If you are engaged in any sort of work which involves excavation of the ground, there is always the risk of striking some form of underground service. This could be electricity cables, gas pipes, water pipes, telecoms, sewage pipes, fibreoptics, and more, and what’s more is that they can be found almost anywhere, not just in the obvious places.
In Britain, there are around 4 million projects taking place every year which involve some form of excavation. They result in around 60,000 cable strikes each year, many of which cause life-changing injuries, and a handful of which every year are fatal. In fact, between 2014 and 2020 there were 3,972 injuries, including fatalities, caused by striking underground services that were reported to the Health and Safety Executive. However, this is unlikely to be anywhere near the true figure because many cable strikes go unreported for one reason or another.
It is not just the fact that people often suffer severe injuries, but also the damage to the services themselves. These need to be repaired, often at a cost of thousands of pounds. On top of that, indirect costs, such as worker ill-health, traffic disruption, impact on the immediate neighbourhood, loss of custom to local businesses. and so forth, also impact on the cost of the strike.
Furthermore, there can be damage to the reputation of the contractor responsible. Today, we have social media, and news can travel far and wide at great speed.
It follows that every possible precaution should be taken before inserting a spade into the ground. The first thing to do is to obtain plans, or STATS, from service providers in the area, but unfortunately these can only be used as a guide. They may be accurate, but then again, they may not. STATS are recorded in different formats by different utilities, and may have undergone changes in format as they have been transferred from hand-drawn plans to microfiches and then computer records, so errors may have crept in. In fact, as one example, on occasion new gas pipelines have been laid alongside old ones and the old ones are shown but the new ones have not been added. Shocking, but it does happen.
This is why it is essential to carry out a thorough survey using the CAT And Genny cable avoidance tools before undertaking any form of digging. Even this will not always provide a true picture of what lies beneath the surface, because the CAT And Genny do have certain limitations.
Furthermore, anyone who is going to undertake such surveys needs to undergo training such as that we provide at Sygma Solutions. This teaches operatives everything that they need to know with regard to the location and identification of underground services.
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
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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
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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:
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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