Sygma Solutions is noted as the foremost provider of training in the UK for the use of the various tools required for the location of underground services. Ensuring that you know for certain, or as near certain as possible, before carrying out any excavation work is critical, because if not, there can be serious consequences.
It is estimated that there are some 1.5 million kilometres of underground services in the UK and around four million excavation projects that take place every year. Accidentally hitting a gas pipe or electricity cable can obviously cause life-changing injuries to workers, and yet there are around 60,000 cable strikes every year. Between 2014 and 2020 there were no less than 3,972 injuries, including fatalities, caused by striking underground services. However, these are only the ones that have been reported to the HSE, so in fact, there will be many others that have not been reported for one reason or another.
There are, of course, also considerable costs involved when such incidents occur. Apart from injuries, there can be traffic disruption, loss of business to the local traders, and also the cost of repairing the damage among other things. In fact, according to a report in localgov.co.uk the actual cost of a utility strike is 29 times the direct cost arising from repair. So, if the repair cost, say, £6,000, the true cost is £174,000.
Apart from the actual costs, there is also reputational damage, particularly now that we have social media, where gossip spreads like wildfire.
Training At All Levels
All of this is why your operatives need the training that we provide at Sygma Solutions. We can provide training at all levels from new operatives who need to learn from the basics upwards to those who are on the ladder and need further or advanced training. These are the sorts of requirements that are being demanded for operatives to work on underground service location on more and more sites such as National Rail and Heathrow Airport for instance.
Your operatives may require Level2 Cable Avoidance Training for example. Our Level 2 Cable Avoidance Training will ensure that your operatives are fully up to speed. They can undertake the classroom work either physically on our site in Wigan or on your site if you prefer. In addition, we also now offer online training as well.
Either way, your operatives will also need to undertake on-site training using the tools such as the CAT and Genny, but again this can be done at your premises if you wish.
