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PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info Choosing non-compliant manhole covers and drainage gratings can cost you money, leave you open to litigation and damage reputations As a project speciďŹ er, procurement ofďŹ cer or contractor, your choice of safety-critical products like manhole covers and gully gratings cannot be taken lightly. On civil works projects, your product selection needs to factor in issues like whole-life performance, capacity loads and compliance - and it is fair to say you only have one opportunity to get it right! Budgets are already stretched on most projects but it must come down to more than costs. And today’s budget saving can easily become tomorrow’s stressful job with costly re-instalments and public safety concerns. The standards in place for manhole covers and drainage gratings can be followed easily and will give you genuine peace-of-mind when making your choice.
What the legislation tells us SpeciďŹ cations for manhole covers and gratings in Ireland’s infrastructure are determined by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and local authority requirements. Reference is made to the European standard EN 124 requirements but keep in mind that this is a minimum standard. For example, for areas of high wheel loads of over 1,500 commercial vehicles per day, a higher load class of cover e.g. E600 or F900 should be selected instead of D400.
EJ based in Birr, Co Offaly are available to work with you from the design stage through to the installation and maintenance of your Manhole covers and Drainage gratings. We offer CPD approved seminars on Product standards, SpeciďŹ cation and Correct Installation methods. Contact us on 100
Your check-list when choosing compliant products For manhole covers look for 4 key markings on the cover and frame:
When purchasing you need to:
1 - IndentiÀcation of manufacturer and production site
t Buy from a reputable company certiÀed to ISO 9001 and preferable ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001
2 - Reference to the Standard EN 124 3 - Mark of the third party certiÀcation body
‡ *HW D FRpy of a licence from supplier that was issued by WKLUG SDUW\ FHUWLÀHG WR (1 H J %6, $)125 HWF IRU SURSRVHG products
4 - Load class e.g. D400 or E600
t Aquire a copy of Test Reports from both third-party supplier and manufacturer t Obtain sample for inspection and check for rocking of grates and covers in their frames
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