Safety fencing and barriers

Design of safety fences and barriers

Safety fences and barriers must comply with Volume 1, Series 400 of The Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW).   The need for barriers/fences should be designed out of residential areas so that layouts create a feeling of place for those not travelling by motor vehicles. 

Where vehicle restraint systems are required (where flows are appropriate) to address existing issues, then they should accord with:

If flows are not sufficient to meet the thresholds in this guidance, then individual risk assessment should be undertaken in conjunction with Road Safety Audit. Care should be taken to avoid the use of vehicle restraint systems to protect road users from the dangers of objects or hazards other than motor vehicles within the highway boundary by first determining whether the objects in question could be relocated to remove the hazard.

Pedestrian barriers

Where a footpath joins a road, staggered barriers must be provided to:

  • Prevent pedestrians running straight out into the road; and 
  • Reduce the likelihood of misuse by cyclists.

Details of these barriers can be found in the councils Standard Details.

Pedestrian guardrails

High visibility guardrails must be used where the number of pedestrians makes it necessary to channel them to the appropriate crossing point. Care should be taken so that guardrails do not interrupt visibility. The council will not adopt safety fencing erected on the highway boundary unless it:

  • Is provided as a safety feature at the top of any structure retaining the highway; 
  • Provides protection against a hazard existing on the adjacent land; or 

Adoption of fencing and barriers

In other circumstances it will be necessary to establish who is responsible for maintaining the fencing in the early stages of discussions.

For works that the council is to adopt, the details of fencing, including brook railings, boundary markers, gates and stiles and pedestrian guardrails can be found in the Standard Details and Series H of Volume 3 of MCHW.

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