Provision for Emergency Response and Call-Outs to Surface Hazards.

Descriptions

In order to discharge their duties and responsibilities the Coal Authority contractsout the Services required for the emergency response to surface hazards incidents.To provide safe and effective management of the emergency call out process in relation to surface hazards potentially relating to past mining and the management of the Authority's property holdings.Provide an effective and failsafe system for responding to surface hazard phone calls which puts a Competent Person at the site of a hazard within 4 hours of telephone notification from the Authority to the Service Provider of a reported incident. The Service Provider must fulfil this requirement in all UK coalfield regions as being compulsory regions for the purposes of this contract on a 24 hour 365/7 day basis.The Authority requires 100 % compliance with this objective.To this end the Coal Authority intends to contract with Mines Rescue Service Ltd for this service as the only identified economic operator able to provide nationwide coverage within the required reactive response times to ensure the duty of care to public safety is maintained as specified under the legal remit of the Coal Authority's governance.That the Service Provider establishes an effective and failsafe system for responding to surface hazard phone calls which puts a Competent Person at the site of a hazard within 4 hours of telephone notification from the Authority to the Service Provider of a reported incident. The Service Provider must fulfil this as being compulsory regions for the purposes of this contract on a 24 hour 365/6 day basis. The Authority requires 100 % compliance with this objective.A Service Provider that can respond to more than one incident at a time from bases located in the coalfield areas and to provide backup and support from those bases to those deployed to incidents That the Competent Person provided by the Service Provider attending any incident has ufficient technical ability, and is suitably qualified to take control of the field situation, undertake appropriate risk assessments, assess required securing works to remove public danger, and to direct other third party contractors to secure the hazard.That the Service Provider provides a professional approach to safety, with an “emergency ethos” consistent with surface hazard management. The Authority wishes to enhance credibility with persons affected by hazard incidents, therefore a uniform and appropriate vehicle capable of carrying specified equipment will be required.A service which has the technical knowledge over the coal mining circumstances within the individual coalfield regions.No guarantee of workload can be given. Out of hours cover for answering calls made to the emergency call out telephoneThe Coal Authority has a dedicated emergency telephone line, (+44 1623646333), which during normal office hours is answered by the Public Safety and Subsidence Team based at the Authority's offices at Mansfield. Normal office hours are 9:00-17:00 Monday to Thursday and 9:00-16:30 Fridays.The Authority requires the Service Provider to provide cover, (by means of the call diverting from the Authority's office to a dedicated, manned phone line at the Service Provider's office), in the following circumstances:— out of hours calls during the week and on weekends, public and Authority holidays.— at other ad hoc times when the Public Safety and Subsidence Team may be in corporate briefings, (approximately 6 occasions per year for up to 3 hours).— as a failsafe mechanism should the Authority fail to answer the call for any reason, (the call automatically diverting to the Service Provider if it is not answered within the Authority's office).The Service Provider's dedicated line must have an answer machine, to act as a failsafe mechanism only, with the facility for storing incoming numbers. The Authority requires 100 % compliance for answering calls directly, without use of the answer machine.At all times, if a surface hazard call is diverted to the Service Provider's dedicated line it should be answered immediately and the procedure followed.The Service Provider will also immediately inform the Authority's nominated Duty Officer of all known details. Telephone contact numbers of nominated Duty Officers, (who will be on a rota), will be provided from time to time (generally on a weekly basis) by the Authority to the Service Provider.All persons used by the Service Provider to answer the surface hazard telephone line must be trained by the Service Provider to ensure compliance with this Contract, and a record of trained persons able to answer calls and record details of a surface hazard incident must be provided by the Service Provider to the Authority prior to the start of the Contract. The Service Provider must seek approval from the Authority should additional persons be proposed, and should provide on an annual basis confirmation of trained individuals, and be able to demonstrate to the Authority on request, the cover provided to answer any diverted call.The Service Provider will need to provide a 24 hours/365 days/annum emergency Service, including all public holidays, to provide an initial emergency response to surface hazards. This service will cover all the compulsory coalfield areas and if the Service Provider elects, within all the optional coalfield areas.The Service Provider will develop procedures detailing the steps to be taken in dealing with a surface hazard through all the stages within a call-out to a surface hazard incident, and shall provide that procedure, and any amendments from time to time, to the Authority for approval.The Service Provider will ensure that failsafe arrangements are in place to receive details of emergency calls from the Authority or through diverted calls relating to Surface Hazards on a 24hour/365/6 day per annum basis. Calls may also be received directly from members of the public or other organisations.The Service Provider will ensure that appropriately qualified, trained persons are available at all times to properly deal with any reported call and situation.On receipt of a call from the Authority in respect of a surface hazard incident, the Service Provider shall immediately deploy a competent person to the scene of the reported incident unless otherwise advised by the Authority's Duty Officer.The Service Provider will provide all equipment for the use of the Competent Person. Such equipment shall be maintained, calibrated, repaired and replaced in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations, at the Service Provider's expense.Where the Authority receives calls to the emergency hazard line directly, details of those calls will be relayed to the Service Provider immediately for action. However, should the Service Provider receive a call directly, the Service Provider should respond as required by the Services and notify the Authority's nominated Duty Officer immediately. The Service Provider is required to respond to the call having regard for the need to safeguard public safety and deploy personnel to the incident unless otherwise directed by the Duty Officer.The Service Provider will provide sufficient numbers of Competent Persons to respond to and visit Surface Hazards, within the compulsory coalfield areas, (and if opted for the optional coalfield areas), within 2 hours of the Surface Hazard being reported to the Service Provider. Each Competent Person attending a Surface Hazard will have as a minimum, the equipment. The Authority's requirement of the Service Provider is to maintain a 100% performance achievement of the 4 hour attendance criteria.The Service Provider will put in place suitable arrangements for dealing with gas emissions, in accordance with the Authority's procedure for dealing with such incidents. This procedure, which may be subject to amendment from time to time.2.2.9. The Authority has arrangements in place with other Term Contractors to provide a 24 hour/365 day provision to attend surface hazards covering all coalfield regions.A Term Contractor will be deployed by the Authority's Duty Officer to emergency calls ithin the specified time scales to deal with surface hazard incidents. Copies of the Term Contracts will be provided to the appointed Service Provider.The Term Contractors are currently reqPowered by BravoSolution eSourcing Technologyuired to be on site within 4 hours of notification to them, and to make the site secure in accordance with directions given to them by the Competent Person.2.2.10. The Competent Person shall assess the hazard and undertake whatever actions are required to secure the hazard and remove the threat to public safety. This will include, inter alia:2.2.10.1 The Competent Person carrying out a suitable and sufficient Risk Assessment of the hazard incident with regard to assessing measures required to make the incident safe;2.2.10.2 The Competent Person ensuring that the Term Contractor implements the control measures identified in the Risk Assessment when undertaking works to secure the hazard;2.2.10.3 The Competent Person assessing the need for security (e.g. need for a night watchman), evacuation of property, requesting attendance of emergency services or other specialists;2.2.10.4 The Competent Person shall ensure that within 5 hours of the original notification that the area is fenced, or other such works are undertaken to make the incident safe;2.2.10.5 The Competent Person shall liaise with the Authority's nominated Duty Officer during this period, and immediately contact them if there is any immediate risk to personal safety, a requirement for additional technical resources or a need for evacuation.2.2.11.The Competent Person shall instruct the Authority's Term Contractor deployed to an incident, to erect preliminary fencing or undertake other emergency works, as necessary to ensure public safety. The Competent Person will supervise the Term Contractor and will ensure compliance by the Term Contractor with the response times and other duties under the Term Contract.2.2.12 The Competent Person shall remain at the incident until such time as the incident is secured or is relieved by another Competent Person employed by the Service Provider, or a representative of the Authority.2.2.13 The Competent Person will complete an Initial Visit Report, (in the format set out in Annex 6), including confirmation that action has been taken. The Competent Person shall also take photographs of the incident both prior to and after securing the hazard to demonstrate that the works are properly carried out and that appropriate signage is displayed. These photographs should capture both the details of a particular hazard and its general environment / location. A photograph must be taken of the completed securing measures together with signage erected. The report and photographs shall be emailed to the Authority's Operations nominated email address within 12 hours of the initial notification to the Service Provider together with supporting digital photographs. In all cases, the naming conventions for electronic files detailed in Annex 10 shall be complied with.2.2.14 In a major incident involving high publicity, major works, injury or fatality, the Initial Visit Report shall be emailed as soon as possible, and in these cases verbal contact should be made immediately with the nominated Duty Officer to advise of the situation. In all cases, the Competent Person shall verbally confirm to the Authority's nominated Duty Officer the completion of securing works on site, immediately they are complete.2.2.15 The Competent Person shall liaise and inform all stakeholders on site, and shall record names, addresses and contact numbers of those stakeholders and/or their representatives, and where practical obtain verbal consent to enter onto the land for the purposes of undertaking securing works. The Competent Person shall provide such information to those persons as required, as set out in the Authority's guidance notes published from time to time.2.2.16 In respect of any Works required to make the situation safe, the Service Provider shall provide to the Authority, (in addition to the Initial Visit report), separate details of works undertaken, comprising quantities assessed by the Service Provider to substantiate invoices submitted by the Term Contractor to the Authority.The Service Provider shall use the Schedule of Items within the Term Contracts to provide this information. Should the Authority query Term Contractors' invoices with the Service Provider then these queries shall be answered by the Service Provider and returned to the Authority within 5 working days of receipt.