Includes failures in the dedicated safety process for setting up and controlling street works, including staff competence and training, distance calculation, reference-point and road-marking guidance, risk assessment, traffic-management layout and related implementation controls where these directly affect the safety of road users or workers.
What is not included
Excludes general highway maintenance, road-condition, road-junction or collision hazards where no street-works setup or control deficiency is identified.
Excludes generic staff training, documentation or risk-assessment deficiencies unless they are specifically tied to safely setting up or controlling street works.
Excludes failures in highway hazard reporting, inspection or remedial-work prioritisation where the street-works setup and control process is not the unsafe condition.
Excludes ordinary road-user behaviour or operational driving failures unrelated to the safety arrangements for street works.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Department for Transport2
Affinity Water Limited1
Essex County Council1
Hatton Traffic Management Limited1
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council1
Surrey Police1
Sutton And East Surrey Water PLC1
Ministerial department2
English county council1
English district council1
Police force1
Private limited company1
Public limited company1
Reports and published responses 2 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Essex
Concerns raised3
Inadequate Code of Practice guidance for calculating street works distances where standard reference points or markings are unavailable or variable
Difficulties in calculating distances for roadworks set up in darkness
Failure to place road works warning signs without obscuring visibility of joining traffic
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Affinity Water Limited
Department for Transport
Essex County Council
Hatton Traffic Management Limited
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.7
Affinity Water Limited
Work collaboratively with the Department for Transport and councils on proposed Code revisions or new rules for permit applications and safe roadworks.
Department for Transport
Update the Safety Code through consultation, incorporating the report’s findings and publishing a revised version.
Hatton Traffic Management Limited
Complete a full review of emergency works procedures.
Hatton Traffic Management Limited
Roll out new detailed design layouts and sign-placement guidance for all traffic-light schemes and road speeds.
Hatton Traffic Management Limited
Devise and roll out a toolbox talk addressing sight-line issues and the procedure changes across the business.
Hatton Traffic Management Limited
Add a process-flow question requiring operatives to record whether signage sight lines have been checked and assessed as appropriate.
Affinity Water Limited
Strengthen planning and execution of emergency roadworks and implement stricter contractor-oversight protocols, supported by regular audits and assessments.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.5
Affinity Water Limited
Responding to the second concern falls outside Affinity’s remit because the Department for Transport publishes and controls the Safety at Street Works Code.
Outside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Department for Transport
Those carrying out works are responsible for accurately measuring Safety Code distances, including during darkness.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Essex County Council
The Department for Transport is responsible for reviewing and improving the Code’s guidance on distance calculations for curved carriageways.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Essex County Council
Statutory undertakers and their contractors are responsible for safely setting up emergency works and ensuring Code compliance.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Department for Transport
The local highway authority that granted the permit is responsible for deciding enforcement action concerning incorrectly placed signs.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Surrey
Concerns raised3
Lack of operative guidance or training on placing traffic lights near blind bends
Lack of a clear route for locating the person responsible for placing road works
Inadequate staff training in the safe setting up of road works
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.