Roads works regulations and safety requirements

Road works and events law

The law creates a framework for the control and management of road works on the Island’s public roads. It sets out duties for anyone doing road works to comply with safe measures. It also sets out duties for highway authorities to co-ordinate road works to facilitate the efficient movement of traffic.

If you carry out any type of road works you must comply with the highway authorities and the law.

Road Works and Events (Jersey) Law 2016

If you need guidance on the law email the road works and events team.

Definition of roads

A road is defined in the law as being maintainable by the highway authority and includes:

• carriageways
• footpaths and footways
• cycle paths or cycleways
• roundabouts
• vehicle laybys
• bus stops
• public car parks and public parking places
• pedestrian crossings
• promenades
• verges
• supporting structures such as retaining walls, bridges and tunnels
• open public spaces such as squares, precincts and beaches

About road works

The highway authorities are responsible for authorising, managing and coordinating road works. Depending on the location and ownership of the road the highway authority can be Infrastructure, Housing and Environment (IHE) Department or a parish.

Find out who is responsible for which roads under road ownership on the road information map.

We approve up to 5,000 road works permits every year. These are planned to be as safe as possible and effectively co-ordinated to reduce the impact on the traveling public while planning and facilitating infrastructure and utility repairs and improvements.

Around 80% of all road work permit applications we approve are for work carried out during off-peak traffic hours.

List of major closures and delays

Types of road works

There are 3 different types of road works in Jersey:

Contracted highway authority works

Work done by contractors for the highway authority, such as pothole repair and road resurfacing.

Undertaker works

Work for Utility Companies such as:

• drainage
• electricity
• gas
• telecoms
• water

This type often involves utility service work which requires trenching (digging) in the road.

Specified road works

These are works other than contracted highway authority work or undertaker works which use space in the road creating an obstacle or potential hazard.

Specified road works include:

• operate mobile cranes
• use concrete pumps
• load or unload scaffolding
• place scaffolding or skips on a road
• do building construction and maintenance
• do exterior office cleaning
• construct or repair roadside walls
• do roadside slope stabilisation works
• do tree felling
• construct or modify vehicle entrances
• do survey work (related to road works)
• store building materials on a road
• any other activities considered impactful enough

The highway authority can decide if this type of work requires a permit depending on the impact, and if they need:

• traffic or pedestrian control
• signing, lighting and guarding
  

Code of practice, supervision and qualification requirements

Code of practice for working safely on roads

Our code of practice sets out the safety measures and requirements for anyone planning and doing road works. It provides guidance on signing, lighting and guarding, the  equipment and required method of traffic control to use to ensure your road works are as safe as possible.

If you're planning to carry out or to supervise road works you must comply with the code of practice. 

Working safely on Jersey roads, an approved Code of Practice

The highway authority may also give specific directions in some cases to improve safety even if it's inconsistent with the code.

Operating portable traffic signals or stop and go boards is a high-risk task and must be undertaken by a qualified person. All your equipment must be approved by the highway authority. The highway authority may set specific conditions for the use of the equipment.

If you use portable traffic signals you must have stop and go boards available on site in case of light failure. You must not operate stop and go boards at night without appropriate lighting.

Supervision and qualification

You'll need to complete the Road Works Safety Qualification (RWSQ) if you want to obtain a road works permit. The RWSQ is a basic road works safety course for managing traffic and pedestrians with signing, lighting and guarding on site. You can also use the RWSQ as a basic road works safety refresher for your UK Street Works qualification before it expires. 

A further half day course is available if you set up or manually operate portable traffic signals.

Both courses will be delivered and administered by a local training provider and will include an ID card, as part of a Government of Jersey certification system. You’ll need to recertify every 5 years.

For more information on supervision and road works qualifications email the road works and events team.

You can find details of all safety and qualification requirements in the road work supervision and qualification policy.

Road work supervision and qualification policy

Performance and non-compliance

The Road Works and Events (Jersey) Law 2016 provides duties for highway authorities to make sure anyone carrying out road works does it safely, efficiently and minimises inconvenience.

The law also provides a legal framework to enforce safe working methods and to use a Code of Practice.

Road works inspectors have a duty to check site safety and road works permit and Code of Practice compliance. You must therefore cooperate with an inspectors request for information relating to road works or training and qualifications. If you fail to comply or cooperate with an inspector, you could be prosecuted.

Road works Inspectors carry out inspections to check for:

• road works permit
• permit and code compliance
• signing, lighting and guarding
  
• PPE and safety equipment
• site safety
  
• trench reinstatement quality
• risk assessments
• safe working method statement
• supervision and qualifications

We keep records of inspection data in the Trafficworx system. We use this information to understand your performance, highlight areas needing improvement and detail any necessary actions you must take.

Once you have been issued a permit, you must comply with the permit conditions. If you need to make any changes to your road works then you must notify the highway authority. If you cannot notify the highway authority then you must justify your decisions based on a risk assessment and safe work method statement. You must keep these documents as evidence and provide them if requested.

Non-compliance

You must have a permit to carry out road works as doing so without a permit is illegal. 

You must also notify the highway authority if you intend to do work on the road that affects traffic or pedestrians. If you're carrying out unsafe road work activity and are unable to make it safe, we may act to make it safe and recover the costs of doing so. Incidents of non-compliance will be recorded in the Trafficworx system. 

If there are repeat offences the highway authority will assess the level of risk and you may be given notice to submit an improvement plan.

Your improvement plan will need to show us what you'll do to resolve the issue and make sure of your compliance and safe working in the future. If you need to submit an improvement plan, you'll not be able to apply for a new permit until your improvement plan is accepted.

You have 2 months to appeal decisions in Trafficworx. If you're not a Trafficworx user, you can appeal by emailing the road works and events team.

Trafficworx

All highway authorities use a road network management system called Trafficworx to co-ordinate all road activity. With Trafficworx, the highway authorities can effectively plan road works and road events to reduce the impact on the traveling public.

The system helps the highway authorities:

• assess and reduce impact on traffic
• record planned activities
• consult about road works and events
• avoid conflict with other road works and events
• combine works where possible
• show other workers and the public what is happening on the roads

Highway authorities also use Trafficworx to plan, coordinate and consult on permit applications before approving them. This ensures that the approved work is well co-ordinated, safe and causes the least amount of impact to the traveling public. This also gives notice to residents, emergency services and the public to keep the road network safe and the traveling public moving.

Trafficworx is used by:

• highway authorities
• utility companies
• scaffolders
• companies that do frequent roadside works and building maintenance
• tree surgeons or stonemasons

If you’re not a Trafficworx user and are planning to do works on the road you need to apply for a road works permit. To find out how you can become a Trafficworx user email the road works and events team.

Developers or private work that affects the road

Work you carry out as a developer or private property owner on or next to a Government of Jersey main road needs specialist knowledge, skills and equipment. The work can only be carried out by contractors registered on Trafficworx and you'll need a permit.

You can find further guidance and regulations for developers or private work that affects a main road.

Embargo periods

Embargo periods are set by the highway authority after major resurfacing works.

The highway authorities may impose a 3 year or a 5 year embargo period on utility companies to prevent digging works on roads after they have been substantially reconstructed or resurfaced. This means that we do not allow new excavations from the date of completion of a project, except for:

• urgent or emergency works
• works that don't involve digging
• in some instances, property connections that could not have been anticipated or completed before the embargo

To find out which roads are currently under an embargo period, check the road information map.

Restricted work during embargo

The length of the embargo and the type of work restricted depends on the type of road and whether the road was resurfaced or reconstructed.

Carriageway embargo periods

Carriageways are the part of a road for motor vehicles and include paved cycle tracks.

Paved roads (other than  carriageway) embargo periods

Paved roads include:

• footways and footpaths
  
• alleys, passages or promenades
  
• open space such as pedestrian areas or squares