Introduction

Buried Utility Services are the underground pipes, cables and equipment used in public essentials such as electricity, gas, water, sewage and telecommunications. Commercial examples include operations such as crude oil and natural gas petrochemical pipelines. They are most often buried deep enough to require machinery-led excavation operations.

To avoid disruption of services and prevent serious injury when working on and around buried services, it is critical for operatives to know where they are, which sounds simple but requires training. For example, damaging a cable can cause fatalities, electric shocks, electrical explosions, and fire, resulting in severe burns to the hands, face, and body. Therefore, training to locate buried utility services and how to excavate around them is essential to ensure the safety of operators and others around them.

The Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR) is the online register of training and skills for the energy and utility sector. In partnership with CSCS, the EUSR sets out to nurture and maintain a skilled and sustainable workforce in our industry.

This EUSR Locate Utility Services and Implement Safe (Digging) Practices (Categories 1 & 2) certification delivers the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding to safely detect and excavate buried utility services.

Course Outline

Through a mix of practical and theory-based exercises and tutorials, delegates will cover manufacturer and general knowledge and awareness of utility services and participate in practical activities to learn excavation and location best practices, safe digging techniques, and operating methods.

Our occupationally and technically-experienced trainers coach delegates on this course, completing the session with a practical observation and short answer question paper. They must pass the assessment to qualify for the EUSR-accredited certificate and ID card, valid for three years.

Course Programme

This training is essential for workers to detect and excavate around buried utility services safely and correctly. Delegates will review legal requirements, ensure safety compliance, and understand procedures, appropriate documentation and classifications.

The course content includes:

• Legislation and guidance in underground services, excavation, construction and groundworks
• Interpreting utility drawings and line search documents
• How to use cable location devices (Cat & Genny) to detect utility services
• The dangers and hazards in ground survey detection
• The limitations of underground utility detection equipment and drawings
• How utility 'strikes' affect contractors, stakeholders and wider society
• How to distinguish between good and bad practices in detection and excavation
• Identifying ground and soil types and changeable conditions present on-site
• Carrying out and interpreting Risk Assessments and Permits to Work
• Implementing safe digging practices through hand digging techniques

On Completion

At the end of the training, successful delegates will:

• Understand current legislation, policies and procedures associated with safety in excavations
• Select and implement adequate control measures
• Confidently interpret utility drawings and line search documents to identify underground services
• Know how to use location equipment to locate underground services
• Identify the dangers and hazards associated with underground services
• Use safe digging techniques to carry out and maintain excavations

On successfully completing the course, delegates receive their EUSR-accredited certificate and ID card, valid for three years. In addition, they will also receive a certificate of learning for the theoretical elements and a personal copy of the excavation safety learner’s notes.

Who Should Attend?

This Locate Utility Services and Implement Safe (Digging) Practices (Categories 1 & 2)  certification is for managers, supervisors, safety professionals and operatives who oversee and, or carry out work in or around excavations.

Course Duration

With one and a half days to complete, this comprehensive course trains delegates to safely and responsibly detect and excavate around underground utility services.

Why Citrus?

We dedicate our efforts to unrivalled quality and the customer experience at Citrus Training, working tirelessly to provide exemplary service to our clients and produce excellent results from our delegates. As a result, we are the leading UK-based provider of health, safety, and technical training and assessment services to the Built Environment and Utility sectors. 

This You Need to Know

This EUSR-certified course has practical elements, so delegates must inform their trainer if they have any serious health issues, physical problems, special considerations or are taking any medication, which may create difficulties in participating.

For training held at your location, please ensure that the classroom you make available has a power supply and is a suitable size for the number of delegates attending. In addition, please ensure that the practical area has been risk-assessed, is free from harm, and is ideal for training.