TRF/Site Traffic/TBT-TRF-005

Wheel Washing and Road Cleanliness

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Wheel Washing and Road Cleanliness

Toolbox Talk Record

Ref: TBT-TRF-005  |  Issue: 1  |  Date: March 2026
PresenterProject
LocationDate

What?

  • Mud and debris on public roads from site vehicles is a serious road safety hazard.
  • Contaminated roads cause skidding, collisions, and endanger cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.
  • Section 148 of the Highways Act 1980 makes it an offence to deposit mud on a public highway.
  • Wheel wash facilities must be provided at site exits where mud tracking is a risk.
  • Wheel wash systems include drive-through baths, jet wash stations, and automated systems.
  • Road sweeping must be arranged when wheel washing alone cannot prevent mud on the highway.
  • Haul road surfaces and site access roads should be maintained to reduce mud generation.
  • Environmental permits may require specific controls to prevent silt entering drains from wheel wash.
  • Planning conditions often require wheel wash facilities as a condition of construction consent.
  • Local highway authorities can issue enforcement notices and clean-up costs to offending contractors.

Why?

Public safetyMud on roads causes skidding and collisions that can kill road users.
Legal liabilityDepositing mud on highways is a criminal offence with fines and enforcement.
Community relationsDirty roads generate complaints and damage the contractor's reputation.
Environmental dutySilt-laden runoff from wheel wash can pollute watercourses if uncontrolled.
Do Don't
  • Use the wheel wash facility every time you exit the site onto a road.
  • Check your vehicle wheels and bodywork for mud before leaving site.
  • Report any faults with wheel wash equipment to the site manager promptly.
  • Drive slowly through the wheel wash to ensure effective cleaning.
  • Arrange road sweeping when conditions make wheel washing insufficient.
  • Maintain haul roads and access tracks to reduce mud generation.
  • Ensure wheel wash drainage is directed to a settlement system, not drains.
  • Follow the site traffic management plan for approach and exit routes.
  • Keep records of wheel wash maintenance and road sweeping operations.
  • Report any mud deposited on the public road immediately for clean-up.
  • DON'T leave site with mud on your wheels or vehicle bodywork.
  • DON'T bypass the wheel wash facility to save time.
  • DON'T ignore mud on the public highway — report it immediately.
  • DON'T allow wheel wash water to discharge directly into surface drains.
  • DON'T drive at speed through the wheel wash — slow down for proper cleaning.
  • DON'T wait for complaints before addressing road cleanliness issues.
  • DON'T use the public road as a haul route without authorisation.
  • DON'T neglect haul road maintenance — potholes and ruts create more mud.
  • DON'T assume road sweeping is someone else's responsibility.
  • DON'T block the wheel wash area by parking or storing materials there.

See also: Site Speed Limits and Route Planning | Delivery Vehicle Management
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