Highways Agency

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the objectives of National Highways Sector Schemes? - What do they do? - What are the benefits?

National Highways Sector Schemes (NHSS) have been developed with the support of UKAS; they are complementary to and interpret ISO 9001:2000 but do not duplicate this standard. They are designed to:

• Provide an industry benchmark
• Ensure that all processes are planned
• Provide a basis for continuous improvement
• Focus on quality as an objective
• Reduce overall costs for the client and supplier
• Provide and maintain a properly trained and competent workforce
• Involve all sides of the industry in scheme ownership within a partnership framework
• Ensure that Certification Bodies use auditors with technical knowledge and experience of the sector concerned
• Promote confidence in quality management systems by provision of a robust, transparent system.

Who owns the Schemes?

The Schemes are owned by the relevant Sector Scheme technical advisory committee.

The technical advisory committees are made up of expert representatives from across the sector from clients, contractors, suppliers, trade associations, training organisations and certification bodies. Each committee has its own constitution and terms of reference.

Why were they developed?

Individual certification bodies were developing their own interpretations of the ISO 9001 standard. This lead to disparate standards within individual highways industry sectors. The development of NHSS provided minimum standards and thus gave guidance to certification bodies and security to clients that standards were being consistently applied.

How do they operate?

Separate technical advisory committees are established for each sector. The committee interprets ISO 9001:2000 in relation to the requirements of their particular activity. A consensus is reached on the minimum levels of workmanship, services, products, testing and the training and competency of operatives needed to meet specification requirements. Auditor qualifications and requirements in respect of Environmental Management Systems and other management systems are also established. The details are recorded in the individual Sector Scheme Documents.

The committees meet on a regular basis and update the scheme requirements from time to time through amendments to the Sector Scheme Document.

How are they managed and controlled?

The individual technical advisory committees are overseen by the Highways Sector Scheme Liaison Group. This group provides a forum for discussion on the effectiveness of the Sector Schemes and co-ordinates developments so that they can be uniformly taken forward by each of the technical advisory committees. It is also the venue where dialogue with UKAS and the Certification Bodies on the application of the Schemes takes place.

How do you become NHSS registered?

You will need to contact a relevant UKAS accredited certification body that has been accredited to assess organizations for a particular sector scheme. Information on relevant Certification Bodies is given in Appendix A of the Specification for Highway Works and is available on the UKAS website, www.ukas.com under 'Certification Body Scope of Accreditation'. It is also included in the Sector Scheme Documents.

Do NHSS deliver training and competency?

Normally Sector Scheme Documents provide information on training and competency requirements for operatives and supervisors. Establishing minimum requirements has been central to the development of the Schemes. Some Schemes have been instrumental in developing training and competency qualifications where none were previously available or suitable.

Training and competency requirements generally include registration/skill card schemes which require registered operatives to carry cards indicating the status and categories of work for which they are competent to undertake. Details of recognised cards can be found in a pamphlet published by the Highways Agency titled "Approved Workforce Registration/Skill Card Requirements for Suppliers".

Who supports NHSS?

The Schemes are supported by the Highways Agency, Transport Scotland, Welsh Assembly Government, Northern Ireland Roads Service, the County Surveyors Society, many relevant trade associations, UKAS and Certification Bodies. Each of these organisations have been actively involved with the development of Schemes.

Where can I find information on specific Schemes?

The Sector Scheme Documents for the individual Schemes are published on the UKAS website:

http://www.ukas.com/information_centre/publications.asp

Who is required to have NHSS Registration?

Any supplier of services covered by NHSS and working on Highways Agency roads is required to be registered to the relevant Scheme(s) in order to comply with the Specification of Highway Works (SHW). Unless otherwise indicated in the contract documents they are a mandatory requirement. SHW does not permit sub-contractors to provide services under the umbrella of another registered supplier. Main contractors may not be registered assuming that they are employing specialist sub-contractors who are registered.

How do I know if a company has suitable registration?

The NHSS and work competencies will be referenced on the Certificates of Registration awarded by Certification Bodies, or on the appendices to the certificates.

A list of registered organisations is maintained by the Secretary of the Sector Scheme technical advisory committee who can be contacted in writing care of UKAS. Lantra Awards maintains the schedule of suppliers for the NHSS on behalf of the Highways Sector Scheme Liaison Group. See Contacts & Useful Links.

What is HD46?

HD 46/05 is a mandatory standard published by the Highways Agency in November 2005 in conjunction with the Overseeing Organisations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. HD 46/05 provides an interpretation of ISO 9001 for quality management systems for the design of highway infrastructure and associated activities. It includes a requirement for an organisation to have competency management in place. It is published as part of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and forms part of  Volume 5, Section 2 of the Manual.

When is HD 46/05 effective?

HD 46 is effective from the date of publication and replaces HA 46/92. Design organisations may apply for registration to HD 46 from March 2006. Accreditation bodies will separately be accredited by UKAS for this standard who will be piloting this from March 2006 until March 2007.