The Considerable Ramifications of Cable Strikes When Excavating

All of those involved in planning and managing excavation work of any description should be trained in the use of the Cable Avoidance Tool and the Signal Generator, known as the CAT and Genny. Theoretically, the CAT can be used on it' own but it can only locate electric cables which are live with power running through them, so the CAT and Genny are used in combination in order to locate electric cables that are not live and to locate all other types of services.

Even though they are used in combination, they do have certain limitations, and the only way to fully understand how they operate in all modes is to undertake a CAT and Genny training course. There are specialist companies that will provide a CAT and Genny course, which can be attended by operatives engaged in underground excavation work, and where they will learn every detail of these tools and how to use them in all different types of situations. 

Even so, there are some 60,000 underground services strikes every year because many operatives are not fully trained in the use of the CAT and Genny and therefore make mistakes as a result. This causes severe injuries in many cases, and these are occasionally fatal.

At the very least, cable and other utility strikes cause a delay in the project, because the utility concerned will have to send out men to undertake repairs, and there may be considerable other ramifications for a contractor who caused the problem. These can include the cost of men standing around idle, costs from the main contractor, associated costs from companies affected by, say, the loss of power, and the courts may also award considerable damages to someone who has been injured.

Some training companies are recognised by the Energy and Utility Skills Register and provide an EUSR Cat and Genny course to those appropriate standards.

The Importance of HSG47

HSG47 is guidance from the HSE for all those involved in commissioning, planning, managing, and carrying out work on or near underground services, and is also of use to the owners and operators of such services. It is aimed primarily at health and safety rather than damage to services, but the reduction of risks to health and safety will also have a beneficial effect on services by avoiding damage to them.

Damage to underground services can cause severe or even fatal injuries and could also delay the project incurring unnecessary costs. Striking an underground electricity cable typically causes burns to the hands, face, and body, while an electric shock is possible but not so likely. If other services, such as plastic gas pipes are nearby there is the risk of explosion and fire. 

Damage to gas pipes directly can cause leaks which result in explosion and fire, or can cause the pipe to leak later on with similar effect. Damage to water pipes is less likely to cause injury, although a jet of water of sufficient force can do so, and it may also contain stones from the earth surrounding the pipe. Leaks of water can affect nearby services, while they may also lead to flooding and the possible collapse of the sides of an excavation. Damage to sewers causes risks to workers from exposure to raw sewage.

Damage to other pipelines can cause risks according to the type of fluid flowing through them: toxic liquids and gases can cause risk of poisoning, while inert gases such as nitrogen can cause risk of asphyxiation. Other flammable liquids or gases cause risk of fire and explosion.

All of the above are very sound reasons for HSG47 training. There are companies that specialise in running an HSG47 course to make operatives fully aware of the dangers.

Undertaking a Proper Survey before Commencing Any Excavation

If you are a contractor involved in any sort of excavation work, you will know that, before you begin, you need to undertake a survey of the area in which you plan to dig. This can be done by yourself or any surveyor that you employ, either as an employee or a sub-contractor, but whoever undertakes the survey should have been on a recognised course for EUSR CAT and Genny training and be fully conversant with EUSR HSG47. There are several companies in the UK which provide EUSR cable avoidance training.

HSG47 is produced by the HSE and you can download a free PDF from the HSE website.  The guidance is aimed at all those involved in commissioning, planning, managing, and carrying out work on or near underground services. It will also be of use to the owners and operators of such services.

HHSG47 gives advice on the dangers of working near underground services, and also advises on ways to protect people's health and safety while so doing and minimising the chance of injury. It also advises on the collateral damage that can occur to utilities that are hit, and the damages that contractors who strike them may suffer as a result. These can run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

This is why those who are going to carry out a survey must be properly trained in every aspect of underground surveying and fully understand the use of the CAT and Genny in all of their different modes.

Reasons Why You Need A CAT and Genny Course before Undertaking Buried Utility Surveys

If you need to locate underground utilities, there is a wide choice of tools available. The cable avoidance tool, known as the CAT, should be used in conjunction with a signal generator (Genny), because a CAT on its' own in Power mode can only detect power cables which are live with power running through them. In most cases, it cannot even detect the same cables when there is no power running through them.

This is just one reason why you need to take a CAT and Genny course in order to fully understand how the two work together. Several companies run a CAT course and will be able to train you in the best practices. There are different tools which can perform a variety of functions, bearing in mind that there are all sorts of buried services such as water, gas, electricity, sewers, fibre optic, and so on. There are some 60,000 cable strikes every year in the UK, which is a lot, and some of them cause serious injury and even fatalities.

Furthermore, a CAT and Genny may detect a cable but not show whether it is a single utility or several buried side by side, or one on top of another.

This is why there is no alternative to attending a recognised course to understand exactly how these tools work, and also what their limitations are. It is like learning to drive a car: you need to understand the Highway Code and you also need practical experience. A CAT and Genny course should cover everything you need to know.