The accidental striking of underground assets and services, such as cables and pipelines, can cause major injuries to construction workers, as well as fatalities, in the worst situations.

With the sheer scale of excavations happening across the nation for utilities companies or other underground infrastructure projects, it’s important that operatives have the right level of training to keep themselves safe.

This requires specialized certifications and training in the industry’s tools and equipment, such as Genny and CAT courses. With the right industry guidelines and training for professionals, many of the potential consequences of cable striking can be avoided.

How Common Are Cable Strikes?

It isn’t as widely known as it should be, but cable striking is incredibly common. Thousands of excavations take place each year and a significant number will run into some kind of cable striking trouble. While most of these will cause minimal damage, others may result in serious injuries.

Almost all of these incidents can be prevented simply with the right training and tools. Through the skills developed using the industry’s most appropriate equipment, operatives can perform a detailed examination of existing underground assets so that excavation work doesn’t damage it, putting worker’s lives at risk.

Over 1 million km of underground infrastructure is already installed in the UK with more put in place each year. This makes it even more likely for contractors to potentially strike underground services. As such, it’s more important than ever that contractors are trained with the right CAT courses and Genny training programs.

What is CAT?

The cable avoidance tool, or CAT, is used to locate cables on groundwork, excavation and construction sites so that they can be avoided. These tools can detect certain signals from various metal assets below the ground.

We use these tools to ensure we don’t damage any existing pipes, cables, or other buried services while we are carrying out construction work and excavations. As well as posing a serious risk to workers, this can also massively delay a project’s completion data and lead to fines, as well as substantial repair costs.

In short, CAT is crucial for any kind of work that might tamper with existing cables.

Who is CAT For?

The CAT and Genny training courses are for various operatives in the field. Whether you are a site manager, supervisor, engineer or anyone tasked with locating underground cables, CAT training is the best way to learn what the best practices and rules are when it comes to cable avoidance. A good CAT course will provide operatives with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude for carrying our cable avoidance work.

What Will CAT Training Cover?

CAT training includes the basic principles of detection and avoidance of underground services, as well as the following aspects:

• Reading utility plans and cable records
• Using equipment functions correctly
• Completing a site survey
• Identifying problem assets and underground services
• Evaluating depth

What you get from your CAT course can differ depending on the provider you choose. Your training may also change depending on your current role of employment and whether your firm have chosen a specific training course for you.

Of course, the best training can only go so far and you will need to receive practical on-site education to learn how to effectively detect cables and mitigate risks.

Why Choose Sygma Solutions?

The CAT courses at Sygma Solutions have a proven track record in vastly reducing service strikes and increasing Genny usage. We are dedicated to changing the standards of the industry for the better, from reducing injury to workers to avoiding potential costly implications of fines and repair work.

All our training and advice is grounded in real world knowledge and we teach each of our trainers to understand exactly how the theory can be applied to different real life situations.

Doing this, we aim to build the confidence and expertise of each operative so they can enjoy a strike-free and promising career in cable avoidance. Our core course components include training awareness of how to avoid damaging buried utilities and operate in a safe, efficient and more cost effective manner.

Are CAT Courses Important?

When people’s lives are at stake, CAT courses are crucial for making working conditions safer. We have the means to avoid harmful cable strikes as long as we all adhere to the same high standards the industry needs.

Today, there is no excuse for failure or avoidable incidents when it comes to pipe and cable strikes. The amount of knowledge and available training out there is sufficient enough for contractors to carry out any excavation or construction project without causing cable striking. We hope that together with utility companies, contractors and local counsels, we can massively improve the standards of the sector.