60,000 Cable Strikes A Year! That’s A BIG Number!

The construction industry is one of the most dangerous in which to work when it comes to injuries suffered and fatalities. Figures produced by the HSE show that there were an average 36 fatalities in construction from 2016 – 2021 (Source: RIDDOR, 2020/21). Of these, 50% are a result of falls from a height. However, around a dozen each year are the result of injuries suffered when striking underground services such as electricity cables, gas pipes, and so on.

When it comes to any sort of excavation work, it is estimated that there are some 4 million excavations carried out every year for the purpose of laying pipes or cables for new services and repairing existing ones, and this results in approximately 60,000 cable strikes each year. That may seem like a relatively small percentage, but nonetheless, 60,000 is a big number! You can very easily argue that it is 60,000 too many!

Why does this happen so often? Surely you can get plans from local utility companies in the site area and then you will know where cables and pipes run?

Well, yes and no. For any number of reasons, plans, or STATS as they are known, can often be inaccurate - not least because there is no unified way of keeping records - and sometimes they do not exist. You can use them as a guide, but you must treat them with caution.

The Answer Is A Thorough Underground Survey

 

The only answer is to undertake a thorough underground survey of the site before commencing any work, using the CAT and Genny, and also GPR.

But here’s the thing: figures from Safety & Health Practitioner in 2019 showed that of the 4 million excavations in 2017, only 2.25 million “involved a thorough search for pipes and cables before the work commenced”. That’s 44% of excavations that were carried out without a proper survey! Now you can begin to see why that figure of 60,000 cable strikes occurs.

At Sygma Solutions we provide HSG47 training (HSG47 is the guide produced by the HSE for safety when digging) which includes the use of the tools involved such as the C.Scope. Our C.Scope training teaches operatives the use of this tool in all modes, and importantly the limitations that it has. This is a vital constituent of our C.Scope training because all these tools - not just the C.Scope – can sometimes seem to indicate that nothing is on the site when it is!

So, our HSG47 training tells operatives what to look out for and how to handle it. For example, one situation is where the service is at a depth below which the tools can read! It is still there. So, we teach operatives to commence digging carefully down to about a foot, and then take another reading. This time around, it may well show the service.

A Qualification In Cable Avoidance Is Essential On Many Construction Sites

Possibly one of the most dangerous jobs in the construction industry occurs right at the beginning of a new building, because it involves digging into the ground in order to build the foundations.

The problem is that, when you dig down into the earth’s surface, even if only a few feet, there is always the chance of a cable strike. Virtually all of our utilities, apart from some areas where the phone lines are still on telegraph poles (remember those?) run underground. Out of sight, which is fine, but also out of mind in a lot of instances, which is not fine.

Whether you are using a hand shovel or a mechanical digger, it is possible to hit all sorts of different underground services such as gas, water, electricity, sewage pipes, telecoms, and more, unless the company carrying out the contract has carried out a full survey and obtained plans from the local utilities. On their own, plans cannot be relied upon for a number of different reasons, but they can be used as a guide.

A Thorough Survey Is Essential

This means that, before carrying out any sort of excavation work it is essential to undertake a thorough survey of the site using the CAT and Genny in order to avoid a cable strike and the resultant serious injuries that can occur. Once underground services have been located and identified it is then possible to mark them out on the ground surface so that workers will not unwittingly hit them when digging.

In order to locate and identify such services, operatives need to be fully conversant with every type of service and fully up to speed with the tools used to locate them, these being in large part the CAT and Genny, although GPR, Ground Penetrating Radar, is also used.

The latest technology is actually very clever, but it is not infallible. For instance, GPR can be difficult to use over rough ground. Some equipment may not be able to read as deeply as a service is laid. And more.

At Sygma Solutions we run training courses that teach operatives everything that they need to know. We should do, because between us we have over 100 years of experience. We can train operatives so that they can achieve a qualification for cable avoidance.

In more and more areas today, such as HS2, Network Rail, and many others, it is essential to have a qualification in cable avoidance before you are even allowed to work for them, so the training that we provide enables operatives to work on such sites. 

CAT Training Courses From Sygma Solutions

When commencing any sort of construction project, the first thing that is usually required, certainly if a new building is being constructed, is to lay the foundations. That involves digging into the surface of the earth, even if only for a few feet.

However, this automatically raises a problem because virtually all of the services that we use in our homes and business premises run underground. So, they can be right there underneath the spot in which you need to dig. Quite obviously, if you dig down and strike underground services – even with a hand shovel, you can damage them. That can lead to consequences which at best may cause inconvenience, and at worst can be, and sometimes are, fatal.

So, it follows that before you commence any sort of digging, you need to take all possible actions to locate any services that may be there so that you can avoid causing damage to them and having workers suffer from injuries which are often severe. Striking and breaking an electricity cable or gas pipe is serious.

Plans

The first thing to do is to obtain any plans that may be available from the local utility suppliers, but these cannot be taken as gospel. There are a lot of reasons why there may be errors, and in some cases the plans may not even be in existence. Having done this, the next step is to carry out a survey on the actual site, and this is done using a couple of tools called the CAT and Genny, meaning Cable Avoidance Tool and Signal Generator.

However, like many things in this day and age, you can’t just take them out of the box and read the instructions. You will need to take a short course in exactly how they work, what they do, and how to use them under a range of different circumstances.

This is why we provide CAT training courses at Sygma Solutions. (We are not talking here about four-legged furry things. Anyone who has ever owned one of those knows that you can’t train a cat. In fact, you don’t even own it: it owns you!).

Our CAT course will cover everything that you need to know including a classroom session so that you understand all the basics. Our CAT training is then followed up with practical work on site so that you can put what you have learned into action.

You can also take an advanced CAT course so that you can obtain qualifications which will enable you to work on sites such as HS2 and London Airport.

Why And How We Started Our Online CAT And Genny Training Courses

When the pandemic hit back at the beginning of 2020, it was still necessary for underground surveyors to have the training that they needed in order to locate and identify underground services. After all, while some construction projects were put on hold, other work always needs to continue, such as locating and repairing faults in water pipes, telecoms, electricity, gas, and so on. In fact, quick repairs of faults to telecoms became even more essential with everyone working from home. No broadband = no work.

Now, of course, the actual location and identification of underground services is physical work and has to be carried out on site. But at least this is in the open air rather than in a building, so the chances of the infection being transferred is minimal. Nonetheless, that part of the training courses that we run had to be done on location.

Online Training

However, before carrying out any practical work, it is necessary to understand what the CAT and Genny are, how they work, and how to use them, and traditionally we had always carried out this training in the classroom. However, with the pandemic in full flow, we quickly turned to online CAT and Genny training using software such as Zoom. Fortunately, the software is interactive, and therefore means that on our live online cable avoidance training course attendees can still ask questions of our instructor and get the answers that they need.

Once the online part of the course had been completed, we then had to meet up on site, of course, so that attendees could use the CAT and Genny in practical circumstances and practice what they had learned in the online CAT and Genny training class. However, we restricted the number of attendees on site to a maximum of four. It all worked extremely well, and our operatives were able to get the training that they required in order to carry out the location and identification of underground services.

In fact, our onlinecable avoidance training course was so successful that we are still providing it today, although, of course, we have also gone back to physical classroom training if you prefer. This means that you can learn all of the basics that you need to know online without having to travel, and also saves on overnight hotel costs and so on.

Vivax VLoc Training From Sygma Solutions

July 4^th to July 11^th was National Safe Digging Week which was an initiative to raise awareness in the construction industry of the vital importance of locating and identifying underground services before commencing any form of excavation. There are still companies that “dig blind” without making any effort to check what is underground on the site, if anything. Certainly, it is possible that there is nothing there, but in most instances, it is more likely that there is. With 2.5 million kilometres of underground services in the UK, services can run anywhere. 

The consequences of digging blind can be devastating. The most obvious are severe injuries to workers and to some extent passers-by, and there are sometimes fatalities.

Then there is the cost of repairs which of themselves can be considerable. However, that is by no means the end of it because the collateral damage can be considerable. The University of Birmingham undertook a study which showed that the true cost of a utility strike is some 28 times the cost of the repairs.

For instance, if broadband goes down so does WFH – Working From Home. Most businesses cannot operate without electricity either.

Water Pipes

Hitting a waterpipe might not be considered a serious issue, but water under pressure can hurl stones and other debris. Back in 2019 a farmer in Derbyshire was putting in some fence posts when he hit a water pipe which caused flooding in nearby villages resulting in serious damage to homes and businesses. The consequences of striking underground services should never be underestimated.

This is why it is essential first to obtain any available plans from local utilities in order to get an idea of what may be where, and then to carry out an on-site survey to locate, identify, and mark buried services before ever beginning to start digging.

One very useful tool is the Vivax VLoc Pro pipe and cable locator, and at Sygma Solutions we run Vivax training courses in the use of this. Our VLoc training begins in the classroom where operatives have an overview of the need for underground surveys and are introduced to HSG47 guidelines from the HSE.

The VLoc training shows how to interpret STATS - buried service plans – and operatives are then introduced to electromagnetic theory and the way that it is used for utility location.

Vivax training then continues on site where operatives will learn how to use the VLoc in its’ various modes in order to locate different types of service and how to configure it to locate thin cables that are difficult to find.  

Online CAT And Genny Training For Operatives Who Need To Locate Underground Services

Today we live in the 21^st century and we have more and more clever gadgets than we could have even thought about 30 years ago. One of those is WiFi. You have your phone or your laptop in your home, or when out and about, and you can instantly connect to the internet which means that, in turn, you can chat to somebody in Australia if you wish. No cables. No nothing.

Except that that is unfortunately not quite true. Somewhere along the line there has to be a router in the vicinity, and that has to be plugged into an electric socket in order to receive signals. That means that there has to be power and telecoms cables under the ground so that the router can receive them.

That is not a problem, either, unless somebody out in the street, up the road, or next door, starts digging and accidentally cuts one of the cables. Then you have no connection.

What that means is that if you are in any business where you need to dig into the soil you first need to check if there are any utilities running underground on the site.

All sorts of different businesses need to carry out excavation works of some form or other, including construction companies, and the utilities themselves who often need to repair or replace underground cables and piping. So, the first thing to do, before you begin to dig, is to check for underground services using the CAT and Genny.

You Need Cable Location Training

Certainly, you can go and buy one of each and read the instructions, but that would be as silly as buying a car and getting behind the steering wheel without having had driving lessons. You need cable location training in order to be sure that you are doing everything correctly.

Cable location training is what we provide at Sygma Solutions. And now we are also providing online CAT and Genny training.

When the pandemic hit, we still had workers who needed to dig into the ground for many different reasons, and so we devised our online CAT and Genny training which is the same as our physical classroom training but is done online, using an interactive software that lets attendees ask questions and get answers from the instructor.

Certainly, you need to carry out the practical part of the training on site, either at our place or yours, but the classroom training can be done online which saves time and money because you can do it from the comfort of your home or office.  

 

 

The Level 5 Utility Surveyor Qualification: What You Need To Know

 If you are a surveyor or a contractor who wishes to work on any of the HS2 sites – and there are a lot of those – or on sites such as Heathrow Airport, and several other sites in the UK, then you will need to have a Level 5 Utility Surveyor qualification. This also allows a holder to undertake PAS128 Quality Level B surveys.

 

Conducting a full site survey on any piece of land requires that due diligence is carried out before any work begins. This is because it is essential to avoid striking any underground services. The fact is that underground services can be absolutely anywhere and hitting them and damaging them can have several unwanted results.

 

Not the least of these is that the service will be interrupted causing delays and inconvenience to businesses and residents in the area until the service is restored by the appropriate utility. It can also involve the contractor concerned in delays and costs claimed for repairs.

 

Worse still, striking underground services can result in life-changing injuries for workers involved, and in some instances these are fatal.

 

So, it is essential for operatives undertaking such surveys to have the complete set of skills required, and the Level 5 Utility Surveyor qualification demonstrates that the holder does, indeed, possess such skills.

 

At Sygma Solutions we can provide you or members of your team with a Level 5 Utility Mapping course. The Level 5 Utility Mapping qualification requires participants to have already achieved the Level 3 Utility Surveyor qualification.

 

Either In Wigan Or On Your Own Site

If you wish to take part in the Level 5 course, this can be carried out either at our training centre in Wigan, or at your own site if you prefer. Additionally, it can be taken at The Survey School which is in Worcester. This is a very intensive training, and it follows the full life cycle of a Utilities Mapping and Detection Survey.  

 

In addition to the Level 3 qualification, achievement of the Level 5 QCF Diploma requires completion of a further six units. At Sygma Solutions, we can tailor the training and assessment to the specific needs of an individual, dependent upon his or her current experience. However, successful completion of the course will enable the holder to work in any capacity for surveys on any site.

 

For further information on requirements and availability of our Level 5 Course, contact Pete direct on 0844 241 2597 or email enquiries@sygma-solutions.com.

Striking Underground Services Can Result In Heavy Fines

Striking underground services can result in serious injury to workers and can also involve contractors in heavy fines. According to Construction News, just ten days ago VolkerInfra and Siemens Energy were hit with fines totalling a combined £1.8 million at Manchester Magistrates Court after a worker suffered a damaged retina as a result of an explosion caused by a cable strike during construction work at a substation.

This is not just a one-off issue either. According to the Health and Safety Executive, between April and December last year, three construction workers died from the handling of electricity. This was the second highest cause of death after falls from height. That is just fatalities alone, never mind the many serious injuries caused on top of that. And that is only electricity. Striking many other services can cause injuries, too, such as gas pipes, sewage pipes, and even water under pressure.

All of which is why it is absolutely essential to take all possible steps to locate and identify underground services whenever any excavation work is required. Obviously, one needs to obtain plans from utilities in the area, but by far the most important thing is to carry out a thorough survey of the site where excavation is to take place before work commences.

A Trained Surveyor

Naturally, this requires the services of a trained surveyor equipped with the appropriate tools – the CAT and Genny. These tools can locate most underground services when used in combination, but they do have certain limitations, so it is essential that operatives are aware of these.

This is why we provide CAT training on our courses at Sygma Solutions. We are recognised as one of the foremost providers of CAT courses in the UK, and our CAT courses are approved by the CITB, CSCS, EUSR, and The Survey Association.

Our team has a combined experience of over 100 years in the use of the CAT and Genny, and we are also experts on the Mala Easy Locator GPR equipment. In fact, we are the sole UK service agent for Mala equipment, and we can service and calibrate the Mala HDR and HDR Pro. We also have five Mala IXM units for hire with supporting GPS and 3D Grid option.

So, if you need CAT training for any of your team members, book them in on one of our courses. The classroom part of the courses can be taken either in a physical location or online in an interactive live class where attendees can ask questions and get answers from the instructor. 

Training In The Use Of CAT And Genny Is Vital

Very many construction projects commence with digging. This is because we live on the surface of planet Earth and when constructing a building it needs to have sturdy foundations: you can’t just set it down on the surface and hope that it will be OK. Equally, the vast majority of buildings need to have a supply of different services, and most of these – apart from some telephone cables coming from telegraph poles – are run underground because that is simply the best place to put them. Out of sight and out of the way.

However, for that very reason, it is essential to locate and identify underground services before you begin any digging because you don’t know exactly where they are, or for that matter what they are, and even if you obtain some plans, they are not always accurate.

An On-Site Survey Is Vital

This is why it is vital to undertake a survey of the site before any work commences, because if not, and you strike an underground service – whether with hand tools or a digger – you can easily damage it, and this can lead to serious consequences.

Apart from the cost of repairing the damaged utility, which of itself can be very expensive, there can be danger to life and limb. It is estimated that there are some 60,000 strikes of underground services in the UK every year, many of which cause serious injuries and on occasion are fatal.

Before beginning any excavation, it is essential to plan the work, and this begins with obtaining STATS, or plans, from the relevant utilities in the area. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, you cannot rely on STATS, but they can give a good starting point.

The most vital thing is to carry out an on-site survey in order to locate and identify underground services in the area where you need to dig, and this is done using the CAT and Genny, which are the names for the Cable Avoidance Tool and Signal Generator.

At Sygma Solutions we run training courses for operatives who need to undertake these surveys because there are many things to learn about the use of the CAT And Genny. In particular, clever as these tools are, they do have certain limitations, and it is vital to understand what these are. If you don’t, you could be in a position where you commence digging, because it seems that there is nothing there, and then hit an underground service that the CAT and Genny were unable to locate for one reason or another.

Our CAT Course Can Be Taken Live Or Online

The incidence of striking underground services has actually been increasing over the last few years in line with the amount of construction work that is taking place in the UK. It is estimated that there are 1.5 million km of underground services of all types including electricity, gas, water, sewage, telecoms, fibre optic, and other flammable and/or toxic liquids and gases. Taken together, that is a lot of infrastructure.

Furthermore, it is also estimated that there are some 4 million excavations that take place every year, and it is known that these result in some 60,000 cable strikes every year. However, this figure could well be on the low side because there is no legal requirement to report a utility strike. What is known is that there are many injuries caused by cable strikes every year, many of which are life-changing for the workers involved, and on average a dozen or so are fatal.

 

A Thorough Search And Site Survey Is Necessary

This is why it is necessary to undertake a thorough search and site survey before actually starting to commence any digging. Plans should be sought from all the utilities in the area, but they can only be used as a guide, because many of them are out of date, incomplete, or there have been alterations, such as replacement pipelines which have not been added to the plans. There are also cases where there are no plans at all for one reason or another.

According to the HSE, working safely consists of three basic elements, which are planning the work; detecting, identifying, and marking underground services; and safe excavation and digging practices.

In addition to obtaining plans, it is essential to carry out a thorough survey of the site itself. Surprisingly, a survey that was carried out discovered that almost one third of construction workers and industry professionals did not always carry out a survey of the site before digging.

The site survey is undertaken using the CAT and Genny in combination, and at Sygma Solutions we provide operatives with our CAT course which covers every last detail of how to carry out a survey. We have classroom tuition which can now also be undertaken online if required with an interactive instructor so that attendees can ask questions and get answers.

Our CAT course also covers the limitations of the CAT and Genny. They do have certain limitations, and it is vital to understand what they are.

Sygma Solutions Are The UK Agents For The Mala Easy Locator

 

At Sygma Solutions we are the leading company providing training in the use of the CAT and Genny for the location of buried underground services. Our courses run from a basic one-day course to a five-day utility surveyor course. This latter course enables operatives to obtain a PAS128 and Level 3 qualification in utility mapping and is approved by The Survey Association. It also enables them to obtain a gold CSCS card which is required for working on HS2 and Heathrow airport. We are also approved by the CITB.

Our team has over 100 years of combined experience in the use of the CAT and Genny for the location and identification of underground services and we have a well-known track record with contractors and utility companies in reducing cable strikes. We believe that all surveys should include the use of the Genny, and our courses are designed to ensure that operatives have the skills to use the tools to best advantage.

We cover the equipment manufactured by all of the major providers including the Radiodetection CAT4 and Genny 4, RD8100,VivaxVscan and Vloc, and C Scope locators.

 

 UK Sole Agents For TheMala Easy Locator

 

We are also the only agents in the UK for the Mala GPR Easy Locator which uses ground penetrating radar to locate underground services. The Easy Locator will detect both metallic and non-metallic underground services and is the GPR tool of choice for many utility surveyors. Ground penetrating radar is the only technology that does not require a connection to the utility and also does not need electromagnetic radiation from a utility.

In addition, if you use the Mala Easy Locator in the course of your work, you will know that it needs regular calibration and maintenance, and we have a fully stocked workshop so that we can undertake this for you. We can also arrange for collection and delivery of your Easy Locator if you require it.