How Road Sweepers are used on construction sites

Road sweepers from N.D Brown are widely used to keep public roads, site roads, runways, and other accesses clean and suppress dust. Using water they capture dirt and dust and are intended to clean up surfaces used by vehicles.

A road sweeping vehicle is often hired for construction projects and here is what you must do when acquiring a sweeper.

What you need to do when choosing a road sweeper

Waste Carriers Registration – You will need to register with your environmental regulator as a waste carrier to operate a road sweeper that collects and carries construction or demolition waste.

Sweeper Arisings – Sweeper arisings can be tricky to dispose of as each load can be different depending on where the sweeper has been operating.

Contents of sweepers can include varying amounts of:

• Water
• Dirt (suspended solids)
• Leaves
• Stones
• Litter
• Hydrocarbons (petrol, oil and diesel)
• Road salt
• De-icing chemicals.

Don’t empty the sweeper into or near drains, surface water or groundwater as this could lead to pollution.

Do not empty sweeper arisings directly onto bare ground.

Road sweepers should not be used to clean up oil, diesel, petrol or chemical spills.

The arisings compartment of sweepers should only be washed out in locations with controlled drainage, meaning they are connected to a public sewer or containment unit.

If you have the correct licence or permit, you could be able to empty sweeper arisings onto an impermeable surface that has controlled drainage.

To deposit waste material on land, you will require either a waste management licence or a pollution prevention and control permit. We would recommend speaking to your environmental regulator for further information.

You should only dispose of waste from road sweepers at sites authorised to receive that type of waste. Sweepers should, where possible, travel to a suitably licensed site to unload.

When this is not possible, your environmental regulator can discuss possible options with you.

If a road sweeper is emptied in an unauthorised location such as on the verge of a public highway, you will be fly-tipping which is a prosecutable offence.

Get in touch with any questions

If you have any questions about road sweepers, please do not hesitate to contact N.D Brown today.