Dover Western Docks Revival

The Port of Dover, the busiest Ro Ro ferry port in Europe, and cruise terminal handling 13 million passengers with 19,000 visiting vessels annually, seeks significant expansion. This major marine infrastructure project, gained consent in 2012 for Terminal 2 (T2). The vision for Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) was revealed in 2014, a multi-user industrial port, recreational marina, and public areas, acting as a springboard for significant local regeneration.

Our appointment was initially as CDM Co-ordinator. DHB’s health and safety goals were defined at an early stage and Capita’s aim is to assist DHB with its aspirations which include:

• To generate an excellent health and safety culture and to gain a reputation comparable to that of the team which built the 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford.
• To maintain the safety of the port and highway operations at all stages of demolition and construction and ensure that road users, pedestrians, ferry-travellers and adjoining owners are not exposed to significant additional health and safety risks, and that disruption is reduced to the minimum reasonably practicable, during the works.
• To design works that reduce the health and safety risks to those maintaining or decommissioning them and to all who are near the works during those operations as far as reasonably practicable. This includes ensuring that existing services are safeguarded and provision is made for future access and maintenance by diversion or other measures.
• To ensure the projects are delivered with zero accidents and zero near misses. However, both accidents and near misses are to be reported to the Project Manager at the earliest possible time and at the monthly progress review.

A solution being adopted which is unique to the project is the proposal to dredge aggregates from the Goodwin Sands, for use as ballast, hence reducing road vehicle movements. In view of its history, an explosive ordnance (UXO) desk top study was conducted, followed by a survey, which has defined the site as a high risk. We have also considered future maintenance requirements and how to address issues as diverse as agitated nesting seagulls, along with risks to health when ethylene gas is released during the ripening and storage of bananas.

Design risk management has focused on a consolidated CDM log, aligned to relevant disciplines, with design risk assessments, from all designers and co-ordinated by the Principal Designer. The CDM Log is an essential management tool to assist Capita, as principal designer to effectively manage most of its duties under the CDM 2015 Regulations. It is effective in recording and tracking any significant or unusual health and safety hazards or issues identified by designers or other members of the project team. Capita as Principal Designer can then agree with the designers measures required to design out or manage a risk and once this process is complete, residual risks can be reviewed with the Principal Contractor for onward control through the adoption of suitable methodologies or subsequently referenced in the health and safety file for the attention of end users.

Kevin Williams, Senior Project Manager - Port of Dover made the following comments on how the transition to CDM 2015 was made:

• Capita were in a good position to take on role as they were familiar with the project through the CDM Coordinator role for DWDR.
• The new regulations came in as we were in the Concept stage of the Project and procuring a pre-construction Agreement/Contract for the Marine Civil Engineering element of the Project.
• Capita were well informed on what was required for CDM 2015 and the Principal Designer Role and had access to resources to carry out this function across the broad spread of Designer competences required for the DWDR project.
• Capita mobilised quickly the necessary procedures and forms to monitor, record and inform what the Design teams are required to do to meet the latest regulations.
• Capita are actively involved and suitably resourced to provide PD role for all our multi-functional design teams.