BRD/Specific/TBT-BRD-014
Bridge Works Safety Awareness Overview
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Bridge Works Safety Awareness Overview
Bridge construction and maintenance work combines working at height, heavy lifting, work over water or live traffic, and complex temporary works into a single operation. The consequences of failure are severe because bridges often span roads, railways, and rivers where the public is present below. Careful planning, competent supervision, and strict adherence to method statements are essential for every phase of bridge construction from foundations through to deck completion.
Key Hazards
Falls from height during deck construction, parapet installation, and formwork erection
Heavy precast beam lifts over live traffic or railway lines below
Temporary works failure causing structural collapse during construction
Workers or materials falling onto traffic, pedestrians, or waterways beneath the bridge
Control Measures
- Install edge protection and safety netting before starting any work on the bridge deck.
- Produce a detailed lift plan for every precast beam and heavy component installation.
- Ensure all temporary works including falsework and propping are designed and checked by a competent engineer.
- Establish exclusion zones beneath the bridge to protect the public from falling materials.
- Coordinate with highway or railway authorities before carrying out any work over live routes.
- Brief all workers on the specific bridge construction sequence and their role in the method statement.
- Use crash decks or containment netting beneath the working area to catch dropped objects.
- Monitor weather conditions especially wind speed before lifting beams or working at height on the deck.
- Inspect temporary works daily and after any event that could affect stability or loading.
Remember
- Bridge work combines multiple high-risk activities requiring detailed planning and competent supervision.
- Temporary works failures on bridges have caused catastrophic collapses with fatal consequences.
- Objects falling from bridge decks onto traffic or railways below can cause devastating incidents.
- All beam lifts must follow an approved lift plan with full exclusion zones in place.
- Edge protection on bridge decks and parapets must be installed before any other work begins.
- Coordination with highway and rail authorities is a legal requirement for all over-bridge works.
Applicable Legislation: CDM Regulations 2015 · BS 5975 (Temporary Works) · LOLER 1998 · Work at Height Regulations 2005
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