EUSR Category 1 Locate Utility Services Course

Underground utility networks don't reveal themselves, and getting a detection survey wrong can lead to serious injury, costly damage and lengthy site delays. The EUSR Category 1 Locate Utility Services Course gives anyone working near buried services the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to locate them safely, using industry-recognised equipment and approved detection methods.

Also known as HSG47 or Cat & Genny training, this safety-critical course moves well beyond the classroom, combining theory with genuinely practical assessment that meets both EUSR and National Occupational Standards. It forms part of the wider EUSR training framework, recognised across the energy and utilities sector for maintaining high standards of competence and workplace performance. For those wanting a shorter, more focused introduction to detection equipment before committing to the full EUSR qualification, the CAT & Genny Cable Avoidance Testing Course covers similar ground at a more basic level.

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. Delegates carrying out risk assessments as part of their detection work will also find the Risk Assessment Online Course a useful companion, while general site-based PPE Awareness Training complements the specialist equipment covered here well. Anyone whose detection work also involves working at height should keep Working at Height Training in mind too.

Delegates must have a basic understanding of both spoken and written English, and must bring photographic identification such as a passport or driving licence. Delegates must also bring the required PPE for the practical learning and assessment, including a hard hat, high-vis jacket, safety boots, safety goggles, steel cap wellies in winter, and clean clothes and shoes for classroom learning.

By the end of the EUSR Category 1 Locate Utility Services Course, delegates will be familiar with detection equipment and safe methods for locating underground utility services, and will have a good understanding of:

• The legal requirements of working with underground services, including HSG47, HSWA 1974, HSG150, EUSMUNC06 and EUSEPUS044
• How to interpret utility drawings
• Line search documents
• Cable location devices (Cat and Genny) and how they're used to locate utility services
• Ground survey detection and its risks
• The limitations of underground utility detection equipment
• The limitations of utility drawings
• Utility strikes, and their cost to contractors, stakeholders and the local community

The EUSR Category 1 Locate Utility Services Course will cover the following topics:

• Recognising and managing hazards: planning work, detecting utilities, and ensuring safe excavation practices
• BSI PAS 128 standard for underground utility detection, methods and survey requirements
  GS6 guidelines to prevent risks from overhead power lines
• NRSWA: a summary of roles and responsibilities for operatives and supervisors working on or near highways
• Understanding different types of equipment used in utility surveys
• Safe working procedures, including risk assessments, method statements and permits to break ground
• Reviewing Cable Avoidance Tools (CATs), Signal Transmitters (Gennys) and relevant accessories
• Correct application and operation of Cable Avoidance Tools and associated devices
• A hands-on exercise covering risk assessments, utility map usage and cable avoidance equipment

Delegates are assessed through a mixture of theory and practical tests on the EUSR Category 1 Locate Utility Services Course, covering health and safety protocol awareness, safe excavation and ground-breaking activities, hazard recognition, pre-entry checks, entry control, communication techniques, cable avoidance equipment use, emergency procedures, safe site scanning, post-incident reporting and safeguarding underground infrastructure. Successful candidates are registered on the Energy & Utilities Skills Register and receive an EUSR Smart Photo ID Card, valid for three years, with the course needing to be retaken before expiry to remain on the register.

The EUSR Category 1 Locate Utility Services Course suits managers, supervisors and safety professionals working with underground service detection equipment. It's equally relevant to anyone overseeing the location of buried services or interpreting utility drawings as part of their role.

Delegates must have a basic understanding of both spoken and written English to attend the EUSR Category 1 Locate Utility Services Course, and must bring a form of photographic identification such as a passport or driving licence. Delegates must also bring the following PPE for the practical learning and assessment: a hard hat, high-vis jacket, safety boots, safety goggles, steel cap wellies in winter, and clean clothes and shoes for classroom learning.