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.