Procedure for safe working

•    Visit site to carry out a visual inspection of the area/s and to confirm obvious signs of buried services, e.g. surface scarring, manhole and valve covers, telecoms box covers, overhead service diversions beneath ground. All of these examples are clear indicators that buried services are/could be in the dig area/s.
•    Contact National One Call for their ‘Plan to Dig’ (W: www.national-one- call.co.uk; T: 0800-0853865; E: enquiries@national-one-call.co.uk) before you dig to seek information from providers.
•    Seek out all utility and service provider and local authority drawings and information and check these details visually against what you see around you.
•    Check with client and PC to confirm if a radar survey has been carried out.
•    Mark out dig area and beyond using the ‘SAFEDIG Traffic light System’.
o    RED: NO digging over this line as the service is located directly beneath.
o    AMBER Hatching: – Hand-digging ONLY as this hatched area is the 500mm. NO machine digging or use of powered digging tools.
o    GREEN Hatching and beyond: Use any form of digging as no services located.
•    Wear the correct additional PPE, i.e. anti-flash overalls and gloves and safety eyewear.
•    Use the correct equipment, i.e. vacuum excavation, air lance, hand dig with insulated hand-dig tools.
•    Absolutely NO machine digging UNTIL hand digging is complete.
•    Any located buried services encased in concrete must be isolated and further advice sought from the service provider, client, your H & S dept.
•    Support services if exposed over a long distance.
•    Signpost (mark) newly laid services using warning sand and relevant service warning tape.
•    Finally: ASK if you have ANY questions