01 Organisatorische aspecten
 >  Environmental safety
Discussion > Discuss this with your colleagues!

Discuss the following topics with each other:

  1. How do you handle this problem in your working environment?
  2. Did you know that there are laws and regulations that apply to this situation?
  3. How did you find out about this?
Figure 1: Environmental safety; highly divergent elements that we must take into consideration!
Introduction – environmental safety

Environmental factors can have a major impact on safety during construction, management/maintenance or use. By providing due consideration to existing environmental factors during the Design Phase, risks can be eliminated or mitigated at an early stage.

There are many environmental factors you may encounter when preparing a design. This incudes things such as:

  • Aboveground and underground cables and pipelines;　
  • Water safety (water control structures, water quantity and quality);
  • Soil contamination;
  • Environmental protection areas (groundwater, soil contamination, landscape);　
  • Safety zones around airports, radar installations, military objects and objects that are of national security/safety interest;
  • External safety of companies, industrial premises and the transport of hazardous substances, or rail and other infrastructure;　
  • Stakeholder requirements.

Preventing and limiting these areas of overlap begins during the design process.

Risks > What can happen?

The risks resulting from environmental factors are of a diverse nature:　

  • Injury due to contact with cables or damage/explosion;　
  • Evacuation of the surroundings (gas and hazardous substances);　
  • Breach of a water control structure resulting in a flood or water damage;
  • Disruption of fauna habitat or killing fauna;　
  • Injury due to contact with soil contamination;　
  • Endangering the environment (incidents and disasters).

When insufficient consideration is given to these risks during the Design Phase, there is a chance that additional (costly) measures will be required later on.

Measures > What you must do

Preventing or mitigating risks resulting from existing environmental factors during your design process starts off with a comprehensive environmental analysis. The following environmental factors are part of this process. The environmental analysis is generally carried out by a specialist. On the basis of this analysis you can then acquire additional information about the existence of such areas of overlap and risks from various disciplines and experts. Not all environmental factors necessarily form part of every project. The most commonly occurring environmental factors are described below.

Cables and pipelines
Given the limited space available in the Netherlands, the presence of cables and pipelines is a given. Chances are high that there is overlap with cables and pipelines. Depending on the type of cable or pipeline there are risks, such as electrocution, explosion, flooding, etc.
Insight into the presence of cables and pipelines can be obtained on the basis of an excavation report (report to the KLIC [cable and pipeline information centre]). Heijmans, as well as the applicable laws and regulations, require an excavation permit to be requested. During the design process you must assess whether the presence of cables and pipelines affects the end result of your design and whether it constrains the method of implementation. The design can have an impact on key cables and pipelines that goes far beyond the design’s boundaries. A decision to relocate or protect a cable or pipeline must be made in consultation with its owner. By incorporating the need for clear cable and pipeline routing, together with sufficient space, in the design of the final situation, any risk of damage and potential injury can be limited. Protecting cables and pipelines so as to avoid rerouting them not always is the best solution with regard to safety during implementation or maintenance. Cables and pipelines that stay where they are in the system to be designed can become damaged as a result of the management and maintenance of the system and can also become difficult to maintain, which in turn results in other safety risks. ​​​​​​​

Figure 2: Hazardous cable & pipeline situations; rerouting is sometimes safer

Constraints during implementation, such as working below or above high voltage transmission lines, can be reduced in the design of civil or utility structures by choosing suitable foundation methods. In road design, this can be relevant in relation to and hoisting sewer pits. The design must also take the impact of temporary effects into account, such as subsidence and vibration caused by the work required as a result of a design decision.

Figure 3: Hazardous zone near high voltage lines

Different safety features apply to different cable and pipeline categories. This incudes things such as:

  • Aboveground and underground high voltage lines;　
  • Pipelines for the transport of hazardous substances (e.g. Defence (DPO));　
  • Gas lines;
  • High-pressure lines (e.g. water transport lines, pressure sewage systems);　
  • Other, such as utility and telecom cables. 

You must engage a coordinator of Heijmans Infra’s Cable & Pipeline department as soon as there are any areas that overlap with cables and pipelines. The BPS contains further information concerning the cable & pipeline process.

Water safety　

The Netherlands is a country with much water and as a result your design often has to deal with risks arising from the presence of water. Water safety deals with safety to prevent flooding and water quality safety. Constructing and managing objects within a water control structure affect the water control structure’s chances of failure. The design process must take this into consideration in the choices made for the components to be designed and in the design’s practicability. Things that come to mind here are the construction pit, which must be sufficiently stable throughout construction so that the risk of flooding the construction pit or breaking through the water control structure is consistent with the established risk profile. Regardless of whether this concerns a primary or secondary water control structure, the water management authority (Rijkswaterstaat, District Water Board or Water Authority) sets standards this risk must comply with. You must take the core zone and protective zone of a water control structure into account. Regulations and design options pertaining to the above-referenced standards apply within these zones. Often a water management authority will not permit the use of substances foreign to the soil in the core zone of a water control structure (e.g. EPS or film).

In designing tunnels below waterways, for example, the possibility of the tunnel leaking must be taken into account and design measures must be implemented to prevent the hinterland from flooding.

Figure 4: Protective zones around dikes

The discharge of rainwater is also an important aspect. Not only because of the possibility that the surroundings will be flooded, but also during management and maintenance activities. A water-logged verge caused by inadequate discharge can cause management and maintenance to be unsafe. The infiltrating, storing and discharging design principle applies to the discharge of rainwater.

Water quality is affected by the use of leaching materials in the design. By choosing appropriate materials accordingly, water quality (surface or groundwater) is not affected. Legislated standards and policy regulations naturally apply here as well. A specialist of the Water department or the Biodiversity and Climate Adaptation department can assist you in making the appropriate design decisions. Heijmans Infra’s Permits team can provide you with the applicable water safety policy regulations and legislation.

​​​​​​​Soil contamination　

In designing a building or infrastructure on or in the ground, you must consider the existence of soil contamination, which could be harmful to health, among other things. In this respect, the functionality of the design (land use) must be consistent with the environmental risks to humans and nature. Soil decontamination is a measure that can help ensure this is the case. In addition, you will also be involved in safely working in contaminated soil and performing management and maintenance activities here. Preventing contact with contaminated soil by taking this into account in the design (e.g. contaminated verges or the location of underground objects) is the best measure. Before you start up your design work it is therefore important to gain insight into the quality of the soil to which your design pertains. You should contact the specialists of Heijmans Infra’s Soil Specialism department for this purpose.

Environmental protection areas (groundwater, soil contamination, landscape)　

Groundwater quality is an important aspect in protecting the drinking water supply. The safety of groundwater is protected by allocating environmental protection areas in provincial regulations and zoning plans. Within these environmental protection areas you must comply with detailed rules and regulations that could impact your design (for example directives relating to foundation elements, materials to be used, or discharging roadway water runoff). Other interests can also be regulated using environmental protection areas. Ensure you have insight into these areas of overlap before you start up your design work. You can always approach a specialist of Heijmans Infra’s Permits or Biodiversity and Climate Adaptation department for assistance in this area.

Safety zones around airports, radar installations, military objects and objects that are of national security/safety interest　

There are various objects in the Netherlands that are protected by a safety or security zone. In developing your design you may come across such a zone. This often concerns zones around airports, radar installations for monitoring Dutch airspace or other military objects. Height restrictions often apply within such safety or security zones. This affects the design and implementation. Things that come to mind here are objects that must be designed to be collision-friendly or a method of implementation that does not impact air traffic (physical and operational for air traffic control systems). These affect the safety of the surroundings and therefore the safety of our employees at the construction site as well.

Safety zones are protected in zoning, provincial or central government plans. The airport safety zones are set out in an Airport Zoning decision. A specialist of Heijmans Infra’s Permits team (within the Design Management department) can provide you with more information about this.

External safety of companies, industrial premises and the transport of hazardous substances, or rail and other infrastructure　

Heavy industry, companies that deal with hazardous substances or processes, and the transport of hazardous substances by road, water or rail entail an external safety risk. This external safety risk can affect the object to be designed or its use. In addition, you will need to implement sufficient safety measures for its management and maintenance. This can take the form of additional warning systems or facilities with extra protection that may be necessary to manage and maintain the object.

Stakeholder requirements　

Stakeholders play an important role in the development process. On the basis of its interest, a stakeholders can also influence the design and the associated safety. Examples whereby a stakeholder affects the design are as follows:

  • A road manager who insists on reduced road width (reduced traffic safety);
  • A road manager who demands a traffic measure that deviates from the norm, which is not as safe for our employees during the construction and/or maintenance phase;
  • Deviating requirements relating to the design of public grounds, making them less socially safe;
  • A water manager whose requirements for the construction of a waterway make its maintenance less safe.

Having insight into the influence of stakeholders is important for the design process. The client also plays a major role in this regard, since the wishes or requirements of a stakeholder can fall outside the scope of the contract. Deviations from standards or guidelines are an example of this. Preparing a thorough stakeholder analysis helps gain insight into this. The Process and Environment Management department can provide assistance in this area. In your design process it is very important to effectively document stakeholders’ assumptions and wishes/requirements and to carefully consider how to deal with them. It is essential to involve the client in this process.

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