CAT And Genny Training Is Essential

Any company undertaking any sort of excavation has to be as certain as possible that it does not strike and damage any of the multitude of underground services that are all over the country.

When underground services are damaged there can be severe repercussions, not the least of which is the risk of serious injury to workers which, on occasion, is fatal. However, there are other implications as well. To begin with, the project will be delayed while the utility concerned has to send out a team to undertake repairs. This could result in penalties for the contractor, but even if not, he will be paying to have men standing idle. There can be huge claims for compensation from those injured, or in the event of a fatality, their families. It can also result in damage to the contractor’s reputation.

For all these reasons, a full survey of the area MUST be undertaken before a spade so much as touches the ground. The tools used for carrying out such surveys are the CAT (Cable Avoidance Tool) and Genny (signal generator). These are used in combination to detect and locate the position of underground services in the area to be excavated and nearby.

Operatives undertaking these surveys need to take a CAT course for CAT training in order to fully comprehend the use of the CAT. However, in most instances the CAT must be used in conjunction with the Genny, so a full CAT and Genny training course is required.

Several organisations recognise individual courses, and these include the CSCS, EUSR, and The Survey Association. So, for instance, one might undertake an EUSR CAT and Genny course and be awarded an EUSR card to recognise that level of expertise.