1−56 any worker to work in surroundings or under conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to health or safety. The Contractor shall admit without delay and without the presentation of an inspection warrant, any inspector of the Occupational Safe ty and Health Administration or other legally responsible agency involved in safety and health administration upon presentation of proper credentials.
107.08 PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY . The Contractor shall conduct the work to
assure the least possible obstruction to traffi c. The safety and convenience of both the general public and the residents along and adjacent to the highway, as well as the protection of persons and property, shall be provided by the Contractor as specified under Subsection 104.08; Maintenance of Traffic , or as the Engineer may direct. The Contractor shall comply with the safety provisions of all laws, rules, codes, and regulations applicable to the type of work being performed. The Engineer will suspend the work of the Contract if the Contractor fails either to comply with said safety provisions or provide adequate protection for inspection of the work by the Engineer or his/her authorized representatives.
a.Accident Reports . The Contractor shall furnish the Engineer with two copies of a report of any accident occurring on the Project that involves:
1.Personal injury requiring treatment by a physician.
2.Loss of time on the job.
3.Public liability or property damage. Accident reports shall be submitted on forms acceptable to the Engineer.
107.09 BARRICADES AND WARNING SIGNS . The Contractor shall provide, erect, and
maintain all necessary barriers, barricades, lights, danger signals, signs and other traffic control devices, and shall take all necessary precautions for the protection of the work and the safety of the public. Highways or bridges closed to traffic shall be protected by effective barricades. Suitable warning signs and protective devices shall be provided to properly control and direct traffic. Barricades, warning signs, lights, temporary signals, and other protective devices must conform with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways published by the U.S. Government printing office. 1−57
107.10 USE OF EXPLOSIVES . When explosives are necessary for the prosecution of the
work, the Contractor shall not endanger life, property or new work. The Contractor shall be responsible for damage resulting from the use of explosives. The Contractor shall comply with all laws and ordinances, as well as with Title 29 and Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Safety and Health Regulations for Construction of OSHA, whichever is the most restrictive, in the use, handling, loading, transportation, and storage of explosives and blasting agents.
a.Additional Specific Requirements . The Contractor shall comply with the following:
1.The Contractor shall be solely responsible for employing such plant, equipment and construction methods necessary to accomplish the work of this Contract with complete safety and without damage to persons, existing buildings, structures, facilities and utilities.
2.The Contractor shall furnish the services of technical representatives of the manufacturer of the explosive materials. Such individuals shall be experienced in the use of high explosives in blasting operations under the circumstances to be encountered in the work of this Contract. The Contractor shall furnish the services of the explosive manufacturer's representatives for such lengths of time prior to starting blasting operations as is necessary to determine the proper equipment, devices, materials, methods and procedures to be used for the proper performance of the work. The Contractor shall also furnish the services of the explosive manufacturer's representatives during the preparation for, and progress of blasting operations for such lengths of time and as frequently as necessary to assure that blasting operations shall be performed in a safe and proper manner.
3.Prior to commencement of work, the Contractor shall meet and confer with the Engineer at which time the Contractor shall outline in detail his proposed administration of an overall safety program, which program shall at all times be satisfactory to the Engineer. The Contractor shall furnish to the Engineer copies of the current safety program and procedures for the safety and prevention of injury to persons and the prevention of damage to property and the work. The Contractor shall comply with this program at all times during the prosecution of the work.
4.All operations involving explosives and/or blasting agents shall be in accordance with the "Suggested Code for the Manufacture, Transportation, Storage and Use of Explosives and Blasting Agents" published by the Institute of Make rs of Explosives, as amended. Wherever the Code and the Rhode Island Standard Specifications conflict, the Code shall apply. The Contractor shall be responsible for developing techniques necessary to obtain the required ledge slopes consistent with maximum safety requirements.
b.Care in Blasting . It is especially required that blasting operations shall be conducted with all possible care and in such a manner as to prevent injury to persons and property. A sufficient warning shall be given to all persons in the vicinity of the work before blasting. No blasting will be allowed within 25 feet of an existing building or in-service underground utility line. 1−58
c.Power of Explosives . The explosives employed in the work shall be of such power and placed in such quantities and positions that will not:
1.Unduly enlarge the excavation.
2.Unnecessarily shatter the rock upon or against which the work will be installed.
3.Injure work already in place.
d.Transportation, Handling, and Storage . Explosives must be carefully transported, stored, handled and used as required by applicable State and local ordinances and laws. The necessary permits for such transportation, storage, handling and use shall be obtained by the Contractor. The Contractor shall show such permi ts to the Engineer before any blasting will be allowed. The Contractor shall keep on the job only such quantity of explosives as may be needed for the work underway and only during such time as they are being used. Explosives shall be stored in a secure manner and separately from all tools. Caps or detonators shall be stored separately and at a point over 100 feet distant from the explosives. When the need for explosives is ended, all such material remaining on the job shall be promptly removed from the premises.
e.Approval of the Engineer . The approval of the Engineer shall first be obtained before blasting is permitted. If, in the opinion of the Engineer, blasting is unsafe or dangerous to persons, or to existing structures and utilities, the Contractor shall employ pneumatic tools, drilling and splitting mechanically, or by hand, or by other such means that do not require the use of explosives for the removal of rock, boulders, or ledge, all at no additional expense to the State.
f.Notification of Local Authorities . Before any dynamite or detonator caps are stored or used under this Contract, the Contractor shall contact the Police and Fire Departments of the city or town in which the project is located for instructions relative to the regulations for possession and use of explosives in that communi ty. The Contractor shall obtain all required permits or licenses for possession and use of expl osives on the site or sites of construction under this Contract. In addition, the Contractor shall be responsible:
1.For designating an individual who shall be responsible for the explosive materials at all times.
2.For the immediate reporting to the Police Department of the Cities or Towns in which the project is located of all unaccounted for explosive materials.
g.Records . The Contractor shall keep a complete record of blasting operations, noting the date, exact location with reference to a datum, weight of charge, and whether the firing was instantaneous or delayed. The Contractor shall furnish the Engineer with a complete record of operations during the preceding weekly period.
1.Records shall indicate by date the quant ity and type of explosive materials delivered to the construction sites(s); the quantity of explosive material used; and the quantity of such material subsequently removed from the construction site(s). 1−59
2.All records related to the possession and use of explosive materials shall be open for inspection by the Engineer and the Police Departments of the cities and towns in which the project is located.
3.The Contract prices for the various items of work shall include full compensation for providing a complete record of blasting operations.
h.Repairs . The Contractor is cautioned that it will be responsible for any damage to existing roadway surfaces, drainage lines, structures or other objects as a result of blasting operations. The Contractor will be required to repair such damage as may be directed by the Engineer in accordance with prevailing Rhode Island Special Provisions or Standards for the particular type of work involved. The Contractor shall assume the full cost of making such repairs.
107.11 PROTECTION AND RESTORATIO N OF PROPERTY AND LANDSCAPE . The
Contractor shall be responsible for the preserva tion of all public and private property and shall protect carefully from disturbance or damage all land monuments and property marks until the Engineer has witnessed or otherwise referenced their location. The Contractor shall not move such monuments and marks until so directed. When the Contractor's operations encounter remains of prehistoric dwelling sites or artifacts of historical or archaeological signi ficance, the operations shall be temporarily discontinued. The Engineer will contact archaeological authorities to determine the disposition thereof. When directed by the Engineer, the Contractor shall excavate the site to preserve the artifacts and shall remove and deliver them to the custody of the proper state authorities. Such excavation will be paid for as hereinafter provided in Subsection 109.04; Differing Site Conditions, Changes, Extra Work, and Force Account Work . The Contractor shall be responsible for all dama ge or injury to public or private property resulting from any act, omission, neglect, or misconduct in, of either the Contractor's or its subcontractors' manner or method of executing the work, or in consequence of the non-execution thereof. Furthermore, the Contractor shall be responsible for all such damage due to defective materials. The Contractor shall restore, at its own expense, such property to a condition similar or equal to that existing befor e such damage or injury was done, by repairing, rebuilding, or otherwise restoring as directed by the Engineer. Should the Contractor enter into, either directly or indirectly, an agreement with a property owner within the project limits, the Contractor must first obtain the signature of the property owner on the so-called LETTER TO THE PROPERTY OWNER to be provided by the Department. This document explains that the St ate is not a party to the agreement between the Contractor and the property owner and must be signed by the property owner and returned to the Resident Engineer. If the agreement affects or changes the design of the roadway, the Contractor must first submit these modifications, via shop drawings, to the Chief Engineer for approval.
Source: Rhode Island Standard Specifications (Bluebook), 2024 Edition. Pages 70–73 of 826.