BURIED SERVICES SAFETY

PRECAUTIONS

Safety & Welfare Arrangements

Fire
Alarm
Exits
Assembly point

Welfare
Breaks
Toilets
Please turn off
Mobile Phone Ring Tones

OBJECTIVE

This procedure defines the requirements for the development

of a safe system of work to minimise the risk arising from
damage to and danger from buried services.

To explain procedure for identifying the underground services

with the help of cable detector (CAT: Cable avoidance tool)

DEFINITION
Buried Services:

Responsible Person

CAT scanner:

The term buried service(s) means all

underground electricity, gas, water (including
piped sewage), signalling and
telecommunications cables, ducts and conduits.
They may be live, dormant or disused. The term
also includes these items laid on the surface but
have become partially obscured by ballast,
vegetation, etc. It does not include underground
structures such as brick sewers, railway tunnels,
etc but does include services buried in structures
e.g.
walls, columns.
The person
who has the responsibility to ensure
that actions on site meet the requirements laid
down within this procedure. e.g. Site
Manager/Supervisor.
A person who has been trained in the use of a
Cable Avoidance Tool (CAT), assessed as
competent and certificated.

Buried Services along the track

Indian

Railway and utility

companies have a duty to
maintain records of underground
services and plans, and to make
such information available to an
enquirer. The supply of a buried
service search helps to
considerably reduce the risk of a
buried service strike incident.

Procedure for identify the buried services

A buried services search must be requested from the Indian Rail
Representative before commencing work on site.
Charted and uncharted utility identification process for work area to be
jointly verified in presence of an Engineer
This request is to be approved by the responsible person prior to sending
to Indian Rail to ensure that the worksite has been accurately identified.

Where a buried services search has been provided within the contract
documents, responsible person must verify that the search covers the full
extent of ground disturbance works within the project.
If the buried services search is not sufficient, or the scope of works
changes, there must be an additional request, noting the timescales.

Hazards from buried services

Utility services below the ground include Indian
railway signal cables, gas, water and drainage
pipes; electricity and telecommunications cables;
high pressure fuel and gas pipelines.

Damage to Indian railway signal cables while

excavation work may lead to failure of signal
system of railways and stop the movement of
running trains on track which is against law to
disturb the schedule of railways.

Lifting equipment, excavators,

tipping lorries, or
scaffolding tubes
accidentally disturbing or
striking live underground
cables is a common
danger during
excavations.

Such incidents may result in

severe burns to hands,
face and body or even
death, due to the
explosive arcing current at
the point of contact, or the
fire which may follow

Types of Underground utility

Signal cables
Indian railway signal cables are most important system
of smooth & safe running of trains on track as per
schedule. The disturbance to these cables will affect
operation of trains which is very serious offense.
Electricity cables
Injuries are usually caused by the explosive effects of
arcing current, and by any associated fire or flames
which may result, when a live cable is penetrated by
a sharp object such as the point of a tool. Such
effects can also occur when a cable is crushed
severely enough to cause internal contact between
the conductors or between metallic sheathing and
one or more conductors
Gas pipes
Damage to gas pipes can cause leaks which may lead
to fire or explosion and people being overcome by
fumes. There are two types of damage:

that which causes an immediate leak;

that which causes a leak some time later, the damage

may occur at the time the work is carried out or
subsequently: for example poor reinstatement may
leave a pipe inadequately supported or subject to
unequal forces.

Types of Underground utility

Hazardous pipelines

The danger arising from damage to other

pipelines depends on the nature of the
conveyed fluid. Fluids and their associated
dangers include:
flammable liquids and gases - risk of fire and
explosion;

all fluids at elevated pressure - risk of injury

from sudden release of contents;
toxic liquids and gases - risk of poisoning;
Water pipes and sewers
Damage to water mains can result in the
excavation being flooded, but is less likely to
result in injury. However, water ejected from a
water main can contain stones or other hard
objects ejected from the ground around the
pipe
Leaks of water from underground pipes
can affect adjacent buried services and
reduce support for other structures

Site surveys for identification of utility

Visual surveys
A visual inspection of the site and the surrounding area
shall be carried out after receiving the buried services
information.
The survey should identify any evidence on the site of
buried services not identified in the buried services
records, and to check for evidence that will confirm the
location of the buried services that were identified.
The visual inspection shall always check for the existence
of signalling and telecoms cables as the records of these
often exist only in schematic form, and schematic
drawings are not provided as part of a records search.
Assume that buried services do not necessarily follow
straight lines and are not always at a constant depth
below ground level.

Cable avoidance tool (CAT) scanning

CAT scanning is a mandatory requirement in connection
with the identification of buried services. CAT scanning
should be carried out as close as possible to work
commencing on site but preferably not just before work
starts.
It is recommended that it should not be more than 14
days in advance.

Marking the position of

buried services
A person should be
nominated to mark the
positions of the cables and
pipes on the ground, over
the full extent of the site.
Areas should be marked on
either side of the location
with chalk or paint.

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Know the C.A.T (Cable Avoidance

Tool)

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Signal Screen of CAT

Identification of Utility:
If signal on screen showing increasing bars
and it reaches its maximum level then it is the
location of underground cable. When you
move forward signal again starts decreasing
and the bars in screen too as you are going
away from underground service.

Direction of Cable:
After getting signal
of cable twist CAT
in 360 ; when you
get the maximum
signal bars on
screen then cable
is exactly
perpendicular to
the equipment
direction

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Cable identification using locator by sweeping

over work area
Then sweep across the width of the excavation site, moving up the
length. If using a Genny in induction mode, position the Genny as
shown. If a cable or pipe is located, first establish the direction of the
cable or pipe, then trace it across the area to be excavated,
marking if required. Then resume sweeping over the excavation site.

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Depth Identification of Utility

Services

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Permit to Earth Excavation/Boring clearance

permit
Permit to Earth
Excavation/Boring clearance
permit to be taken from
respective issuing authority at
each work site where
excavation work to be done
along side of Indian railway
track.
Evidence of permits should be
kept and record for
verification at any time during
work/after completion of
work

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Any
Questions???

Lets go and build a railway

togethersafely!!

Thank You for your

attention

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