G – General Principles & Scheme Governance

 

This information is provided as assistive only and may not be complete. The revised MCHW documents should be read to confirm the full extent of the technical changes and how they apply to particular work aspects. All liability for the use and interpretation of this information remains solely with the user.

GP 110 – Introduction to the MCHW

New document covering: (i) the structure of the new MCHW and the basis of the proposed SHW; (ii) implementation requirements for MCHW; (iii) the compilation of contracts using MCHW; (iv) the preparation of Works Specific Requirements (WSR), including the incorporation of departures from standard using cancelled, substitute and additional requirements.
The intended audience for this document is the contract compiler / specifier. It does not form part of the construction contract.

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GC 100 – Introduction to the Specification for Highway Works

  1. The contract specification:
    • This section defines what the contract specification is, i.e.the SHW plus the WSR. It uses lists of all SHW documents and the WSR being used for thecontract. It also defines which version of the SHW is being used for the contract, i.e. that for England, NI, Scotland or Wales. In the existing documents some of this is covered in the Preamble to the Specification, some in Series 000. The proposed document would not use a Preamble, rather it would use this document, GC 100, instead.
    • The existing documents use a core text which applies to all four nations with National Alterations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in separate sections. The proposed documents create four versions of the SHW with the differences being identified using Nationally Determined Sections (NDS) and Requirements (NDR).
    • This section incorporates amendments to the SHW coming from departures from standard. With the existing document these are included as AR, SR and CR clauses in contract specific Appendices at the start of the contract specific specification. With the proposed documents AR, SR and CR requirements are to be included in the WSR associated with the departure.
    • There is a new requirement that states: ‘All requirements and obligations stated in the specification shall be requirements and obligations of the Contractor.’ This is introduced to clarify that all instruction in the SHW is instruction to the Contractor. Thus, the phrase ‘the Contractor shall’ is not required in requirement texts throughout the SHW.
  2. Overseeing Organisation: The existing document names the four Overseeing Organisations in Series 000 and uses the Preambles to the Specification to define and name the parties undertaking delegated functions of the Overseeing Organisation. In the proposed document these are both to be covered under Section 2 to GP 100. The specifier is required to name the Overseeing Organisation from a list of the four organisations and detail the parties undertaking the delegated functions. (Local authorities would be able to substitute their own organisation name).
  3. Drawings and models: The changes are the inclusion of references to digital drawings and models, and the removal of separate lists for ‘standard drawings’, the latter would be included in the one list of drawings.
  4. Specification reference documents: In the new document, MCHW references will be listed in the individual documents and not in a central list as now (i.e. Appendix F for Volume 1 and Annex 1 for Volume 2)
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GC 101 – General Requirements for the Specification for Highway Works

  1. Communications: New requirements to allow for details of the communications system to be included in the specification, i.e. digital and/or physical routes for the submission of documents etc.
  2. Documentation: Currently documentation requirements are spread throughout the SHW. This section consolidates rules to provide default requirements for the submission of documentation to the Overseeing Organisation, including timescales. Thus, the individual technical documents do not have to repeat ‘submitted to the Overseeing Organisation’ for every document submission.
  3. Records: The inclusion of default requirements for as-built records, asset management records and the administration of records for the health and safety file are new and give consolidation of requirements that are currently spread throughout the SHW.
  4. United Kingdom Accreditation Service: New consolidation of requirements to define the use of UKAS and ‘UKAS or equivalent’ which are used in other sections in GC 101.
  5. Quality management: The existing document requires the Contractor to operate a quality management system but stops short of requiring registration; however, it asks for evidence with registration as a method for doing that. The proposed document asks for registration to ISO 9001 – it is industry practice for contractors to have ISO 9001 registration. The proposed document also gives requirements for the certification body and scope of registration, which the existing document does not.
  6. Quality plans: Quality plans are required in the existing document, however, reference to BS ISO 10005 for the preparation of quality plans is a new reference. The inclusion of method statements and specialist quality plans into the quality plan for the whole of the works is new to coordinate the quality management for the main contract with that of specialist sub-contracts.
  7. Quality management schemes: ‘Quality management schemes’ is the generic term being used for National Highways Sector Schemes (NHSS) in the new document as well as in the existing document in Clause 104. The direct reference to NHSS is being removed from the technical documents. The existing Appendix A, which lists NHSS, is not Replaced in the new SHW. The use of the generic term is to avoid barriers to trade and restrictive practice. This section is giving a set of generic criteria for quality management schemes such that schemes proposed as equivalent to the NHSS could be assessed. The NHSS already meet these criteria and so they should not affect those schemes.
  8. Competence: New general requirements for all people involved with the works to be competent at the work they are undertaking (the existing document does not directly cover this).
  9. Standards equivalence (mutual recognition): Mutual recognition text is amended for the post Brexit arrangements. The existing document refers to standards from other EEA states and Turkey. The proposed document refers to standards from World Trade Organisation members.
  10. Designated standards: Default requirements are stated for products that are to be included in the works that come under the scope of a designated standard, replacing similar requirements for products under the scope of a harmonised standard. The term ‘conformity assessment marking’ is being used instead of CE marking so that it covers CE marking and UKCA marking. A new requirement is included for the default level of attestation for product assessment. Nationally determined requirements (NDR) are included for Northern Ireland to retain the term ‘harmonised standard’ rather than ‘designated standard’.
  11. Product certification schemes: The section states requirements for the use of product schemes where the product comes under the scope of a standard which is not a designated or harmonised standard. The requirements in comparison to the existing document are essentially unchanged except that there is to be no listing of the products as there is in the existing SHW Appendix B.
  12. Product acceptance schemes: The section states requirements for the use of product schemes for products that do not fall under the scope of a published standard or for aspects such as installation of products that do. The requirements in comparison to the existing document are essentially unchanged except that there is to be no listing of the products as there is in the existing SHW Appendix C.
  13. UK Technical Assessments: Requirements are changed from European Technical Assessments (ETA) to give the post Brexit requirements. Requirements for the use of UK Technical Assessments as well as ETAs are added.
  14. Verification: The existing document deals with testing separately to other types of verification, i.e. inspection, examination, measuring and checking, but there has commonly been confusion over where those other types of verification are covered in contract documents and thus pricing documents. Contract specific Appendices 1/5 and 1/6 are currently required to be used for sampling and testing, but measuring and checking are not required to be detailed in any of the Appendices. For the new documents, the term ‘verification’ is used to cover all verification activities. Contract specific Appendices 1/5 and 1/6 and Table NG 1/1 will not be replaced: verification requirements are now covered in the specific technical documents.
  15. Verification by the Overseeing Organisation: Provides for testing etc. by the Overseeing Organisation.
  16. Accredited laboratory: Default requirements are stated for when an accredited laboratory is required with no changes from the existing requirements in Clause 105.
  17. Contractor design: Unlike the existing documents, Contractor design is to be dealt with in the individual technical documents. There is no replacement for the existing contract specific Appendix 1/10 which requires the detailing of all Contractor design items. This is because the use of Contractor design is now more significant, which makes the use of the single appendix impractical and there was poor understanding of its operation. There are new default requirements for design to be in accordance with the DMRB and for designers to be competent. There is inclusion of requirements for composite multi-discipline designs where the Contractor is required to design aspects that go across more than one technical document, e.g. the whole of individual structures.
  18. Technical approval of highway structures: Updated to be consistent with CG 300.
  19. Temporary works: Updated to be consistent with CG 300.
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GC 102 – Site and work constraints

  1. Construction programme constraints:
    • The existing SHW Clause 113 in combination with contract specific Appendix 1/13 gives programming constraints but also makes statements about the format of programmes and their update. Since programming is covered at contract level and is central to the operation of the NEC conditions of contract, the proposed GC 102 just covers programming constraints and does not cover format or update requirements. The associated WSR provides a place for constraints to be stated.
    • The existing document also has a requirement with respect to mass-haul diagrams. Since this is specifically about earthworks, it is not covered in this general document.
  2. Site security, site extent and limitations on use:
    • The section is new in so much as the existing document does not specifically state site security requirements. However, some of the contents are transferred from Series 300 Fencing, which gives temporary fencing requirements, and the Contractor should have been undertaking the site security measures anyway as part of their basic safety obligations.
    • The requirements with respect to site extent and limitations on use are essentially the same as the existing, with the exception of the sub-section on adjacent land access, which is new. This is a consolidation of aspects that would have been covered by Clause 117 Traffic Safety and Management and the Contractor’s general obligations to maintain access for adjacent land users. It also gives a place for site specific requirements to be stated about third-party access where details are identified at scheme preparation stage.
  3. Control of noise and vibration. The changes in the specification are related to the implementation of DMRB document LA 111. The existing document provides for the contract compiler to state limits, whereas the proposed document uses the LA 111 approach of undertaking an assessment and then implementing measures as identified by the assessment. The resultant construction noise and vibration limits, restrictions and mitigation measures that the Contractor would need to implement should be very similar to the existing situation.
  4. Control of noise and vibration. A new aspect would be the requirement for the Contractor to do noise/vibration assessments as dictated in LA 111 where no assessment has previously been undertaken. Whilst this may be additional work at the construction phase, that would only be the case if the assessment work had not been done during the design phase.
  5. Health and safety restrictions, reporting and monitoring. There is no change to the work requirements in comparison to the existing document. Section 4 replaces Clause 124 and provides for the inclusion of particular restrictions and requirements pertaining to health and safety that would not be covered elsewhere. It is not intended to be for the statement of routine health and safety requirements but rather for extraordinary aspects that would need to be brought to the Contractor’s attention, for example, third party requirements or restrictions due to adjacent land usage.
  6. Reporting incidents, events and undesirable circumstances. This introduces the requirement for the Contractor to report incidents etc. in accordance with GG 128 (and the NH reporting system HART in England).
  7. Work embargo periods. New requirements for England only to provide a link to the embargo periods identified in GG 908 and allow for contract specific embargo periods to be stated in the contract. Whilst they are new requirements for this document, the embargo periods would have previously been detailed under Clause 117 Traffic Safety and Management.
  8. Tidal, flowing or standing water, groundwater and precipitation. The scope is expanded to include groundwater and precipitation in comparison to the existing Clause 121, but remains the basic requirement for the Contractor to deal with water within the site.
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GC 103 – Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Management

  1. Environmental, cultural and habitat management: This section gives new requirements regarding undertaking environmental, cultural and habitat assessments where these have not been carried out prior to the construction phase.
  2. Management of material assets and waste: This section gives new requirements for undertaking the assessment for material assets and waste management where this has not been carried out prior to the construction phase.
  3. Carbon management and reporting: This section gives new requirements for carbon management and reporting and for environmental product declarations to be submitted.
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GC 104 – Works data, third party aspects and customer communications

  1. Works data: New section giving requirements for: (i) checking markers that would be used for setting out control; (ii) checking of existing ground levels; (iii) survey of existing features; and (iv) provides a link to the setting out documents. The latter two of these are not specifically covered in the existing document. The inclusion of requirements for survey of existing features is allowing for survey that could/should have been completed at the design stage.
  2. Utility services and supplies: New section giving requirements for locating and protection of services and supplies and requirements for diversionary works to services and supplies. The works requirements are very similar to those in the existing document with the following minor changes:
    • There is a place for work to disconnected services to be detailed which the existing documents do not specifically have.
    • There is a change in emphasis in that requirements are stated in outcome led ways to place responsibility onto the Contractor to establish services locations, protect services and deal with diversionary works planning and programming with less instruction from the Overseeing Organisation.
  3. Customer communications: New section giving requirements for scheme billboards, which are re-named from information boards, and visual identity in a slightly broader way to be consistent with DMRB document GG 906.
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GC 105 – Arrangements for the Overseeing Organisation

  1. Vehicles for the Overseeing Organisation: There is provision for electric vehicles: they would be the default type of vehicle where cars or small vans are specified. The specifier would still be able to specify petrol/diesel vehicles where, for example, the contract period would be too short for the provision of charging points or where the site would not have an electricity supply for charging points.
  2. Communications systems for the Overseeing Organisation: This section covers all types of communications for the Overseeing Organisation, i.e. phones, data and radios whereas the existing Clause only covers radios. With the existing document phones would have been covered under Clause 101. Data communications, i.e. internet access, will be a requirement which the current document does not cover.
  3. Progress images: ‘Progress images’ is being used instead of ‘progress photographs. The proposed document gives requirements for still and video images, it assumes digital media and removes the requirement for a professional photographer.
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GC 106 – Working on the highway

  1. Temporary traffic management: This section covers the same topic areas as the existing document (Clause 117), but states requirements in a more outcome led way with fewer prescriptive requirements. The amendments include changes to terminology and to the specific role of Traffic Safety and Control Officer (TSCO) which changes to the dual roles of Traffic Management Manager and Traffic Safety Supervisors. No real changes in working practices are anticipated since there are no changes to the required temporary traffic management provision; the changes to the TSCO role are formalising how in practice the work is currently organised. Requirements for TASCAR are moved to a separate document CC 133.
  2. Vehicle recovery: The document uses PAS 43 and performance led requirements rather than the prescriptive method-based requirements in the existing Clause. There should, however, be no change to working practices.
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GC 109 – Site Preparation and Clearance

The content from Series 200 is largely unchanged, however: (i) obligations for the construction phase regarding asbestos have been placed in this document; (ii) there is now a requirement to carry out an preliminary unexploded ordnance assessment for all schemes; (iii) rules regarding environmental and archeological competence have been tightened up.

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