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.

Today, the extent of underground networks is much more vast and complicated. Even in many rural areas, telecommunications and utility cables for water, electricity and gas contribute to a sophisticated underground environment.

As this has developed, the industry has struggled to keep up and now suffers from hundreds of cable strikes each year, causing harm to individuals and derailing projects.

Interestingly, we still rely on the same type of technology to help us locate underground services that we did many years ago, which relies on transmitting an electrical signal into the ground and using a receiver to give us information about its location.

When used effectively, it can play a vital part in ensuring safety across the sector. However, CAT and genny tools, as they are often termed, must be wielded by experts who are fully trained and knowledgeable in the field of cable avoidance, and should not simply be an afterthought, used by any onsite operative who has access to them.

What Is An Underground Cable Locator?

A cable locator or cable avoidance tool (CAT) is an instrument used for detecting the presence and location of underground services before undertaking excavation works. Its primary function is to avoid accidents while excavating.

Since its development, the cable locator has consisted of two main parts: the transmitter and the receiver. Between these two, it is possible to determine the approximate location of any buried cables.

The transmitter will initially create an electrical signal that goes into the ground and subsequently hits or reaches a cable or pipe. The receiver is then used to track this process, picking up that signal and showing the locator operator where cables are located.

The electromagnetic field created by the transmitter can be set to a specific frequency, depending on the type of conductor in the cable being searched for.

Why Training Matters

Only experts in this field will be able to correctly use cable avoidance tools to accurately predict where different types of underground services exist. Accidents occur far too often when amateurs in the field are charged with carrying out cable avoidance processes.

Sometimes, strikes will occur due to a lack of CAT training and understanding of how to use tools effectively, while others will be caused by a wider failure of the industry to read, map and interpret records for underground services, which should help to identify where cables are located.

Sometimes, even with the right training, there is a huge risk of cable strikes as underground maps can include errors, or be incomplete for a number of reasons. Simply trusting in these documents can sometimes lead to overconfidence when excavating.

This is why cable avoidance experts who have received appropriate CAT training should always be used for reducing risk during any underground excavation work.

Meeting the Challenge

To overcome the challenges faced by the industry, and reduce overall cable strikes, contractors and operatives across the nation must adhere to important safety standards and procedures.

If you want to make sure yourself or any of our team are fully trained and up to the task of avoiding cable strikes, get in touch with us at Sygma Solutions for fully accredited courses delivered by experts!