Regulatory requirements
The following has been prepared based upon:
· European Standard DS/EN 124, 1996; Equal to BS/EN 124: Gully tops and manhole tops for vehicular and pedestrian areas.
· The Danish WorkCover authority regulation regarding sewer works no. 473 of October 7th, 1983.
· The Danish WorkCover authority notification: Assessment of lift no.4.05.2. of October 1994
· The Danish WorkCover authority instruction regarding plant and machinery no. 2.2.0.1 of November 1996
The European standard EN124 specifies guidelines regarding:
Load, location, construction and load testing of covers.
See section A: Load and Location.
In addition to the requirements in the European standard EN124, regional authorities also make requirements for the clear opening and operation of the covers. For Denmark this is outlined in:
The Danish WorkCover authority regulation regarding sewer works no. 473 of October 7th, 1983.
The Danish WorkCover authority notification: Assessment of lift no.4.05.2. of October 1994
See section B: Clear Opening for the Cover and section C: Functional Requirements
A: Load and Location
| Group | Class | Load | Application |
| 1 | A15 | 15 kN | Places and footpaths primarily used by pedestrians and cyclists. |
| 2 | B125 | 125 kN | Access roads associated with pedestrian zones and parking lots for cars. |
| 3 | C250 | 250 kN | For footpaths and kerbs, where parking may occur. May reach max. 0.5 m into the roadway. |
| 4 | D400 | 400 kN | For places with access for all types of vehicles, such as roads, emergency lanes, escape routes, pedestrian malls, car parks. |
| 5 | E600 | 600 kN | For places exposed to high wheel loads, such as docks, airports etc. |
| 6 | F900 | 900 kN | For places exposed to very high wheel loads, such as airports. |
B: Clear Opening for Covers.
The Danish WorkCover authority regulation regarding sewer works no. 473 of October 7th, 1983. Wells:
- The clear opening for manhole covers must be at least 55 x 55 cm or 55 cm across.
Structures:
- For structures up to a length of 4 metres, at least 1 clear opening of 60 x 80 cm is required.
- For structures above a length of 4 metres, at least 2 clear openings are required, each of at least 120 x 100 cm, however, one opening must be of a size to allow the machinery inside the structure to be taken to ground level.
C: Functional Requirements:
The Danish WorkCover authority regulation regarding sewer works no. 473 of October 7th, 1983. and
The Danish WorkCover authority notification: Assessment of lift no.4.05.2. of October 1994
- Hinged covers and hatches must be able to be secured in open position.
- When covers and hatches are opened, the openings must be securely barred.
- When the opening force of the covers exceed 50 kg, they must be opened with technical aids.
- When the opening force of the covers is 50 kg or below, they should be opened with technical aids, if possible.
- With regards to opening force, please refer to the later Danish WorkCover authority notification no.4.05.02 of October 1994, in which a lift of 50 kg and above close to the body is considered a definite health hazard.
- A lift close to the body is normally not considered a health hazard if it does not exceed 12 kg.
Table 1: Extracts from DIN/EN 124 with added fields of application