractor carrying out verge and roadside work for the Highways Agency since the 4th of August 2008, as it now is an integral part of the MCHW (Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works).

‘After the scheme came into effect, we extended the compliance date until the first of May 2009, in order to provide the industry with more time. However, things have been moving very slowly, and we are working to increase the rate at which companies are becoming accredited. Many are now going through the process, but so far only nine or ten companies have become fully compliant, a smaller number than we envisaged,’ says Sangwine.

Training and accreditation

Operatives on embankments and verges and their immediate employers now have to be trained and accredited to meet the standard. Sangwine says that the intention is to simply raise the standards for the staff involved in these aspects of highways work. ‘If a company is already registered as ISO 9001, it is going to be much easier for its personnel to transfer those skills across to the scheme. As for other contractors, especially the smaller landscape contractors or micro enterprises, it could be an issue for them if they are not ISO 9001 compliant. Therefore we have adopted a slightly different route for these companies.’

Appropriate quality

The administrator for the NHSS Sector 18 is the British Association of Landscape Industries, and its role is to develop a slightly less demanding component of the scheme for smaller contractors, although they still have to attain to the appropriate quality standards. The Highways Agency recommends the sector scheme to Local Authorities, and although there are no legal obligations for them comply, it is expected that they will, since representatives from LAs sit on the NHSS 18 committee. Sangwine adds that if the Highways Agency sets a standard for trunk roads in England, he expects that this may be adopted in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well, because these administrations subscribe to the standards set out in the Agency’s design manual. Contracts that were let out before the 4th of August 2008 are not affected. However, contracts that have been awarded after that date should be carried out in compliance with NHSS 18. Sangwine would like to create a level playing field, and he emphasizes that the Agency has to ensure that its contractors are compliant. ‘The result is that some are not yet compliant and others may not have started the process. There is a lag and we need to address that and ensure the scheme is accessible, as we need to make sure that all our contractors comply with the scheme for the MCHW.’ The reasons for implementing NHSS 18 are clear. As far as plant and machinery are concerned, operators need to have the right skills to use this correctly, as even the wrong practice in seemingly simple operations such as grass cutting can have far reaching effects on the ecology of roadside verges. In more specialised operations such as the application of herbicides, a basic knowledge of plant recognition is essential. Sangwine explains that some operators still cut down rare plants. ‘This might be a failure of communication, but it has occurred to me there is a lack of knowledge of protected species. They need to know what the difference is between a wild flower and a weed, to ensure that they are contributing to the Agency’s aims in protecting the environment.’

It is essential for operatives ,who carry verge maintenance work, to have basic knowledge of flora and fauna, that occupies these same verges.

Safety precautions

In addition, there is the health and safety aspect of the operation of plant and machinery on a busy trunk road. For instance, operators need to take the right safety precautions when involved in thinning operations with a chainsaw, as well as wearing the right PPE.

NHSS 18 aims to increase the safety of the UK’s road verge maintenance operatives.

The annexes of NHSS18 show what level of skills are required to comply and companies need to register themselves with an awarding body such as BSI, LMQA, BMTRADA or Lloyds. They can examine the contractor and ensure he will meet the standards. The scheme is accredited by the UK Accreditation Service, and the document in which the requirements for NHSS 18 are set out can be found on its website.

‘We will work with any operators that are not yet compliant, to help them to come up to speed, because we cannot let them continue to work on the road without the NHSS18 compliance. The main advantage will be that we can be confident that all road workers are trained to a suitable standard, to help ensure the safety of all road workers and road users,’ concludes Sangwine.

More information, including a Q+A to support businesses, is available on the Highways Agency’s website at www.highways.gov.uk.