Unintentionally striking underground assets while digging, such as electricity cables, gas pipes, water pipes, and so on, can result in life-changing injuries to construction workers involved. The problem is that underground services can be absolutely anywhere, even in places that one would think unlikely. Certainly, if you are in a residential area or the high street, then it is obvious that there will be electricity cables, water pipes, sewage pipes, telecoms, and maybe gas pipes, and more, but they can also be present in out of the way places in the countryside.
It is widely estimated that there are around 4 million excavations that take place in the UK every year, and of these, figures for 2017 show that only 2.25 million thorough searches took place before any digging commenced. That means that 1.75 million excavations took place without those doing the work knowing what, if anything, was in the spot in which they were digging.
The result is that there are around 60,000 cable strikes in the UK each year, many of which result in serious injury and are sometimes fatal. In some respects, it is surprising that there are that few. However, these figures could be inaccurate because they refer only to cable strikes which have been reported. There may be others which have not been reported. For instance, a cable strike can reflect badly on the company carrying out the work, and may result in the loss of future business, so perhaps better to keep things quiet.
There may have been no injuries, so the company didn’t bother to report it. There is also the cost side of things as well. Striking fibreoptics, for instance, can result in huge replacement and repair costs, and some companies may wish to avoid being held to blame.
Even if a cable strike results in no injuries, there is still the cost of disruption to local businesses, and the cost of repairs to the utility owner.
These are all reasons why it is vital to carry out research before ever starting to commence work on an excavation. Just to begin with, it is necessary to contact utilities in the area and establish what plans are available. However, these can only be used as a guide. There are often cases where the plans, or STATS, are inaccurate, and there are also cases where they are simply not available, so you cannot possibly rely upon them.
Before commencing any excavation work it is critical to carry out a thorough survey of the site to establish what services are present using the CAT and Genny. These need to be used in combination as best practice.
At Sygma Solutions we run approved training courses for operatives who need to carry out surveys using the CAT and Genny. These courses are essential if operatives are to fully comprehend the use of such equipment, and also so that they understand that the tools do have certain limitations. It is necessary to understand what those imitations are in order to make as certain as possible that cable strikes do not occur.
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
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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