There Can Be Many Issues When Trying To Locate Underground Services

When undertaking a survey for buried utilities, one of the most important things is to have STATS – site plans – available. Unfortunately, the CAT and Genny are not infallible, but the more information a surveyor has on site the better chance he/she has of investigating all the possibilities. For example, if there is no signal, no marker posts, and no access points, and the service is buried out of sight, there is no way of knowing that it is there. Having records, even thought they should not be relied upon on their own, can help to identify any services that might possibly be present.

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The Multiple Issues Surrounding Location Of Underground Services

One of the biggest dangers facing any workers who need to work below ground is the issue of cable strikes. While one might think that this refers only to electric or telephone cables, in fact it is an over-arching term used to refer to striking any sort of utility – water, gas, cable tv, and so on – as well as power cables.

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The CAT And Genny Are Great Tools But Have Certain Limitations

In the construction industry just about every project involves digging into the ground at some point, and the problem that immediately raises is that we cannot see what is in the ground itself. That means that the chances of hitting something is ever-present, and it could be anything. It might be a collection of Roman coins dating back a couple of thousand years, in which case the person doing the digging – whether by hand or using a machine – would be very happy about the find.

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Undetected Underground Utilities and the Danger they Pose in the Construction Industry

The failure to identify the location of buried services can result in increased project costs and delays. They can pose a great challenge when uncovered unexpectedly during excavation, and when damaged, can take considerable time to repair, costing the project a great deal of time and money.

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What is Excavation Safety?

Excavation safety is a combination of safety precautions and strategies surrounding any excavation process used in any construction or underground maintenance project. It encapsulates the responsibility that workers and construction firms have when it comes to avoiding the severe consequences of cable strikes.

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Strategies and Best Practices for Cable Avoidance

A number of organisations and construction firms have provided guidance on cable avoidance and electrical safety, which is suitable for a wide range of applications.

Today, there’s no excuse for improper cable detection and avoidance practices to be followed. And the dangers of incompetency are more than clear from the thousands of accidents that occur each year, sometimes resulting in fatalities in the worst cases.

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Is Cable Avoidance Training Worth the Cost?

There are over 60,000 cable strikes each year in the UK alone. These accidents, which are often caused by workers being unaware of underground services, can be devastating for workers, businesses, and the community.

Even without considering the cost to human life which can be fatal in the worst cases, the delay to large scale projects can cost millions while disruptions to local communities due to services being disrupted can be severe.

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The Importance of Underground Utility Detection and Mapping Training

If you are involved in the building or construction of a new house or property development, then you’ll need to carry out underground utility detection.

However, simply leaving the task up to unqualified professionals can be incredibly risky and could lead to serious injury, as well as project delays.

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Stay Safe with Online Cable Avoidance Training During Covid-19

Online learning has become increasingly common in the age of Covid-19. While the specific lockdowns and restrictions will hopefully abate with time, the impact on behaviour and societal fears will still persist and people will continue to appreciate the freedom to study remotely, from anywhere.

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The Evolution of Cable Avoidance Tools

Underground service detection was much simpler 30-40 years ago when there was simply less to detect and therefore less potential causes of strikes while workers carried out excavation work.

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