Highways Agency

• Traffic Incident Management Bulletin

September 2007

Introduction

In many cases incident management is a multi-agency activity where a large pool of personnel from a number of organisations comes together to successfully manage its full clearance, this can include any combination or possibly all of the following responders:

• Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service
• Service Providers
• Police
• Fire and Rescue Service
• Ambulance Service
• Vehicle Recovery Operators
• Environment Agency
• Environmental Services
• Coroner

In order for incident clearance to be coordinated efficiently and effectively, all organisations must be fully aware of both their roles and responsibilities but also the capabilities of the other responders present, especially for times of crisis where variable factors begin to have an adverse effect at the scene. 

The main purpose of this article is to outline the role of a Service Provider on the Highways Agency’s network, their incident management capability and some of the equipment you may not see so often.

The Role of the Service Provider / Incident Support Units

Service Providers play a critical part in maintaining the strategic road network at all times. In doing this they are responsible for:

• maintenance of highways, bridges and other structures, footpaths and cycleways
• 24 hour incident support – including attendance by qualified engineers when required
• winter maintenance and snow clearance
• traffic management
• design and implementation of highway improvements
• street lighting and sign maintenance
• verge and landscape maintenance

The Service Provider’s primary incident response is the Incident Support Unit (ISU) service. Their role and responsibilities include performing the following tasks:

• removal of incident debris 
• assess infrastructure damage
• undertake infrastructure repairs
• provide additional traffic management equipment

Area Management Memorandum (AMM) 39/03 defines the Agency’s purpose of the current Incident Support Unit (ISU) service.
“The purpose of an ISU is to minimise disruption to road users, by providing a safe and timely response to incidents and quicker clearance of blocked lanes.”

For further information on Immediate Despatch of ISUs please follow the link.

Service Provider Capabilities

In addition to their core functions, some Service Providers have further capabilities which can greatly assist in incident management. It is important that all responders are aware of this additional resource so it can be fully utilised.

However as the equipment described below falls outside the standard Service Provider equipment it may not be available in every operational region. Why not discuss what equipment the Service Providers have in your region with them?

Tank Matting

Is an innovative piece of kit that is used to assist in passing traffic across soft ground, mainly the central reserve in times of trapped traffic. For further information, please see the following link to a product review.

Incident Screens

Incident Screens are used to prevent motorists from trying to observe the incident scene on the opposite carriageway with the principal aim of reducing ‘rubbernecking’. Please follow the link to an article about Incident Screens.

Incident Lighting

Many Service Providers now carry some form of lighting to all incidents. For further information on the types being carried by them, please follow the link to Incident Lighting.

Variety of vehicles

Service Providers now have a diverse fleet of vehicles due to the range of incidents they attend and the conditions surrounding it. This provides the on-duty engineer with the ability to arrive at the incident scene safely whatever the conditions and also use the vehicle as a potential meeting and coordination point for themselves and the incident management team. An example of this is Area 11's fleet containing multi-person vehicles which in this case is a Volkswagen Sharan.

Area 10 Mobile CCTV and VMS

With existing coverage of CCTV and Variable Message Signs (VMS) on the Area 10 network there have been a number of occasions where both have been unable to supply adequate coverage or provide the travelling public with network information about their journeys through VMS. As a result the network has not been performing at its optimum level and resources have not been allocated as efficiently as they could have been. Therefore it is anticipated through the supply of the two provisions detailed below, that they will assist greatly in the RCC formalising an effective response. 

Mobile CCTV

This system is based on existing CCTV camera technology mounted on the roof of the ISU and has the capability of being remotely activated and controlled from either a PC within the RCC or from a laptop remotely on 3G network via a secure link, which in turn offers full 360 degree coverage.  Currently, there are four systems deployed within Area 10 and three within Area 13 all of which are viewable by the NWRCC.

Mobile CCTV Camera

Mobile CCTV Coverage

Mobile VMS

The mobile VMS is roof mounted and combined with a light-bar which removes the requirement for additional weight/equipment on the roof. It has the capability of storing 99 messages, although the message length is restricted due to the matrix size. The information relayed to the public provides them with an overview of the road conditions ahead to allow them to make a more informed decision regarding their journey.

The below signage is currently on trial and to bring it to national standards regular discussions are taking place with the Department for Transport.

Trailer-mounted VMS

In addition to mobile VMS, Area 10 also has access to trailer-mounted VMS that can store larger messages which provides a distinct advantage over the mobile version.

Trailer-mounted VMS

Service Provider Supply Chain Capability

Service Providers also have significant capabilities through their supply chain of specialist contractors. Examples are as follows:

Environmental clear-up

Environmental clear-up contractors are one of the key parts of the Service Provider supply chain who assist in incident management. It is likely that they will be called during one of the following situations:

• the volume of spillage is outside of the Service Provider’s normal capability
• specialist cleansing of the road surface required
• management/removal of hazardous substances - this is likely to be done in collaboration with the Fire and Rescue Service (please follow the link for further information on the Fire and Rescue Service role in spillage management)

Please view a previous case study article on Area 10's collaborative efforts at a spillage with Mantank Environmental Services.  

Surfacing Contractors and key material suppliers

Surfacing contractors assist the Service Providers when the carriageway is too damaged to allow traffic to use it. In the past, significant areas of carriageway (5000m2) have been re-laid, white lined and road studded within 24 hours of the incident occurring. In addition, the Service Providers have links to suppliers of key materials likely to be required following a large scale incident, such as barrier stockists and aggregate suppliers.

Other specialist contractors

Through the supply chain, Service Providers can obtain a wide variety of services and equipment. These could include:

• commercial vehicle hire
• skip hire / waste management
• additional traffic management
• general labour resources
• temporary safety barriers (E.g. Varioguard)

Case Study: Burntwood Beast, Specialist Jetvac Pressure Washer

At Junction 16 on the M6 in the West Midlands, a lorry overturned causing gallons of chip oil to spill onto several lanes of the carriageway. In response to this incident, Optima/Area 11 sent a team at the request of the Highways Agency to conduct the following:

• Close the remaining lanes
• Assess the damage
• Implement traffic diversion routes

In order to reduce the threat to the environment, a specialist jetvac pressure washer unit, the ‘Burntwood Beast’ was called in. Prior to it being used, two sweepers,100 bags of oil lift solution and 10 tonnes of sand were used to contain the spill and prevent it from escaping into the nearby drainage system. A gritter from a local depot crystallised the remaining chip oil with road salt, allowing the ‘Beast’ to jet wash clean, dry and restore the road surface to its previous ‘normal’ state. 

Burntwood Beast at work

This method prevented large scale incident congestion by reducing the timescales of a very difficult exercise through utilisation of the Service Provider’s full supply chain capabilities and the correct equipment.

Summary

This article is by no means exhaustive as the ingenuity and resources of the Service Providers are both substantial and varied. If there is something that you need as an incident responder on scene then just ask if the Service Provider can assist.

Similarly if your organisation has something which could assist incident management across the Agency, be it a piece of your own equipment or through your supply chain, please contact the TIM team.

Has this article been worthwhile reading? Why not take a moment to send us your comments, thoughts or questions. Please e-mail TIMbulletin@highways.gsi.gov.uk.