Title Page

  • Conducted on

  • Prepared by

  • Location
  • Company Name

  • Contract Name

  • Site Name

Site Information

  • Are service drawings available?

  • Advice

  • These may be from the statutory utility providers, private networks such as on a client’s premises, temporary services as part of a site set up or installed services awaiting adoption.

  • Has Linesearch been used to gather service drawing information? (reference number should be available).<br>

  • Have service providers in the area been correctly identified?

  • Advice

  • The local team should be able to identify the owners of services in their area.

  • Advice

  • Linesearchbeforeudig.co.uk is a web-based service that is free to use to source a wide range of service provider information.

  • Are the service drawings less than 6 months old?

  • Advice

  • Clients may receive drawings from other sources such as the Principal Designer, but the information should be checked to ensure the drawings are up to date.

  • Are service drawings of a suitable scale or electronic?

  • Advice

  • Drawings should be of sufficient clarity that they can be read or if electronic that they can be zoomed in without losing definition.

  • Is a Key available with the service drawings?

Training

  • Does the supervisor have specific buried services training?

  • Advice

  • Training on buried services would include knowledge of detection equipment, safe digging techniques, specific requirements of utility providers and emergency actions and numbers.

  • Do the operatives have specific training for working around buried services?

  • Advice

  • Training on buried services would include knowledge of detection equipment, safe digging techniques, specific requirements of utility providers and emergency actions and numbers.

  • Advice

  • Training on buried services would include knowledge of detection equipment, safe digging techniques, specific requirements of utility providers and emergency actions and number.

  • Does the organisation operate a permit to work system?

  • Have Permit Receivers received suitable training?

  • Advice

  • Individuals need to have been trained on requesting permits. This may be a training course or extra detail given at the site induction for example.

  • Advice

  • A permit system would contain a number of checks, for instance, drawings, completion of Cable Avoidance Tool (CAT) scanning and specific control measures are in place before work begins. This may not be possible with some remote workers who may have some other type of checking system in place.

  • Have nominated Cable Avoidance Tool (CAT) Operators received suitable training?

  • Advice

  • CAT training needs to be specific to the type of CAT in use preferably recognised by a trade body or manufacturer.

Scan

  • Is the site in possession of a CAT and signal Generator?

  • Advice

  • Cable avoidance tools and signal generators should be present on site when there are ground-breaking activities.

  • Has the CAT and signal Generator been calibrated/serviced?

  • Advice

  • Not all manufacturers require their equipment to be calibrated. Usually, CAT’s will have service or calibration stickers or annual certificates may be available electronically.

  • Are the CAT and Signal Generator batteries charged and is the equipment turned on?

  • Advice

  • After periods of not being used the batteries may become flat and the equipment may not work when needed. Some CATS record the date the batteries go flat.

  • Is the CAT and signal Generator equipment on site capable of depth estimation?

  • Advice

  • Not all CAT’s can specifically estimate the depth of a signal. This is different to the shallow service warning and usually indicates a specific signal depth.

  • Does the CAT have a shallow service warning system?

  • Advice

  • This is a basic system of providing an alarm or warning that a service may be shallow, (less than 300mm) beneath the CAT.

  • Does the CAT record Operator data?

  • Advice

  • Some CATS record data that can be used to monitor operators to identify bad habits or poor use. This can also be used to prove the CAT scan was undertaken correctly. This may be through an app or physically downloading the data into a useable format.

  • Are the CAT and signal Generator user instructions readily available?

  • Advice

  • Users should have reference instructions. These may even be on the CAT itself or in a separate handbook.

Dig

  • Is the excavation work being conducted in the correct location?

  • Advice

  • Its usual for the CAT Scanner Operator to mark the area they have scanned to ensure that the dig team knows they are in the correct area. Even if there are no services the scanner should mark out the edges of the area they have scanned.

  • Is there evidence of surface markings at the excavation location?

  • Advice

  • The scanner should mark the location of the scanned area and any services located, often this is with paint, but this may wear off over time. Other means of marking are acceptable, like cones or plastic pins.

  • Are operatives wearing flame retardant / arc resistant clothing?

  • Advice

  • These are to standards such as IEC 61482 / ISO 111612 / ISO 1149 and are marked as such.

  • Are operatives using non-conductive equipment without points?

  • Advice

  • Usually this means fibreglass or wooden tools to BS 8020 or IEC 60900

  • Have exclusion zones for services been identified and are they being adhered to?

  • Advice

  • The general exclusion zones around live services for powered hand tool and machinery, is 500mm. No work is permitted within 3 meters of an intermediate pressure gas pipe without the owner’s permission. Other exclusion zones may be identified in the service owner’s information or agreed with them.

Permit

  • Does the organisation operate a permit to work system?

  • Is a permit to work in place for the breaking ground activity?

  • Advice

  • Ground breaking would include placing pins, direction drilling, piling and is not exclusively digging.

  • Is a copy of the permit to work present?

  • Advice

  • Permits should be at the point of work for the team to prove they have authority to carry out the agreed works. In addition, it should include reference to required safe working practices.

  • Is a copy of the permit to work present?

  • Advice

  • Permits should be at the point of work for the team to prove they have authority to carry out the agreed works. In addition, it should include reference to required safe working practices.

  • Have all members of the work team been briefed on the permit to work contents?

  • Advice

  • The likely person to strike the service is a worker in a machine or with a hand tool. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure all relevant Operatives have been briefed fully on the safe system of work.

  • Is the permit to work being followed correctly?

  • Advice

  • Permits are by definition more detailed than risk assessment and method statements and if they can not be followed the permit should be suspended, altered and re-issued.

Emergency

  • Is the excavation team aware of the 105 electrical emergency number?

  • Advice

  • This is a national emergency number for the statutory electrical providers and should be used by those at the work location in the event of an electrical strike. Other numbers may be needed for private electrical services. This is time critical and the emergency call should be made by the team at the strike, not through and escalation procedure.

  • Is the excavation team aware of the 0800 11 999 gas emergency number?

  • Advice

  • This is a national emergency number for gas leaks regardless of the provider.

  • Is the excavation team aware of the water company emergency number?

  • Advice

  • Numbers for emergencies with water companies will vary from region to region and specific numbers should be made known to the dig team or the supervisor.

  • Is a plan available for electrical strike, gas release or flood?

The templates available in our Public Library have been created by our customers and employees to help get you started using SafetyCulture's solutions. The templates are intended to be used as hypothetical examples only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. You should seek your own professional advice to determine if the use of a template is permissible in your workplace or jurisdiction. You should independently determine whether the template is suitable for your circumstances.