What are the key components of the HSG47 course?

The HSG47 course is a crucial training programme designed to educate individuals on how to conduct groundwork and excavation operations safely. The objective of this course is to prevent serious injuries and fatalities resulting from striking buried utilities like gas pipes, electricity cables, and water mains. 

The key components of this course are:

● Understanding buried services - The course offers a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of buried utilities. Participants learn about the different types of underground services, including their potential hazards, characteristics, and the risks associated with accidentally striking them.

 

● Preparation and planning - The crucial steps in avoiding buried utility strikes are planning and preparation. The course teaches how to conduct site surveys and gather enough information about the buried services before commencing work. This includes reviewing utility maps, using detection tools, and consulting with utility providers to accurately locate underground services. 

● Safe excavation practices - Safe digging practices are outlined in this course. Following these practices, you can reduce the risk of damaging buried utilities and prevent damage to lives and infrastructure. 

● Use of detection tools - The HSG47 course covers the use of detection tools, such as operating CAT and Genny effectively. This training includes theoretical knowledge, along with practical exercise to make sure individuals can confidently use these tools and accurately locate underground services. They are also taught the limitations of these detection tools. 

● Assessment and management of risk - This is another integral component of the course. Participants are specifically trained to carry out thorough risk assessments to identify potential hazards and employ control measures to mitigate them. This helps in reducing the severity of cable strikes. 

● Regulatory and legal compliance - The HSG47 course covers the regulatory and legal requirements related to underground utility avoidance. Participants are taught about relevant health and safety regulations so they remain compliant and uphold the safety standards. 

● Guidance on emergency procedures - The course offers guidance on how to handle emergency procedures in the event of a cable strike. Participants are trained to swiftly respond to incidents so they can minimize the impact of cable strikes. 

Final thoughts 

The course equips individuals with the skills and knowledge required to manage construction or excavation projects safely whilst avoiding the dangers associated with buried services. Through this comprehensive training, participants are taught the art of planning, detecting underground services, managing risk and responding in an emergency. Also, they are trained to remain compliant and uphold safety standards.

The Problems Surrounding Excavation Works In Areas Of Underground Services

The guidelines in HSG47 from the HSE outline the potential dangers from working in or around areas which contain underground services and provides advice on how to reduce the risks. They deal primarily with the risks associated with health and safety, although the HSE does point out that actions taken in order to protect health and safety will also reduce the risk of damaging underground services.

Of course, damage to underground services not only poses health and safety risks but can involve considerable financial implications. Apart from any other consideration, striking underground services means that the contractor will have men idle on site until the utility concerned has repaired the damage. If a cable strike causes businesses in the area to shut down or stop work, there may be claims for compensation. There will also be damage to the contractor’s reputation. Indeed, it has been known for a contractor to go out of business as the result of striking an underground service.

As for injury, with some 60,000 cable strikes every year in the UK, there are many injuries as a result, a lot of them severe. Further, there are usually around a dozen fatalities. These can cause compensation claims which run into the hundreds of thousands.

This is why it is essential to undertake stringent investigation prior to putting a spade into the ground. The tools used to locate underground services are the CAT and The Genny - Cable Avoidance Tool and Signal Generator.

However, if you are a contractor engaged in any sort of excavation work, it is not sufficient to purchase a CAT and Genny and take them out of the box and read the instructions. The tools do have certain limitations and it is vital that these are understood by anyone undertaking survey work.

This is why all operatives should undertake an HSG47 course which will explain all the rationale behind the use of the CAT and Genny, together with instructions for their use in all modes, and with practical experience out on site. This is the only way for operatives to be able to proceed with underground services location with full confidence. 

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.

HSG47 Guidance From The HSE

HSG47 is guidance provided by the HSE for those undertaking any form of excavation work and is aimed at all of those involved in commissioning, planning, managing, and carrying out work on or near underground services, as well as the owners and operators of such services. The guidance applies to all situations where underground services may be disturbed and includes street works; road works; excavation, drilling and piling; demolition and site remediation; site investigation surveys; and any other work that involves penetrating the ground at or below surface level.

The guidance is in four chapters as follows: Identifying and managing the dangers; Planning the work; Detecting, identifying and marking underground services; Safe excavation.

The HSE notes that electricity cables are one of the most dangerous utilities when struck. Injuries are usually caused by arcing current and any associated flames or fire that may occur and are usually severe causing burns to the hands, face and body. Electric shock is also possible, but less likely. Damage can be worse if other utilities are nearby, such as gas pipes which can explode as a result of the electricity strike. Gas explosions can cause a huge amount of damage.

Damage to mains water pipes can cause flooding which may produce a risk of drowning, especially as the sides of an excavation may collapse upon workers. Flammable and toxic gases can enter cable-carrying ducts, particularly if the duct has been damaged. Such gases can accumulate in chambers, manholes, etc., and pose a risk to operatives who may need to work there.  

There are companies that provide an HSG47 training course in order to make operatives not only aware of the dangers but give them the skills needed to locate underground services using the CAT and Genny. All operatives who are to work on excavations should undertake an HSG47 course.

HSG47, And Why You Should Follow This Guidance

The Health and Safety Executive HSG47 is aimed at all those involved in the commissioning, planning, managing, and carrying out work on, or near, underground services, as well as the owners and operators of the services. Following the guidance is not compulsory, unless otherwise stated, but if you do follow the guidance, under normal circumstances you will be doing enough to comply with the law. To quote the HSE "Health and safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance".

It seems that the HSE is saying that, putting it politely, you would be doing yourself – and everyone else – a disservice by failing to follow the guidance provided. It further states "Underground services are widespread. Assume they are present unless you have been shown otherwise". That is an extremely sensible comment, since underground services can be found absolutely anywhere – even in an apparently open field. 

One of the major causes of injuries – many severe – is striking electric cables, Typical injuries are burns to the hands, face, and body, while electric shock is also possible, but less likely. Other nearby services may also be damaged, and these include plastic gas pipes. Damage to these can cause explosion and fire. There are two kinds of damage – damage that causes an immediate leak, and damage that causes a leak some time later. For instance, poor reinstatement may leave a pipe insufficiently supported.

Damage to a pipe carrying liquefied petroleum gas is greater than from natural gas as it is heavier than air and can travel for long distances underground and can accumulate in places such as cellars.

Damage to water pipes may not be so serious but can also cause injury, as a jet of water from a main can be hard enough to cause injury.

This is why understanding of all of the possible problems is so essential. There are companies that provide HSG47 training and ensure that operatives have a full and complete understanding of the potential problems. In fact, it cannot be over-emphasised that all operatives engaged in any sort of excavation should attend an HSG47 course.

Reasons Why You Need Cable Avoidance Equipment

Cable avoidance equipment can identify current strength, the depth of the buried cable or pipe, and location accessories to help contractors safely perform their job. There are three other key reasons why you need cable avoidance equipment:

1. Safety

Underground cables can have live electricity running through them, harmful chemicals, or other waste products. Cutting into the ground ‘blind’ is a recipe for disaster. Cable avoidance equipment adds a line of defence to this, to increase safety.

2. Compliance

Health and safety guidelines stipulate that it is the responsibility of the employer and the employee to use safe working practices. Cutting into the ground or removing ground without first adequately checking for cables is considered extremely high risk.

3. Do a proper job

Cable avoidance equipment can vastly reduce the chance of hitting a live cable or a gas or water pipe and is essential to all utility companies and contractors. By adequately identifying underground cables and avoiding any damage to them, contractors can do a proper job without any inefficiencies. This saves time and money.

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