Rules, Regulations & Requirements for Construction Site Hoarding

Construction and development are an integral part of any country’s progress. And when redevelopment of an existing premises or new construction of a commercial/residential building takes place, the building contractor has to follow certain rules and regulations.

Covering and securing the construction site perimeter with hoardings is a requirement that the building contractor should follow. However, many contractors do not know that there are specified rules & regulations that need to be followed for the health and safety of the workers as well as the people visiting around the site.

What is the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974?

In the United Kingdom, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that the employers should take necessary steps for the health and safety of their workforce. The Act also covers the construction sites, which are recommended to take care of its workers, visitors and the passers-by, who may be visiting the area or living around the site.

Although the Act does not openly state this, the need for fencing the perimeter of the construction site is necessary. For this, building contractors are using hoardings nowadays to mask the site and give it a cleaner look.

The need for securing the construction sites was earlier stated in the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007. It defined the legal obligations for construction sites in the UK, ensuring they operate safely.

What does the 2015 Construction Regulations state?

The rules were upgraded in the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, introduced by the Health & Safety Executive’s Construction Division. As per the updated rules, the contractors, designers, and clients plan and ensure proper health & safety guidelines throughout the duration of their project – right from demolition to excavation to building and handover.

What is the advisory from the Health & Safety Executive?

In their book ‘Protecting the Public’, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has summarised how the building contractors should plan and maintain the site perimeters.

Proper planning should be done to:

• Identify the hazards and assess the risks
• Determine the site perimeter to be masked
• Decide the type of fencing or hoarding to be installed

Based on the planning, the building contractor should cover the site with hoarding made of recommended material. The hoardings should feature warnings and caution for the safety of all.

Post-installation, the hoarding should be maintained, and regular inspection must be carried out to check for any dirt or vandalism.

Generally, the hoarding boards at construction sites serve dual purposes. Firstly, they act as a protective shield that protects the public from getting exposed to noise, dust and debris. Secondly, they prevent theft and access of unauthorised persons in the premises.

What are the mandatory requirements for site hoardings?

Display: The hoardings should cover the construction site adequately to prevent any kind of theft, besides acting as a premises boundary between the workers and the public. This also ensures the safety and privacy of workers.

Access: The access to the construction site should be designated as per its location. It should be planned appropriately. For enhanced security and safety, hoardings should mention entry and exit points with signs and symbols. This also helps track the moment labour, material suppliers and anyone entering the site, and maintain a proper record.

Strength: The material of the site hoardings should be strong enough to bear the vibration of excavation machines, strong winds and storms, and should not be easily torn if someone tries to enter the premises forcefully.

When should site hoardings be installed?

The site hoardings should be installed before the actual construction work begins. Ideally, the construction work should not start before adhering to proper safety guidelines and getting the necessary approvals from the authorities. The ultimate aim is to keep public safety in mind.

What should be the size of the construction site hoarding?

According to the rule, the construction site hoarding should be approx 8 feet in height. However, there is no set limit as such. As per the location and need, the size can vary and could be larger than 8 feet. Sometimes, the hoarding height may depend on the surrounding or adjacent wall height.

How to make the hoarding boundary more secure?

The construction site hoarding should not be easy to climb. It should neither have any gaps beneath it nor should have any hand or foothold on it. Ideally, flat hoardings are more challenging to scale than mesh fencing.

Hoardings being opaque also block the vision, making the site secure. The top of the hoarding can also be equipped with angled extensions, better known as Fans, to prevent climbing. This also reduces the chances of garbage throwing incidents, which are common at construction sites

How to get the site hoardings approved?

First of all, draw a comprehensive evaluation plan and obtain a design check certificate. Fortunately, the certificate is not issued by any external body. It can be obtained by getting it stamped from a qualified worker who is not a part of the construction project in any way.

Notably, it becomes the responsibility of the personnel to make sure that the designs are as per rules and all work is as per applicable guidelines.

All this helps the building contractor in getting approval for their site hoardings. To make the site hoarding approval plan more manageable, the building contractors having their construction projects in the UK can connect with professional hoarding print companies.

The rules, regulations & requirements mentioned in this blog are the basics that should be considered before getting a site hoarding branding plan approved and executed. For a smoother and faster process, one should always consult a professional and experienced company like Hoarding Print Company that has completed thousands of construction site hoarding projects in the UK with complete proficiency. The company has proven capability to design, print, and install site hoardings and convert them into advertising and attention-grabbing mediums at budget-friendly prices.