Introduction

Locating and excavating around underground cables is crucial to avoid disruption of services and prevent serious injury. Damaging or severing a cable causes electric shocks, electrical explosions, fire and even fatalities, often resulting in severe burns to the hands, face, and body. Therefore, safe excavation around cable works, no matter the voltage, is essential to ensure the safety of everyone involved and to keep the project on track.

This Citrus certification delivers the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding when working with buried cables and carrying out safe excavations.

Course Outline

With a mix of practical and theory-based exercises and tutorials, delegates will cover manufacturer and general knowledge and awareness of buried cables. In addition, they’ll participate in practical activities to learn best practices and operating methods to highlight the dangers involved when undertaking excavation work around cable networks. 

The course reflects national standards and industry best practices and is fully accredited in line with regulations. In addition, choose to learn with Citrus, and delegates benefit from our custom-built training facilities and customer-first approach.
 
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 Citrus certificate of attendance, valid for three years.

To gain an accredited qualification, please review our NRSWA Unit 1 course [insert link] 

Course Programme

This training is essential for workers to understand excavation around cable networks. Delegates will review legal requirements, ensure safety compliance, and understand procedures, appropriate documentation and classifications.

The course content includes:

• Risk assessments for excavation works
• Site location details and documentation
• Identifying cable routes and encroachment lines
• Distribution Safety Rules.
• Approved cable location devices and how to use them
• Selecting the appropriate PPE for the works
• When and where to use different types of tools
• Cable identification
• Safe excavation procedures
• Understanding electrical utility drawings

On Completion

At the end of the training, successful delegates will:

• Demonstrate a practical use of the plans/1:500 drawing
• Correctly identify excavation equipment
• Identify different types of electrical mains cables
• Understand their responsibilities as Team Leaders/Supervisors
• Document information before excavation
• Identify cable routes and use of encroachment lines
• When and where to use tools
• Safe Excavation procedures

On successfully completing the course, delegates receive their Citrus certificate of attendance, valid for three years.

Who Should Attend?

This Citrus Safe Excavation COP2 certification is for anyone working or supervising excavation work in and around the vicinity of cable systems. Successful delegates on this course reduce cable damage, prevent injury, and reduce the cost of repairs and inconvenience to the general public.

Course Duration

This one-day comprehensive course trains delegates to safely and responsibly excavate around cable networks.

Why Citrus?

We dedicate our efforts to unrivalled quality and the customer experience at Citrus Training. 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. 

Citrus Training serves 85 of the top 100 building services companies in the market. With over 20 years of collective experience, we offer advice and guidance for new and experienced entrants looking to work within the IDNO/DNO industry. 

Our Electrical training is accredited, regulated, and of an exceptionally high standard. Delivered by our Electrical Safety trainers and DNO Trained Assessors, they also carry out competency pre-assessment and testing to work on IDNOs and DNOs. 

Finally, we teach and promote current industry and legislative requirements to ensure delegates take them forward into their daily working lives, delivering courses at our nationwide, industry-leading and accredited training centres to offer the very best of training standards and quality assurance. 

Things You Need to Know

Although there is no pre-course requirements industry advises that to be deemed competent as a team leader for UK Power Networks, you must hold:

• New Roads and Street Works Units 1-3 card
• Emergency First Aid at Work
• Manual Handling
• Cat and Genny certificates

Delegates should inform their trainer if they have any serious health issues, physical problems, special considerations or are taking any medication, which may create difficulties in undertaking elements of this training course.