Undertaking any form of excavation work in the UK can be fraught with danger. This is because there are huge amounts of services that we use every day, and in some cases all day, and they can be anywhere. We all use telecoms. We all need water. We all need electricity. And we all use sewage pipes. Quite a lot of people use gas. There are also fibreoptics, fluids under pressure, flammable liquids, toxic liquids, LPG, and more.
Some underground services are less likely to cause injury than others. For instance, telecoms are not all that likely to do damage, but you also have the collateral damage to businesses that rely on them all day. Water pipes may not cause damage, but if they are under pressure, they can hurl stones and other objects out of the ground at high speed.
If a duct carrying a cable is damaged, flammable and toxic gases could get into it and then accumulate in manholes and chambers underground causing a serious risk to any workers there.
An electricity cable strike, however, can cause severe injuries and can sometimes be fatal. Striking a gas pipe could easily cause an explosion that could bring down a building. Faulty restoration of groundwork could also cause a gas pipe or water pipe to fail further down the line as the ground sinks and fails to support the utility. The list of possible dangers is considerable.
This is why it is essential to carry out a survey of the site where you are going to excavate before ever starting to dig. There is now an online website called Linesearch BeforeUdig which has a large number of records. They say that there are around 4 million excavation projects taking place every year in the UK and that they are currently having 2.6 million of them searched on their portal. However, that means that around four out of every ten excavations are taking place every year without having a search on the portal.
But looking for records is only the beginning. It is great that such a free service exists now, but you have to understand that records are not 100% accurate. There can be errors, they may be inaccurate, and in some cases there may be no records at all. Furthermore, not all local authorities and utilities are yet members of LSBUD, so the records won’t be there at all in some instances.
This means that undertaking a physical search on the ground is essential, and that is not going to change anytime soon. The two main tools for carrying out a search are the CAT and the Genny and every surveyor who is going to use them needs a proper training course in their use, such as those we provide at Sygma Solutions.
If the course you are looking for has no dates or you would like a course built for your company please contact
enquiries@sygma-solutions.com for current availability and booking form
Open Days
Please contact us about open days
PAS128 Utility Mapping Training Modules mapped to CICES competencies
– 2 days
Module 1 – Pas 128 Level D &C training to include level 3 assessment – CICES GEUS01 A-D
– 3 Days
Module 2 – PAS128 Level B Training – can include Level 4 assessment – CICES GUES01 E-I
Please contact enquires@sygma-solutions.com for future dates and a booking form
2 Day Advanced EM Course (RD8100/8200 & VIVAX)
In depth course covering electromagnetic locators, theory and intensive practical on our real world training site.
Cost: £295 per person
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
30th – 31st May 2024
23rd – 24th July 2024
5th – 6th September 2024
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
1 Day Mala GPR Module 1 – Theory & Practical
Cost: FOC
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
1 Day Mala GPR Module 2 – Post processing
Cost: FOC
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
2 Day GPR – All Manufacturers
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
5 Day TSA & ICES Approved 5 Day Utility Mapping Course
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
Location: Worcester
Dates: Contact Us
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
1 Day Public Genny & CAT Course – Can include ProQual Level 2 Qualification as an option
Cost: £175 plus VAT
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates:
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
Level 3 Utility Mapping Qualification – All Online
Cost: £275 PLUS REG FEE
Location: Online
Dates: To suit
Level 5 Diploma Utility Mapping Qualification – Online Workbooks – followed by assessment
Cost £1100 PLUS REG FEE
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre or your site
Dates: To suit
Open level 5 assessment dates at Sygma Solutions, Wigan
Level 5 Diploma Utility Mapping Qualification – in 5 days
Cost – contact us
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates:
3rd – 7th June 2024
1st – 5th July 2024
Sygma PAS 128 Utility Surveyor Training Including Proqual Level 3 Utility Mapping and Surveying
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
15th – 19th April 2024 Limited spaces available
20th – 24th May 2024
10th – 14th June 2024
8th – 12th July 2024
Level 3 Utility Mapping and Surveying Public Course
24th – 25th June 2024
1st – 2nd July 2024
24th – 25th September 2024
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
GPS Course & Total Station Introduction
This is a 2 day dedicated GPS course with an introduction to Total Station
Please contact us for future dates and a booking form
Please contact enquires@sygma-solutions.com for future dates and a booking form
Please contact:
enquiries@sygma-solutions.com for current availability and booking form