Striking Underground Services When Excavating Happens Almost Daily

Striking underground services when digging is, sadly, an almost daily occurrence in the UK. It has been estimated that some 4 million (yes, million) excavations take place in the UK every year. Not only that, but depending upon whose figures you believe, there are at least 1.5 million kilometres of underground services, although other figures state 2.5 million. Even if it is the first figure, it means that wherever you may dig there can be services already in existence.

They can also be in the most unexpected places. For instance, as we have mentioned before, if you are in a country lane out in the wilds and see a track across a field you may think there is nothing there. However, what if there is a home – a farm or something at the end of the track which you can’t see? Maybe even a country manor? There will be electricity cables somewhere, along with water, sewage, and possibly even gas pipes.

All of which is why it is essential to carry out an underground survey in order to locate and identify services before carrying out any type of excavation – wherever you may happen to be.

Utility Plans

Of course, the first thing to do is to contact all local utility companies in order to obtain whatever plans they have available. However, you cannot – ever – rely on such plans – for the simple reason that they are unreliable. This is because over the years, utility companies may make changes or alterations that are not noted on the original plans. Other utilities may have buried services alongside or above existing ones. In other cases, plans may simply not be available. Whatever the situation, utility plans can only ever be viewed as a guide, and nothing more.

This is why you must carry out an onsite survey before ever breaking ground. For this you need the relevant tools – chiefly the CAT and Genny – and you also need thorough training in how to use them.

As we have said elsewhere, you cannot just buy them and read the instructions. That would be like buying a car and reading them and then jumping in and driving it even though you have never driven a car before! The results don’t bear thinking about.

That’s why the utility location training that we provide at Sygma Solutions is the answer. We teach how to use them in all the different sets of circumstances that can occur when undertaking any sort of excavation work.

Our utility location training is carried out by experts with over 100 years of combined experience in the location of underground services. When you have finished and passed our course, then you can proceed with confidence.

Common Challenges of Utility Mapping (and How Training Can Help?)

Do you know what lies beneath your feet? Most people don’t even give this a second thought, but if you are associated with the construction industry, not knowing what’s beneath your feet can result in costly mistakes.

Digging Safely Starts with the Right Utility Mapping Training

The consequences of a utility strike are so severe that it’s critical for anyone working around buried lines to have proper utility mapping courses and cable avoidance techniques. When it comes to this type of training, few providers can match the expertise and depth of knowledge offered by Sygma Solutions Ltd.

Utility Mapping 101: Understanding the Basics

All utility workers and those associated with excavation and construction work are aware that there lies a complex network of cables and pipes beneath their feet. Yet, most of them make the grave mistake of ignoring utility mapping or doing it incorrectly, which results in cable strikes. Injuries from cable strikes can be fatal. Additionally, cable strikes cause delays in projects, loss of reputation, and financial loss and are a nuisance for the neighbourhood as the utility services might be disrupted. Hence, utility mapping training is essential if you are planning excavation, construction or even landscaping projects. At Sygma Solutions Ltd., we offer this training at a competitive price.

Utility Mapping Training From Sygma Solutions

Before commencing any sort of excavation on a construction site, it is essential to undertake a thorough physical survey of the site using the required tools in order to establish what services and utilities there are underground and where they are. It is estimated that there are as much as 2.5 million kilometres of underground services in the UK, so they can literally be anywhere.

What Is a Utility Mapping Course?

A utility mapping course is a specialized training program designed to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to accurately map and locate underground utilities. 

Also known as cable detection or cable avoidance training, it focuses on teaching participants how to identify, mark, and record the location of various utility lines and infrastructure buried beneath the ground.

What Is CSCS Utility Mapping?

CSCS utility mapping stands for Construction Skills Certification Scheme Utility Mapping, which is a certification scheme in the UK that verifies the skills and competence of construction workers. 

Utility mapping, in this context, is the ability to identify and map the various utility services present underground, such as gas pipelines, water pipes, electric cables, telecommunications lines, and drainage systems.

The ProQual Level 2 Award In Utility Avoidance

The ProQual Level 2 Award in Utility Avoidance and the Location of Buried Services in Construction is aimed at site managers, supervisors, and excavation operatives in order that they have an understanding of the avoidance of danger from striking underground services. The awarding body is the ProQual Awarding Body which comes under the regulating body which is Ofqaul (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation).

The Costs Of A Cable Strike Can Be Considerable

Construction workers who are required to carry out any sort of excavation work, whether by hand or the use of a digger, can be at risk of serious injury, and even death, if they should strike an underground cable or pipe in the course of the work.

Workers themselves are in the front line, so to speak, but the ramifications can go a lot further than that. If you should strike an underground service on any contract, it will at the very least mean that the service is out of action and the workers have to down tools while the utility company sends out men to repair it. That costs time and money for the contracting company.

Our Utility Mapping Course Teaches Everything You Need To Know

If you were in need of surgery for something such as an appendix removal, or a heart problem, how would you feel if the surgeon told you that he was going to do it with the lights in the operating theatre switched off?

Yes. Right!

Not likely. Yet this is exactly what it is like if a construction company begins to start digging and carrying out an excavation without first locating, identifying, and marking any underground utilities that are in the area. The scary thing is that this is exactly what happens in a number of cases.