Digging holes should be simple, but it is not as straightforward as you
might think. If you are putting up fence posts, digging foundations or clearing
ground of any kind you should carry out some form or survey.
Common sense dictates that you should conduct some form of cable
avoidance survey to make sure there are power supplies and other utility
services located where you are planning on digging. All too frequently the underground services running to and
from buildings are not where they should be logically. For a start you should be working from
planned drawings if you can obtain them, but the services are not always as
drawn and the plans are not always as built – so you should check where they
are before you begin.
On open ground such as farms or parkland this might sound unlikely, but
the risks are the same in a field as they are in a street. Without checking
first you have no idea whether there is a power cable or sewer running across
where you plan to do some excavation work. The risks are enormous. If you cut a power cable it can kill someone. In fact there are 30 to 40 incidents each year where workmen are
seriously injured because they have accidentally sliced through electricity
cables.
We recently helped out a
fencing contractor who has nothing to do with pipe works, cables or any
services, let alone foundations.
However, one of his gang had been seriously injured following an
incident with a power cable and he has invested in some detection equipment to
prevent any more accidents.
It really does not
matter what kind of work you are doing – you should always survey the ground
you are planning on working on. In
parkland and playing fields you will need to check for cables running between
street lights adjacent to the land, or that run across the ground alongside
footpaths. There is also the risk
of older water pipes running across the ground linking to houses close by. It is always best to check first to
avoid risk and minimise potential disruption.
There are various
different kinds of product on the market, but the simplest and easiest to use
is a pipe and cable locator. We
have one that is easy to hold and tough enough for life on site and in the back
of a builders van. It is called
the Easyloc. Basically, you use the kit by holding it in the hand walking along
the line you want to excavate. It
has an ergonomic design to make it easier to hold and is fast and easy to
operate and safe too – it is designed to avoid potentially dangerous power
cables and other services as efficiently as possible. The user can work in both audio and visual mode at all times
as the receiver shows the level of signal received with a ‘max’ marker – just
like a mobile phone display. The
Easyloc location system is fast and easy to learn – in trials users started
operating it immediately – but you can have training as well if you need it.
It is used by anyone
from grounds men, specialist gardening and landscaping companies, to gas, water
and power companies, large contractors, small builders and fencing
contractors. Everyone needs to be
safe so it makes sense to have the right kit.
