Why is Cable Avoidance Training Necessary?

Contractors or workers associated with projects that involve digging up or excavating an area often misuse cable avoidance tools because they do not have the proper understanding or the knowledge of the tools. Cable avoidance is not just simply about purchasing the equipment and start using it after reading the instructions. It is important to understand the different modes of the equipment and the functions of each. Only through proper cable avoidance training will you be able to successfully operate the equipment and prevent injuries at work.

Below given are some of the reasons that make undertaking cable avoidance training necessary.

Prevention of serious and fatal injuries

In the UK, deaths occur every year due to cable strikes. A lot of people suffer from severe burns as a result of striking an electrical cable. Also, gas pipe explosions happen because workers accidentally hit the pipe during the process of excavation.

So, injury and death are part and parcel of the industry. However, it does not have to be. By learning about how to use cable avoidance tools, you will be able to prevent such situations from arising. You will be able to create a healthy and safe work environment for not just the workers, but for all those people living nearby the excavation area.

Cable avoidance tools help in accurately and precisely detecting the location of the buried utilities. Whilst excavating, you can carefully avoid those locations and prevent fatal accidents.

Avoid extra expenditure

It is not just injury and death that can be avoided by undertaking a training course in cable avoidance. You can also reduce the financial implications of hitting a gas pipe or electric cable. For instance, if you happen to hit a fibre optic cable, you will be incurring a minimum expense of 40,000. But, that is just one instance. The repairs can run into hundreds of thousands. Furthermore, you will be held responsible for the loss of business of the affected companies that are around your excavation site. It will affect your reputation and there are also several cases of contractors going out of business due to striking an underground utility service.

In case there are no explosions or damage to the nearby companies, you will still incur downtime because you have to pause your work until the time the cable or pipe that you have hit has been repaired. This is why cable avoidance training is extremely important.

Ability to start working with proper knowledge

Of course, you would want your project to be completed as quickly as possible. This is only possible if you can avoid accidents and injuries. With proper training, you will be able to make use of the CAT & Genny equipment to detect and locate buried or hidden utilities before you start the excavation process. You will have all the plans for the area that you want to dig in front of you. This is one of the simplest and quickest ways of finding buried or underground cables and pipes. By using the CAT, you will find 45% of the utilities on an average and when used in conjunction with a Genny, you will be able to find up to 50% of buried utilities. The Genny, also known as signal generator, uses to find those utilities that do not produce any kind of signal by applying a signal on to them.

So, now that you know the reasons why cable avoidance training is essential, the next step is to find a reliable training provider. A professional company will be in the position to cover all the aspects of cable avoidance that you need to be able to carry out successful excavation work, without any accidents. Cable avoidance training courses generally cover one day, but there are also companies providing comprehensive and in-depth 5-day training programmes. The best training providers are those whose programmes cover the physical location of the utilities, along with offering theoretical knowledge and understanding.

Sygma Solutions Ltd. is the premier provider of cable avoidance training courses in the UK. They offer both onsite and offsite training programmes. Their course is specifically designed to suit different levels of experience.

The company is an approved ProQual Centre and can provide Cat and Genny training to the Level 2 Award in Utility Location and Avoidance.