The plan, locate and safe-dig principles behind controlled work.
Short answer: safe excavation follows three principles: plan the work using service records, locate and mark services on site before digging, and dig carefully using safe methods near them. HSE guidance HSG47, Avoiding danger from underground services, sets out this approach.
Underground services include electricity cables, gas and water mains, telecoms and drainage. Striking a live cable or gas main can cause serious injury, and damaging any service can cut supplies and add cost and delay. Most strikes can be avoided with planning and the right methods.
Before work starts, obtain records from the utility owners and review them against the planned dig. Records show approximate positions only and can be incomplete, so they are a starting point, not a guarantee. The plan should set out the methods, the people involved and how services will be protected.
Trained operatives use detection equipment to trace services on site, comparing what they find against the records.
Near located services, excavation is carried out carefully, using hand tools or vacuum excavation to expose them rather than relying on a machine bucket. Exposed services are supported and protected, and the detection equipment is used again as the dig goes deeper.
Stop work, keep people away and make the area safe. Report the damage to the service owner straight away, and call the emergency services if there is any risk to life, such as a damaged gas main or electricity cable. Do not try to repair it yourself.
Our civils teams plan each excavation around service records, safe systems of work and site controls, with RAMS for commercial clients. Excavations are controlled and supported where required, and the work is evidenced as it progresses.
