Temporary works publishes code of practice

PAS 8811 Temporary works – Major infrastructure client procedures – Code of practice has been published by BSI, the business standards company. 

Major infrastructure client procedures for temporary works and temporary conditions of permanent works during construction are recommended by PAS 8811. Processes, roles, responsibilities and competences, as well as providing example pro forma documentation, are all covered.

The Temporary Works Forum (TWf) and High Speed Two, sponsor PAS 8811 and define major infrastructure client responsibilities with regards to temporary works. Also recommended is a common set of procedures for use by UK major infrastructure clients. 

After engaging with a number of construction industry stakeholders, areas which BSI felt that the industry could benefit from further standardisation, were identified.

BS 5975:2008+A1:2011 Section 2 covers procedural controls for temporary works covered in BS and are widely used across the industry. Although the standard provides the basis for contractors’ procedures for temporary works, it does not provide explicit guidance for clients.

Some approaches have created confusion as a result of individual requirements developed by client organisations, particularly with respect to approval and compliance with adverse impact on administrative costs and programme.

Head of the Built Environment sector at BSI, Ant Burd, explained that eliminating unnecessary procedures and conflicts in order to achieve clarity and minimise delays during compliance and approvals processes and other necessary procedures, by establishing a unified approach to client involvement in temporary works across all stages, was the aim of PAS 8811.

PAS 8811 uses a consensus-based collaborative approach with input from experts within organisations such as: Crossrail, Groundforce, HS2, Highways England, National Grid, Network Rail and more.

BS 5975, Code of practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible stress design of falsework is intended to be used in conjunction with this PAS to expand areas where there is limited information provided for major infrastructure client requirements.

The contractual responsibilities of clients, suppliers or contractors are not covered by PAS 8811. This PAS refers to relevant existing standards or industry documents and is not intended to replicate existing material.