1. HIGHWAY LIABILITY CLAIMS
2008: MANAGING THE RISKS
Developing Training Itinerary for
Efficient Safety Inspections
Ian Grierson Highways Area Team Manager
Leicestershire County Council
April 28th, 2008

2. DEVELOPING TRAINING ITINERARY
 Overview of National Standard
 Develop Strong Inspector Training System
 Provide Adequate and Consistent Training
 Recruit dedicated Highway Claims
Investigators

3. HIGHWAY RISK AND LIABILITY CLAIMS
 Well Maintained Highways
(Code of Practice on Highway Maintenance Management)
 The Guide to Highway Risk and Liability Claims

4. UK HIGHWAYS LIABILITY JOINT TASK GROUP
–Institution of Civil Engineers Municipal Group (ICE)
–Association of Local Authority Risk Managers
(ALARM)
–Association of British Insurers (ABI)
–Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE)
–Roads Service Northern Ireland
–Welsh Association of Technical Officers (CSS
Wales)
–County Surveyors Society (CSS)
–Local Authority Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
–Society for Chief Officers for Transportation in
Scotland (SCOTS)
UK Roads Board
Department For Transport
Scottish Executive
Wales Office
Roads Service Northern
Ireland
Local Authorities
–England
–Scotland
–Wales
Leicestershire County
Council
Perth & Kinross Council
Birmingham City Council
Cambridgeshire County
Council
Caerphilly County Borough
Council
Kirklees Metropolitan
Council

5. UK HIGHWAYS LIABILITY JOINT TASK
GROUP REPORT
 Guide to Appendix C: Well
Maintained Highways
www.roadscodes.org
 Examples of successful practice
 Successful claims defence
 Update to be published Summer
2008

6. UK HIGHWAYS LIABILITY JOINT TASK
GROUP REPORT
Highway Inspectors Claims Investigators Claims Processors Senior Staff
Well Maintained Highways -
Code of Practice for Highway
Maintenance Management O O O O
Local Inspection Policy
Procedures and Guidelines O O O O
Safety at Street Works and Road
Works: A Code of Practice O O A A
Defect recognition O O O A
Highway Law and Administration O O A O
Measurement and Materials
recognition O O A A
Claims Investigation A O A A
Court Proceedings O O A O
Tree condition awareness O* A A A

7. NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Setting a Common Standard
 Strengthens Court statement
 Development of National Qualification IHIE
 Link with existing training
 Leicestershire Lantra Customised Award
 Birmingham IMTAC
 Barnet Skills Centre City & Guilds
accreditation

8. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Training Quality
Assurance
 Training Centre
Approved and Certified
 Instructors Qualified
and Assessed
 Lantra Customised
Awards
 Modular Approach

9. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Lantra Customised
Awards
 Nationally accredited
body for construction
industry
 Sector schemes for
traffic management
 http://www.leics.gov.uk
/index/highways/comm
ercial_services/training
centre.htm

10. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Highways Maintenance Policies
 Highways Maintenance Procedures
 Customer Care
 Highway Law
 Material Recognition and Measurement
 Defect Recognition
 Streetworks NRSWA refresher
 Claims Investigation and Court Procedures
 Tree Awareness

11. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Highways Maintenance Policies
 Leicestershire Policies relating to
 Inspection
 Duty of care
 Winter and adverse weather
 Public rights of way
 Well Maintained Highways

12. WELL MAINTAINED HIGHWAYS
 Carriageway Hierarchy
 1 Motorway
 2 Strategic Route
 3a Main Distributor
 3b Secondary Distributor
 4a Link Road
 4b Local Access Road
 Footway Hierarchy
 1a Prestige Walking Zone
 1 Primary Walking Routes
 2 Secondary Walking Routes
 3 Link Footways
 4 Local Access Footways

13. WELL MAINTAINED HIGHWAYS
INSPECTION FREQUENCIES

14. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Highways Maintenance
Procedures
 Leicestershire Inspections
Operational Manual
 How and why Inspections
carried out
 Safe working practices
 Ownership of highway issues
 Operational survey techniques
 Record keeping
Leicestershire County Council
Highways, Transportation & Waste Management
HIGHWAY INSPECTIONS
OPERATIONAL MANUAL
Guidance for Safety Inspections of Highways
Version 1 – December 2006

15. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Inspections carried out
 Slow moving vehicle - double manned
 On foot
 Prove system in place
 Identify and record defects
 Arrange repairs
 Repair in a reasonable time

16. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Customer Care
 Customer care computer system
 Departmental highways standards
 Response times
 Service standards
 Needs of highway user
 Disability issues on highway

17. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Highway Law
 In depth knowledge
of duties and
powers Highways
Act 1980
 Section 41 duty to
maintain
 Section 58 special
defence
 Significant Case
histories
 Enforcement

18. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Material Recognition
and Measurement
 Accurately measure
 Estimate
 Recognise materials

19. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Material Recognition and Measurement
 Material usage
 Cost
 Maintenance
 Wastage
 Measure lengths volumes
 Describe repairs
 Measuring equipment
 Terminology of measurement and estimation

20. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Defect Recognition
 Leicestershire County Council policies
 Well Maintained Highways
 Appendix B Parameters for Defect Definitions
 Abrupt level differences in running surface
 Potholes, cracks, gaps

21. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Defect Recognition
 Edge deterioration
 Kerbing edging
channels
 Ironwork broken
missing
 Signs, markings studs
 Trees and loose
branches
 Rocking slabs
 Defective footways

22. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Defect Recognition
TYPES OF HIGHWAY DEFECT APPENDIX A
The following are examples of highway defects together with a description of those classed as Category 1, 2H & 2L.
The list is not exhaustive and the Inspector will need to use his or her judgement as to what is likely to be hazardous.
Category 1 defects should be made safe or repaired within a period of 24 hours of discovery.
Carriageways and Category A Cycleways
Defect Cat. 1 if: Cat. 2H if: Cat. 2L if: Additional advice
Pothole/spalling
Depressions
Rutting
Gap/crack
Sunken ironwork
Greater than 20mm
deep within a
pedestrian crossing.
Greater than 40mm
deep elsewhere.
As 2L unless likely to
deteriorate within 90
days.
Less than 20mm deep
within a pedestrian
crossing.
Up to but not
exceeding 40mm deep
elsewhere.
Repairs should be
programmed where
sufficient depth is
available to repair.
Edge deterioration
Constituting a hazard to the
travelling public especially
cyclists.
Greater then 100mm
‘drop off’ on the edge
of an unconstrained
road.
As 2L unless likely to
deteriorate within 90
days.
Less then 100mm
‘drop off’ on the edge
of an unconstrained
road.
Debris, spillage,
contamination
Constituting a hazard on
straight sections of road, bends,
roundabouts and junctions
Diesel / oil spillage
etc., mud on road.
As 2L unless likely to
deteriorate within 90
days.
Loose chippings,
Slippery / shiney
inspection / hydrant
covers

23. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Defect Recognition
 Identify and describe
defects
 Select most suitable
treatment
 Describe location
 Work within policy
guidelines

24. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Streetworks NRSWA refresher

25. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Streetworks NRSWA
 Understanding Streetworks
Act
 Safe working practices
 Identify dangerous
 Signing, lighting &
guarding
 Application of NRSWA
 Inspections
 Noticing
 Reinstatement
specifications

26. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Claims Investigation and Court Procedures
 Prepare records and evidence
 Court proceedings relating to claims

27. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Claims Sequence Incident Report Form
 Alleged cause
 Location
 Evidence
 Photos
 Witnesses
 Anti Fraud
 Joint Inspection
 Details of repairs
APlease return this form to: Leicestershire County Council
Southern Area Manager’s Office
Coventry Road,
Croft,
Leicestershire LE9 3GP Tel: 01455 283341
The issue of this form or the acceptance of it when completed cannot be taken as meaning that the County Council accept
any responsibility for the incident described herein, or for the consequences of such.
If you are completing this form on behalf of the claimant, please note that you should both sign the declaration at the end,
unless the claimant is under 18 years of age.
The County Council passes information to the Claims and Underwriting Exchange Register run by Insurance Database
Services Ltd (IDS Ltd) and the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register run by the Association of British Insurers
(ABI). The aim is to help us check information provided and also to prevent fraudulent claims. We will be passing
information relating to this incident to the appropriate register(s).
In dealing with your claim we may search the registers.
Solicitors should pass this information on to their clients.
INCIDENT REPORT
Please complete all sections below in detail, in block capitals
1) Injured person or owner of property damaged.
Title, initials, surname: .......................................................................................................Age: ..……………….......
Address: .........................................................................................................................................………….…..........
...................................................................................................................................................…………….................
Postcode: ........................................... Telephone Number: .....................................…………........….........…..........
Occupation: .........................................................................................................................………….....….................
2) Particulars of Incident:
Date: ...................................................................................... Time: ..........................………….................…..........
State precisely how incident occurred: ............................................................................................…………….........
...............................................................................................................................................................………….........
...............................................................................................................................................………….........................
..............................................................................................................................................................…………..........
................................................................................................................................................…………........................
..............................................................................................................................................……………......................
3) The Location:
Name of road and route number: ..................................................................................................……….……............
Precise location of incident: ......................................………….....................................................…...........................
................................................................................................…………........................................................................

28. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Tree Awareness

29. LEICESTERSHIRE INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Tree Awareness
 Identify main causes tree defects
 Fungus
 Dead trees
 Loose branches
 Refer to specialist for further investigation
 Tree related claims
 Footways Root damage
 Property Root damage
 Falling trees Highway (40000)
 Falling trees Adjacent land (400000)

30. RECRUITMENT OF DEDICATED
CLAIMS INVESTIGATORS
 Leicestershire in-house Insurance
Service
 Close working between claims
handlers and inspectors
 Claims handlers trained as
Inspectors
 Regular claims updates for
Inspectors

31. RECRUITMENT OF DEDICATED
CLAIMS INVESTIGATORS
 Midlands Service Improvement
Group Benchmarking
 Low claim numbers
 2004/05 257 & 2005/06 210
 High repudiation rate
 2004/05 & 2005/06 87%
 Low payments to third parties
 2004/05 £41k & 2005/06 £25k

32. SUMMARY
 Developing Training Itinerary for Efficient Safety
Inspections
 Consistent Network Hierarchy
 Robust Inspection, Recording & Reporting
 Repair in Reasonable Time
 Will result in:-
 fewer claims
 less expense on litigation
 less expense on administration

33. ANY QUESTIONS?