Striking underground services when carrying out any sort of excavation work is always going to be serious. There is the risk of serious injury to workers carrying out the digging, whether with hand tools or a mechanical digger, and on occasion this can be fatal. There is also, at the very minimum, the cost of repairs to the service, whether that is electricity, gas, water, sewage pipes, telecoms, fibreoptic, and more.
In addition to that, while the service is out of operation it will at the very least cause inconvenience to those relying on the service, and it may also have a considerable cost to businesses if they cannot get online or make phone calls for instance.
Since there is no mandatory, unified reporting structure for cable strikes, as they are called, it is difficult to be exact about figures, but it is generally estimated that there are about 4 million excavations carried out in the UK every year, and these result in some 60,000 cable strikes. Now at 1.5% that might seem a small amount, but just look at the figure again: SIXTY THOUSAND! Around 1,200 a week or 240 every single day, working on a five-day week. That is a frightening figure.
Just imagine how much time is lost and how much it costs just to carry out repairs. That’s before taking into account serious injury and fatalities.
Of course, there are different types of underground services and striking them will result in different issues. For instance, striking a telecom cable is unlikely to cause injury to the workers, but could cause considerable financial hardship to businesses in the area.
Striking an electricity cable or gas pipe is always going to be very dangerous and likely to result in injury. You might think that striking a water pipe would not result in injury, but water can be under pressure, and it can hurl stones and other items out of the ground. Striking a fibreoptic cable can cost a considerable amount to repair or replace as well as the resulting losses to local businesses. Hitting a sewage pipe may not cause too much harm, but there is always the health threat to the workers doing the digging.
In the five years from 2012 to 2017 the HSE received no less than 6,746 reports of incidents involving pipelines and the escape of flammable substances liable to cause harm. Over the same period, 318 reports were submitted of injuries, including fatalities, caused by underground electrical cable strikes.
However, in the absence of a mandatory reporting scheme, it is certain that the actual figures were a lot higher than this. This is why it is essential for a thorough site survey to be carried out before any excavation, and why operatives require thorough cable location training such as that we provide at Sygma Solutions.
Our cable location training not only covers the use of the CAT and Genny but also covers their limitations. Clever as these pieces of equipment are, there are situations where it is possible to misread them or for them to be unable to locate a service, perhaps because of depth. So, it is vital that operatives understand these and can allow for them.
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
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1 Day Mala GPR Module 1 – Theory & Practical
Cost: FOC
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
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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
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5 Day TSA & ICES Approved 5 Day Utility Mapping Course
Location: Sygma Solutions training centre, Wigan
Dates: Contact Us
Location: Worcester
Dates: Contact Us
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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