Maintenance & Inspections

Strategy:

Street Lighting
February 2021
Document Title Street Lighting Maintenance and Inspections Strategy
Status Final
Issue date February 2021
Revision Date February 2024
Contents
Maintenance & Inspections Strategy: Street Lighting 1

1.2.1. Street Lighting Asset Management System ...................................................... 2

1.2.2. Part-night Lighting ............................................................................................ 2

1.3.1. General Principles for Completion of Inspections .............................................. 2

1.3.2. Inspection Frequency ....................................................................................... 3
1.3.3. Electrical Inspection and Testing ...................................................................... 3
1.3.4. Structural Inspection and Testing...................................................................... 4
1.3.5. High Mast Lighting ............................................................................................ 4

1.4.1. Central Management System (CMS) ................................................................ 5

1.4.2. Defect Reporting ............................................................................................... 6
1.4.3. Defect Prioritisation........................................................................................... 6
1.4.4. Capital Replacement Programme ..................................................................... 7

1.5.1. Illuminated Bollards .......................................................................................... 8

1.5.2. Illuminated Signs .............................................................................................. 8
1.5.3. High Masts ....................................................................................................... 8
1.5.4. Dual Carriageways ........................................................................................... 8
1.5.5. Performance Management ............................................................................... 9
1.5.6. Key Roles and Competencies ........................................................................... 9
Maintenance & Inspections Strategy:
Street Lighting

Introduction
The Essex County Council (ECC) Highways Street Lighting Maintenance
& Inspections Strategy has been reviewed to take account of the
recommendations and best practice set out in the “Well-managed Highway
Infrastructure: A Code of Practice”.

The Code of Practice is designed to promote the adoption of an integrated

asset management approach to highway infrastructure based on the
establishment of local levels of service through risk-based assessment.

This document supports the overarching ECC Highways Maintenance

Policy. It sets out and describes the service levels relating to our risk-
based approach to managing how it organises and maintains the Street
Lighting Network it is responsible for.

Alongside this strategy will be supporting documents that sets out the
process & procedures to be operated.

This strategy covers the following key areas:

 Network
 Inspections and testing
 Defects
 Maintenance

Essex Street Lighting Network

Essex is the third largest local lighting authority in the country. As of

March 2020 the number of assets for which ECC is responsible for is
approximately:

 130,000 street lights

 12,000 illuminated signs
 3,800 illuminated bollards

ECC is not responsible for all of the street lights within the county on
adoptable highway; parish/town and district/borough councils own and
maintain street lights as well. If it has been established that the highway is
either private or not adopted by ECC, then the responsibility remains with
the asset owner. This may mean that residents are required to conduct
further research to establish who has responsibility for the lights. ECC is
unable to assist further with the ownership of the street lights under these
circumstances.

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 1.2.1. Street Lighting Asset Management System

ECC uses a dedicated asset management system for its street lighting
operations called Mayrise. Only ECC-owned street lighting assets are
recorded on Mayrise however references to street lights owned by others
may be made.

Mayrise is regularly reviewed to ensure the data is kept current and

accurate. The Asset Management Lighting team endeavours to ensure
that any street lighting assets adopted by ECC are recorded on Mayrise.
This is essential to ensure that management of the maintenance process
meets legal obligations and provides information for the calculation and
tendering for electrical energy.

Mayrise holds data that includes dated records of operations or repairs

carried out including both routine and non-routine maintenance.

1.2.2. Part-night Lighting

ECC operate part-night lighting in certain areas of the county in

accordance with the published exception criteria, which can be found on
the ECC’s website.

Inspection – Strategy and Service Levels

1.3.1. General Principles for Completion of Inspections

ECC requires that inspections are carried out by trained personnel in the
manner deemed appropriate for the particular inspection type. The safety
of the highway officer will always be of paramount consideration in
determining the method of inspection.

Inspections fall into the following types:

 Electrical Inspection and Testing

 Structural inspection and Testing
 High Mast Inspection

In addition to the inspections listed above, street lighting assets are also
visually inspected for obvious signs of damage and condition as part of the
routine safety inspections carried out by Highway Inspectors (HI) as per
the ECC “Maintenance & Inspections Strategy: Carriageways, Footways &
Cycleways”. The frequency of these inspections depend on the hierarchy
and type of network on which the asset is situated.

In the event of conditions that affect business continuity for example,

severe weather events, the inspections may be suspended and re-
programmed.

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 1.3.2. Inspection Frequency

The inspection frequency (table below) is aligned to various inspection

requirements affecting Street Lighting.

Sub Feature Inspection Type Inspection frequency

Electrical Inspection Testing 6 Yearly
and Testing

Structural Inspection Visual Inspection As per HI functional route

and Testing hierarchy, detailed in 1.3.1
Non-metallic Column Testing 3 Yearly
Metallic Column Testing 6 Yearly

High Mast Inspection Annual Inspection 12 Monthly, detailed in 1.3.5.1

Principal Inspection 4 Yearly, detailed in 1.3.5.2

As far as possible inspections are planned to maximise efficiency with all

inspections undertaken within the calendar month that they are due.
However, the programme will need to remain flexible due to unforeseen
events.

1.3.3. Electrical Inspection and Testing

In order to comply with the requirements of the relevant legislation and

regulations, a 6 year rolling programme of inspection, testing and selected
remedial works on the entire network of the Councils owned street lighting
assets shall be carried out.

1.3.3.1. Electrical Dangerous Situations

During the course of electrical testing, if a situation is observed where

immediate public danger is apparent then that hazard shall be eliminated
or guarded. The danger shall be immediately reported and the term
maintenance contractor or the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) shall
be arranged to respond.

1.3.3.2. Electrical Testing Requirements

All equipment shall be electrically tested in accordance with the appropriate clauses
of the latest version of all relevant codes/standards.

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 1.3.3.3. Electrical Defects

During the testing programme, any electrical defects as detailed in the

relevant standards that are found shall either be resolved at the time of the
test where reasonably practicable or reported to the DNO.

1.3.4. Structural Inspection and Testing

ECC carries out inspections and testing to ensure the structural integrity of
the street lighting assets are maintained.

Inspections are carried out utilising the guidance provided within the latest
version of all relevant codes/standards. ECC intends to identify those
inspection and testing parameters in a Non Destructive Testing (NDT)
manner.

The structural defects shall be separated into the following levels of

condition:

Defect Response Criteria

Category
Emergency Shall be Whilst the routine
Red attended to as inspection is taking
soon as place the structure is
operationally found to be too
possible dangerous state to be
left
Red Shall form part Loss of original
of the annual thickness in the root
capital of the street light ≥
replacement 50%
programme
Amber Requires further Loss of original
investigation but thickness in the root
if not rectified of the street light
within 3 years it between 10% and
shall be 49%
retested
Green Satisfactory Loss of original
until next thickness in the root
planned of the street light
inspection/test below 10%
(6 years)
Observations Conditions that Unable to test due to
(at the time will reduce the vegetation, unable to
of test) effectiveness of locate, blocked shaft
the asset etc..

1.3.5. High Mast Lighting

All high mast lighting shall be inspected in accordance with the latest
version of all relevant codes/standards. A specialist contractor shall be
employed to carry out this function countywide.
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 1.3.5.1. Annual Inspections
Annual inspections to high mast lighting assets will be carried out according the
relevant guidance and in general consists of a ground level visual inspection of most
elements as recommended.

1.3.5.2. Principal Inspections

Principal inspections to high mast lighting assets consist of all that is included in the
annual inspection, while additionally utilising the use of a Mobile Elevated Working
Platform (MEWP) to further inspect elements not visible from the ground.

During Principal Inspections a full structural visual inspection will also be carried out
in accordance with recommended guidance.

Defects
1.4.1. Central Management System (CMS)

ECC have one of the largest central management systems in the world
which helps to control the street lighting more efficiently. Sensors on the
top of each street light detects certain faults/issues, shown below, and
sends a report to the asset management system which are then
categorised, prioritised and issued accordingly by the Street Lighting
Operational Team.

Item Defect Investigatory

level
Lamp Lamp failed Defect
present

Lamp cycling Defect

present

Lamp day Defect

burning present

Mains power Defect

Power/Performance
brownout present
Issues

Telecell internal Defect

temperature too present
high

Monitoring data Defect

missing (no present
contact for
period)

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As well as those defects identified by the CMS the Council also receives
notification of possible defects from:

 The Highway Inspection Team

 Highways Out of Hours service
 Members of the Public
 Defects recorded during Electrical and Structural tests
 Defects recorded during High Mast Inspections
 Emergency Services
 Other councils (parish, town etc.) MPs and Councillors
1.4.2. Defect Reporting

ECC receives defect reports and enquiries relating to condition concerns

from a number of sources regarding its highway street lighting assets.
Due to their nature urgent reports cannot be reported online and the
website provides the contact number for the customer to call to report
anything that in their opinion is urgent. These types of defects tend to be
physical defects such as, but not limited to;

 Leaning columns
 Column damage
 Door open/missing
 Exposed wiring
 Damaged lantern

Any enquiry relating to a street lighting asset must be passed on to the

Street Lighting Operational Team to assess, this includes enquiries
received out of hours.

The Street Lighting Operational Team shall assess the defect enquiry
based on its priority to attend site.

Urgent Urgent enquiries will be assessed the

same working day. *

Standard Defect to be considered for repair as part

of a planned maintenance programme.

*During periods of high demand such as the period after severe weather it may
not be possible to comply with these response times.

1.4.3. Defect Prioritisation

Defects will be defined as follows;

Priority A defects are those require emergency attendance as they

represent an immediate or imminent safety hazard such as risk of short-
term structural failure and imminent risk of electric shock.

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Priority B defects are those that require urgent attendance due to
identification of a safety hazard, where the risk is assessed to not be
immediate or imminent.

Priority C defects are those of low risk of causing harm and are considered
to be defects that impact long term serviceability and sustainability of the
highway asset. These defects shall be addressed in a planned manner as
resources permit please see the below for examples.

A B C
Unit Damaged Door Off Lamp Failed/Not Working
Lantern Hanging (5m+) All Lights Out Lamp Day Burning
Exposed Live Electrical Belisha Beacon Globe Replace Lantern
Conductors Missing

The response time is defined as the time taken to attend site from the time
the defect is reported to the Street Lighting Operational Team.

Emergency attendance to dangerous equipment shall be either 2 hours (A)

or 24 hours (B) depending on the type of damage. A higher priority is
given to faults that could be considered more dangerous such as exposed
electrical wiring and the location of the column etc.

The competent person attending site shall be equipped to ensure the site
can be made safe or they shall remain on site until the situation is resolved
(the latter may be if a team with different equipment/vehicle is required or if
the DNO is required to attend site to make their equipment safe).

Defect Priority Attendance time

A 2hr*

B 24hr*

C Defect to be considered for repair as part of a

planned maintenance programme.

*During periods of high demand such as the period after severe weather it may
not be possible to comply with these response times.

1.4.4. Capital Replacement Programme

The Asset Management Lighting team shall analyse the data provided by
the structural testing & inspection regime and produce an annual
replacement programme in relation to the available capital funding.

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The programme shall be prioritised in order of the nature of the defect
categories i.e. all “Reds” would initially be considered followed by
“Ambers”.

The targeting “Ambers” when funds are available will reduce the number of
future Reds. Where the majority of columns in a road are defective (reds
and high ambers), consideration shall be given to changing all columns in
the road.

Where funding is limited “Reds” shall be prioritised.

Non-Routine Maintenance
1.5.1. Illuminated Bollards

Any damaged illuminated bollards and the associated electrical equipment

shall be replaced with a non illuminated, self righting, reflective bollard.
When changed, the bollard shall be recorded as being non-illuminated and
shall be maintained by the routine highways maintenance team.
1.5.2. Illuminated Signs

Where a replacement sign light is required, an LED sign light shall be used
if the sign requires illumination under latest version of all relevant
codes/standards. The maintenance or replacement of any highways
signage is managed by the routine highways maintenance team.
1.5.3. High Masts

High masts are major structures that require specialised maintenance.

Their heights range from 16 to 30m with their lights being on an assembly
which is winched into place. They are normally used in large areas like
dock yards, airports etc. however during the 80/90’s there was a fashion to
use them for road lighting. We currently have 36 across Chelmsford,
Harlow and Basildon.

The non-routine replacement of lamps shall only be carried out when more
than 25% of the total number of LED Lanterns on the individual mast are
not operating correctly.

1.5.4. Dual Carriageways

The non-routine maintenance operations on dual carriageways shall be,

where possible, incorporated with other highway maintenance functions
carried out on the road to reduce traffic management costs.

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 1.5.5. Performance Management

The performance of the Street Lighting Operation Team is monitored via

Key Performance Indicators.

1.5.6. Key Roles and Competencies

There is a dedicated team whose main function is undertaking street

lighting maintenance and reactive ad hoc inspections in accordance with
this strategy. All members of the team shall be assessed and receive
appropriate training for all tasks undertaken to ensure they meet the
minimum required standards for their role and specific tasks.

In addition, all operational site staff, supervisors, managers and as

appropriate sub-contractors shall be correctly registered to the appropriate
and relevant professional bodies and hold the qualifications as required by
the relevant codes/standards.

The safety of the site staff will always be of paramount consideration in

determining the method of inspection or testing and any maintenance
works.

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This information is issued by: Essex_CC
Highways & Transportation essexcountycouncil

Contact us: The information contained in

essexhighways.org this document can be translated,
0345 603 7631 and/or made available in alternative
formats, on request.
Highways & Transportation
Essex County Council Published 2021.
County Hall, Chelmsford
Essex, CM1 1QH.