Ian Grierson 28 April 2008

HIGHWAY LIABILITY CLAIMS

2008: MANAGING THE RISKS

Developing Training Itinerary for Efficient Safety Inspections

Ian Grierson Highways Area Team Manager

Leicestershire County Council

April 28th, 2008

DEVELOPING TRAINING ITINERARY

Overview of National Standard

Develop Strong Inspector Training System

Provide Adequate and Consistent Training

Recruit dedicated Highway Claims

Investigators

HIGHWAY RISK AND LIABILITY CLAIMS

Well Maintained Highways (Code of Practice on Highway Maintenance Management)

The Guide to Highway Risk and Liability Claims

UK HIGHWAYS LIABILITY JOINT TASK GROUP

–Institution of Civil Engineers Municipal Group (ICE)

–Association of Local Authority Risk Managers (ALARM)

–Association of British Insurers (ABI)

–Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE)

–Roads Service Northern Ireland

–Welsh Association of Technical Officers (CSS Wales)

–County Surveyors Society (CSS)

–Local Authority Technical Advisory Group (TAG)

–Society for Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS)

UK Roads Board

Department For Transport

Scottish Executive

Wales Office

Roads Service Northern Ireland

Local Authorities

–England

–Scotland

–Wales


Perth & Kinross Council

Birmingham City Council

Cambridgeshire County Council

Caerphilly County Borough Council

Kirklees Metropolitan Council

UK HIGHWAYS LIABILITY JOINT TASK

GROUP REPORT

Guide to Appendix C: Well

Maintained Highways

www.roadscodes.org

Examples of successful practice

Successful claims defence

Update to be published Summer

2008

UK HIGHWAYS LIABILITY JOINT TASK

GROUP REPORT

Highway Inspectors Claims Investigators Claims Processors Senior StaffWell Maintained Highways -Code of Practice for Highway Maintenance Management O O O O

Local Inspection Policy Procedures and Guidelines O O O O

Safety at Street Works and RoadWorks: A Code of Practice O O A A

Defect recognition O O O A

Highway Law and Administration O O A O

Measurement and Materials recognition O O A A

Claims Investigation A O A A

Court Proceedings O O A O

Tree condition awareness O* A A A

NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING

Setting a Common Standard

Strengthens Court statement

Development of National Qualification IHIE

Link with existing training

Leicestershire Lantra Customised Award

Birmingham IMTAC

Barnet Skills Centre City & Guilds

accreditation

LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING

Training Quality

Assurance

Training Centre

Approved and Certified

Instructors Qualified

and Assessed

Lantra Customised

Awards

Modular Approach


Lantra Customised Awards

Nationally accredited body for construction industry

Sector schemes for traffic management

http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/highways/commercial_services/trainingcentre.htm

http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/highways/commercial_services/trainingcentre.htm


Highways Maintenance Policies

Highways Maintenance Procedures

Customer Care

Highway Law

Material Recognition and Measurement

Defect Recognition

Streetworks NRSWA refresher

Claims Investigation and Court Procedures

Tree Awareness


Highways Maintenance Policies

Leicestershire Policies relating to

Inspection

Duty of care

Winter and adverse weather

Public rights of way

Well Maintained Highways

WELL MAINTAINED HIGHWAYS

Carriageway Hierarchy

1 Motorway

2 Strategic Route

3a Main Distributor

3b Secondary Distributor

4a Link Road

4b Local Access Road

Footway Hierarchy

1a Prestige Walking Zone

1 Primary Walking Routes

2 Secondary Walking Routes

3 Link Footways

4 Local Access Footways

WELL MAINTAINED HIGHWAYS

INSPECTION FREQUENCIES


Highways Maintenance

Procedures

Leicestershire Inspections

Operational Manual

How and why Inspections

carried out

Safe working practices

Ownership of highway issues

Operational survey techniques

Record keeping


Highways, Transportation & Waste Management

HIGHWAY INSPECTIONS OPERATIONAL MANUAL

Guidance for Safety Inspections of Highways

Version 1 – December 2006


Inspections carried out

Slow moving vehicle - double manned

On foot

Prove system in place

Identify and record defects

Arrange repairs

Repair in a reasonable time


Customer Care

Customer care computer system

Departmental highways standards

Response times

Service standards

Needs of highway user

Disability issues on highway


Highway Law

In depth knowledge

of duties and

powers Highways

Act 1980

Section 41 duty to

maintain

Section 58 special

defence

Significant Case

histories

Enforcement


Material Recognition

and Measurement

Accurately measure

Estimate

Recognise materials


Material Recognition and Measurement

Material usage

Cost

Maintenance

Wastage

Measure lengths volumes

Describe repairs

Measuring equipment

Terminology of measurement and estimation


Defect Recognition

Leicestershire County Council policies

Well Maintained Highways

Appendix B Parameters for Defect Definitions

Abrupt level differences in running surface

Potholes, cracks, gaps


Defect Recognition

Edge deterioration

Kerbing edging

channels

Ironwork broken

missing

Signs, markings studs

Trees and loose

branches

Rocking slabs

Defective footways


Defect Recognition

TYPES OF HIGHWAY DEFECT APPENDIX A The following are examples of highway defects together with a description of those classed as Category 1, 2H & 2L. The list is not exhaustive and the Inspector will need to use his or her judgement as to what is likely to be hazardous. Category 1 defects should be made safe or repaired within a period of 24 hours of discovery.

Carriageways and Category A Cycleways

Defect Cat. 1 if: Cat. 2H if: Cat. 2L if: Additional advice

Pothole/spalling Depressions Rutting Gap/crack Sunken ironwork

Greater than 20mm deep within a pedestrian crossing. Greater than 40mm deep elsewhere.

As 2L unless likely to deteriorate within 90 days.

Less than 20mm deep within a pedestrian crossing. Up to but not exceeding 40mm deep elsewhere.

Repairs should be programmed where sufficient depth is available to repair.

Edge deterioration

Constituting a hazard to the travelling public especially cyclists.

Greater then 100mm ‘drop off’ on the edge of an unconstrained road.


Less then 100mm ‘drop off’ on the edge of an unconstrained road.

Debris, spillage, contamination

Constituting a hazard on straight sections of road, bends, roundabouts and junctions

Diesel / oil spillage etc., mud on road.


Loose chippings, Slippery / shiney inspection / hydrant covers


Defect Recognition

Identify and describe

defects

Select most suitable

treatment

Describe location

Work within policy

guidelines


Streetworks NRSWA refresher


Streetworks NRSWA

Understanding Streetworks Act

Safe working practices

Identify dangerous

Signing, lighting & guarding

Application of NRSWA

Inspections

Noticing

Reinstatement specifications


Claims Investigation and Court Procedures

Prepare records and evidence

Court proceedings relating to claims


Claims Sequence Incident Report Form

Alleged cause

Location

Evidence

Photos

Witnesses

Anti Fraud

Joint Inspection

Details of repairs

APlease return this form to: Leicestershire County Council

Southern Area Manager’s Office

Coventry Road,

Croft,

Leicestershire LE9 3GP Tel: 01455 283341

The issue of this form or the acceptance of it when completed cannot be taken as meaning that the County Council accept

any responsibility for the incident described herein, or for the consequences of such.

If you are completing this form on behalf of the claimant, please note that you should both sign the declaration at the end,

unless the claimant is under 18 years of age.

The County Council passes information to the Claims and Underwriting Exchange Register run by Insurance Database

Services Ltd (IDS Ltd) and the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register run by the Association of British Insurers

(ABI). The aim is to help us check information provided and also to prevent fraudulent claims. We will be passing

information relating to this incident to the appropriate register(s).

In dealing with your claim we may search the registers.

Solicitors should pass this information on to their clients.

INCIDENT REPORT

Please complete all sections below in detail, in block capitals

1) Injured person or owner of property damaged.

Title, initials, surname: .......................................................................................................Age: ..……………….......

Address: .........................................................................................................................................………….…..........

...................................................................................................................................................…………….................

Postcode: ........................................... Telephone Number: .....................................…………........….........…..........

Occupation: .........................................................................................................................………….....….................

2) Particulars of Incident:

Date: ...................................................................................... Time: ..........................………….................…..........

State precisely how incident occurred: ............................................................................................…………….........

...............................................................................................................................................................………….........

...............................................................................................................................................………….........................

..............................................................................................................................................................…………..........

................................................................................................................................................…………........................

..............................................................................................................................................……………......................

3) The Location:

Name of road and route number: ..................................................................................................……….……............

Precise location of incident: ......................................………….....................................................…...........................

................................................................................................…………........................................................................


Tree Awareness


Tree Awareness

Identify main causes tree defects

Fungus

Dead trees

Loose branches

Refer to specialist for further investigation

Tree related claims

Footways Root damage

Property Root damage

Falling trees Highway (40000)

Falling trees Adjacent land (400000)

RECRUITMENT OF DEDICATED

CLAIMS INVESTIGATORS

Leicestershire in-house Insurance

Service

Close working between claims

handlers and inspectors

Claims handlers trained as

Inspectors

Regular claims updates for

Inspectors

RECRUITMENT OF DEDICATED

CLAIMS INVESTIGATORS

Midlands Service Improvement

Group Benchmarking

Low claim numbers

2004/05 257 & 2005/06 210

High repudiation rate

2004/05 & 2005/06 87%

Low payments to third parties

2004/05 £41k & 2005/06 £25k

SUMMARY

Developing Training Itinerary for Efficient Safety Inspections

Consistent Network Hierarchy

Robust Inspection, Recording & Reporting

Repair in Reasonable Time

Will result in:-

fewer claims

less expense on litigation

less expense on administration

ANY QUESTIONS?

Documents

Ian Grierson 28 April 2008