Today we are well into the 21st century and when it comes to the location of underground services, we have the use of some very clever tools in the CAT and Genny.

However, as clever as they might be, it is no good taking them out of the box and reading the instructions and then off you go. You could make some very big, costly – and dangerous – mistakes. You need to attend a proper utility surveyor course, such as those we offer at Sygma Solutions in order to learn how to use them in all different modes and, most importantly, to learn about their limitations and the things that they can’t do, because otherwise, they could trip you up.

Think about it this way: when you learned to drive, you didn’t just jump in a car by yourself and off you went. Cars these days have all sorts of gadgets that you need to learn about and understand. So you had an instructor to teach you. You may have practised with a friend or family member once you had understood all the basics, but you had to keep those L plates on and have someone with you at all times until you passed your driving test.

It is much the same when you need to learn how to undertake location and identification of underground services. For instance, if you are using a CAT in power mode you need to understand that it will only detect live power cables that have a current running through them. If you know that you will only ever be using it to detect live cables it could be argued that you don’t need to know any more, but unfortunately, you don’t.

For instance, at Sygma Solutions we believe that it is never right to use a CAT on its’ own as it should always be used in conjunction with a Genny.

Furthermore, before even thinking about picking up a CAT and Genny you need to know and understand the principles behind them and start with the very basics. This is why the first part of our training is done in the classroom and not out on site. And we really do start with the basics of the actual reasons for using locators, both for safety and the financial aspect of things.

We teach how to read and understand utility plans – or STATS – and the theory, covering the benefits of the systems and, most importantly, their limitations. And they do have limitations. We explain not just how to use the CAT and Genny but how they work and why. You need to understand all this before trying to use them.

All this work is done in the classroom, but today we can also provide this training online. We use the very latest software which enables us to run live classes online and also lets attendees ask questions. It is just as good as being physically in the classroom.

Only after we have covered all this do we then take you out on-site for practical work. We are doing this today in small groups of four in order to maintain social distancing. This training can be done at our site in St Helens or on your site, or at your office premises if applicable. For your convenience, we can also provide the training out of hours or at the weekends if this suits you better.

At Sygma Solutions, we have over 100 years of combined experience in the use of these tools, including working with the manufacturers, so we know them inside out and understand the thinking behind them.

Our courses cover simple ways to locate street lighting cables, how to deal with a situation where you have multiple services, location of bends and junctions, service connections, how to locate when the utility is under concrete, identification of different utilities, how to measure the depth of service, the use of sondes, and much more.

When you follow the training we provide, you will leave with a complete understanding of how and why to use the CAT and Genny.