CAT & Genny (Cable Avoidance Testing) Course

Underground services don't announce themselves, and hitting a live cable or gas pipe during groundwork can turn a routine job into a serious incident in seconds. The CAT & Genny Cable Avoidance Training Course gives operators and site supervisors the practical skills to detect, identify and work safely around underground services before any digging begins. For a more comprehensive, industry-recognised qualification covering the same core skills, the EUSR Category 1 Locate Utility Services Course builds on this training and leads to formal registration on the Energy & Utilities Skills Register.

This half-day course covers detection equipment, HSG47 guidance, service plans and PPE, giving delegates a focused, practical grounding without the time commitment of a full EUSR qualification. Because safe excavation follows on so directly from accurate detection, this course pairs naturally with the EUSR Category 2 Implementing Safe Excavating Practices Course for anyone whose role covers both stages of the process.

Anyone whose detection work also involves confined spaces should look at the City & Guilds Confined Space Low Risk (6160-01) Course alongside this course, since trenches and pits can quickly become confined space environments.

On successful completion of this half-day CAT & Genny Cable Avoidance Training Course, candidates receive a certificate of attendance.

By the end of the course, candidates will be able to:

• Understand the dangers of working near underground services

• Explain safety procedures for evacuating or ground working

• Follow HSG47 guidance for avoiding danger from underground services

• Operate a CAT and Genny safely and effectively

• Locate a range of underground services

• Identify damaged cables, pipes and services

• Demonstrate which PPE is required and why

• Easily locate underground services on a plan

• Update plans with details of underground services detected

This course will cover the following topics:

• An introduction to cable avoidance tools (CAT) and signal generators (Gennys)
• How to operate cable avoidance tools safely and effectively
• Health and safety legislation and HSG47 guidance
• Working in or near underground services
• Detecting underground pipes or cables
• Identifying services plans for electricity, gas, telecoms and water
• Using ground-penetrating radar to locate underground services
• Recognising damaged and undamaged services
• Various types of utility services
• Drawing comprehensive plans to locate services
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

On successful completion, candidates receive a certificate of attendance.

This course suits:

• Anyone working in construction, groundwork or maintenance, particularly operators and site supervisors who need to use cable avoidance tools and signal generators as part of their role
• Anyone involved in evacuating a worksite or surveying an area with potential underground pipes and hidden cables, where a solid understanding of the dangers and required safety procedures is essential