Hinkley Point C
RSSI Arboriculture Division
Hinkley Point, Somerset
“We worked in conjunction with the clients’ Wayleave Warden/Agent by liaising with landowners to ensure all access required was with permission and agreed in writing before the commencement of the works. ”
Graham Talbot
Location
Somerset
RSSI Division
Arboriculture
Project Leader
Graham Talbot
No. of Staff
13
Award Value
£650,000
Project Duration
6 months
Delivery
As part of the project brief, we removed trees and hedgerow and erected permanent stock fencing to replace the natural barrier that was due to be removed. The aim was to ensure that all areas cleared remained secure.
An initial site walkout was undertaken to understand the scope of work and specifically; safe areas of access, ecological restraints, hazards and risks and the extent of vegetation to be removed. We worked in conjunction with the clients’ Wayleave Warden/Agent by liaising with landowners. We needed to ensure all access required was with permission and agreed in writing before the commencement of the works.
As part of the delivery programme, RSS Infrastructure conducted a team briefing before the commencement of each shift. The briefing informed all parties of the daily objective, type of work and location. Following this, the teams received a site-specific brief which provided the supervisors with an overview of any known ecological constraints, access issues, site hazards and risks. The briefing also confirmed the method of delivery and a safe system of work that the Arboriculture team will be operating under.
The team consisted of a Works Delivery Manager, 2x Site Supervisors and 2x multi-skilled Arborist and Fencing Installer Teams. Multi-Skilled Arborist and Fencing teams hold as a minimum; City and Guilds NPTC training to Level 2 Award in Aerial Tree Pruning and Site Diploma in Work Based Fencing – General Fencing. Furthermore, the Works Delivery Manager holds ‘Management Safety Training Scheme’ (SMSTS) and the Site Supervisors have attained ‘Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme’ (SSSTS), and the Forestry Machine Operator holds ‘Construction Plan Competence Scheme’ (CPCS). Each employee also held ‘Good Neighbour Behaviour Training’ as this project would require employees to interface with members of the public.
It was important to maintain the integrity of the existing natural boundaries following vegetation clearance. The Arborist and Fencing teams deployed temporary ‘Netlon’ type fencing while the permanent solution of stock fencing was installed. The team clear a maximum of 24-metre sections before erecting the fencing to ensure the boundaries remained secure. Additionally, a member of the team ensured the public used the ‘safe walking route’, and there was no encroachment onto the infrastructure. For sections that required interfacing with the adjacent highway, RSSI liaised with the local authority to ensure sufficient time was available to schedule and deploy traffic management to ensure public safety.
To keep the client updated on progress and quality of work, we used an in-house mobile application that provided the client with daily shift reports; this is then reviewed by the client and signed off. The daily shift reports include information on hedgerow and tree group numbers, percentage of completion and any issues on-site. The client benefits from a team who are multi-skilled in both the delivery of fencing and vegetation clearance. This combination provided the client with an efficient and cost-effective solution by engaging with a single-source supplier.
Meet Our Experts
““Our teams are highly skilled in fencing installation and vegetation clearance - a combination that provides the client with an efficient and cost-effective solution from a single-source supplier.””
Graham Talbot
Head of Arboriculture
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