QBE - Buried Services Avoidance

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.