Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1057079
22 WET NEWS DECEMBER 2018 | wwtonline.co.uk Mind the Step T he safe entry and exit from manholes and other en- closed spaces is governed by domestic law (the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974). Employ- ers are responsible for ensuring the safety of their employees and others. This responsibility is rein- forced by legislation such as the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 and The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. It is vital that designers, installers, asset owners and maintenance operatives are aware of their legal obligations and can interpret and understand the relevant standards and indus- try specifications. This knowledge will provide the basis for selecting suitable products that form part of a system or assembly within a manhole chamber. Developers have a duty to appoint a principal designer in accordance with the Construc- tion (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The designer is responsible for all the duties described in the regulations. The regulations require the principal designer to take into account (in addition to con- struction risks) the health and safety aspects over the whole life of the development. The developer must include a management and maintenance plan (in addition to the health and safety file) to demonstrate that the designer has taken the health and safety considerations of future maintenance into account in preparing the design. In most cases, the ownership and responsibility for sewers are formally transferred to the Water Undertaker from the developer, subject to meeting the relevant performance and construction standards set out in Sewers for Adoption, Sewers for Scotland or Sewers for Adop- tion (Northern Ireland). These sewers are subsequently main- tained by the Water Undertaker. This is known as adoption or vesting (public sewer). A drain from a single premise (a block of flats would be regarded as a single premise) remains the responsibility of the building owner. All work on drainage systems needs to com- ply with the requirements of the Building Regulations or Build- ing Standards. In addition to the Water Undertaker, ownership of • INSIGHT MANHOLES, STEPS AND LADDERS Manhole steps, ladders and associated access systems perform a safety critical function. They help to ensure that entry and escape from confined spaces can take place without the risk of injury or personal harm. Chris Cawte, managing director at Caswick, advises us of the essential things you should know