• Introduction
• Maintaining hedges and trees
• Safe hedge maintenance

All hedge cutting work on the highway should be done safely and in accordance with the recommendations in Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual. The necessary warning signs must be in place before you start working on the highway, and must be removed when you’ve finished. Signs should be placed well in advance of the work and be clearly visible on every approach to the affected areas. Signs are available from your local builders’ merchant or hire shop.

 

We also recommended that:

• flail mowers are mounted on the left-hand side of the tractor so that the tractor can cut with the flow of the traffic
• the work is done in good visibility and in daylight
• the work is done when traffic flows are minimal to reduce congestion
• the person responsible for the work, or their contractor, has Public Liability Insurance cover for working on the highway for a value of £5 million
• equipment is well-maintained and in good condition, and does not throw debris into the path of traffic or other highway users
• the highway, including footways, cycleways and drainage features, is left clean of debris.

It’s always a good idea to think about employing specialist qualified contractors for this work.