5  Skid Resistance Strategy and Skid Resistance Surveys

5.1  The Service Provider shall carry out all Skid Resistance Surveys in accordance with this Schedule 7 and the Skid Resistance Strategy for the relevant Contract Year.

5.2  The Service Provider shall document the results of each Skid Resistance Survey and input such results into the relevant Part of the Management Information System in accordance with Part [♦] of the Output Specification.

5.3  No later than four (4) Months prior to the commencement of each Contract Year following the first Contract Year, the Service Provider shall submit to the Authority a revised Skid Resistance Strategy pursuant to the Review Procedure and provide to the Authority a copy of any risk assessments used in the development of each revised Skid Resistance Strategy.

5.4  The Service Provider shall ensure that each Skid Resistance Strategy shall, as a minimum:

(a)  set out all details of how the Service Provider shall comply with the requirements of HD28/04 (and the County Surveyor's Society Guidance on the application of HD28/04) and IAN 49/03;

(b)  apply to the whole Project Network with due regard to the hierarchy of all Carriageways, surfacing materials, traffic flow, characteristics of the geometry of the Carriageways and accident risk (taking into account the history of accidents);

(c)  identify the equipment to be used in order to carry out all actions set out in the Skid Resistance Strategy (including the type of machinery to be used for Carriageway testing and localised investigation);

(d)  set out quality assurance procedures for data collection;

(e)  set out the approach to setting Investigatory Levels, including the range of Investigatory Levels which are to be used for different categories of Carriageway in accordance with the recommendations of HD28/04;

(f)  set out the frequency for re-assessment of Investigatory Levels;

(g)  list the staff authorised to act on or approve Investigatory Levels and provide evidence to the Authority that they are appropriately qualified;

(h)  provide all details of the approach (including the frequency) to be taken in respect of site investigation, including prioritisation of investigation and staff authorised to undertake site investigations;

(i)  provide all details of how remedial works will be programmed in order to meet the requirements of the Output Specification;

(j)  provide details of all documents to be retained by the Service Provider to enable implementation of the Skid Resistance Strategy to be demonstrated to the reasonable satisfaction of the Authority; and

(k)  identify the sites on which the Service Provider proposes to carry out the Benchmark Testing for the forthcoming Contract Year.

5.5  The Service Provider shall demonstrate to the reasonable satisfaction of the Authority that the Skid Resistance Strategy has been fully implemented.

5.6  The Service Provider shall use the Annual Survey with Benchmark Testing in order to derive the Characteristic Scrim Co-efficient.

5.7  The Authority shall notify the Service Provider in writing if the Authority requires an alternative site to that identified pursuant to paragraph 5.4(k).  If the Service Provider does not agree to the alternative site(s) proposed by the Authority, the parties shall act reasonably in agreeing which site shall be used for Benchmark Testing. If the parties fail to agree an alternative site then either Party may refer the matter to Dispute Resolution.

5.8  The Service Provider shall undertake the Benchmark Testing three (3) times during the Months of June, July and August in each Contract Year.  The Service Provider shall use the results of the Benchmark Testing each Contract Year to produce an average variation factor which shall be based on the methodology contained within HD 28/04 and IAN 49/03.

5.9  The Service Provider shall not undertake any Benchmark Testing on any Carriageways where works and/or any part of the Service (except that part of the Service relating to surveys, inspections, tests and/or assessments required pursuant to this Schedule 7) are being undertaken.

5.10  The Service Provider shall ensure that Skid Resistance Surveys are completed each year in sufficient time so that the resultant data is available to be used by the Authority in the NCI Calculation Methodology on 1 November in each Contract Year.