Working near to Underground services

Underground services, particularly electricity and gas can be extremely dangerous.

Damage to electricity cables can cause a dangerous flash, leading to severe burns or even death. Gas leaks can cause fire and explosion.

Damage can result from excavation or penetration of the ground (e.g. by a road pin).

Underground services may be commonly found in roads, footpaths and on sites or across open land. Always assume that they are present. Treat any services found anywhere as 'live'.

Accidents have happened because people have mistaken one service for another, e.g. black plastic covered electricity cables look like plastic water pipes and cast iron gas and water mains look alike. Check before you act!

Health and Safety Executive guidance document HS(G)47 'Avoiding Danger from Underground Services' provides excellent detailed advice on staying safe from the hazard of underground services. It is strongly recommended that this is read carefully before commencing work on site.

Before starting work you must:  

• Make sure you have plans of the underground services in the area. This may not always be possible for emergency or unforeseen works. Remember that service connection cables from the main to a building or a street lamp may not be shown.
• Use a cable and pipe locator to trace electricity cables and metal pipes. You should have been trained how to do this. If in doubt or if you have any difficulty get help and advice.
• Mark the positions of the cables and pipes using paint or other waterproof marking on the ground - or using short pegs and marker tape in soft ground.
• Look for signs of service connection cables or pipes, e.g. a gas or electricity meter box or a service connection entry into a house or street lamp.
• Hand dig trial holes (as many as necessary) to confirm the position of services in close proximity to the area of your work. This is particularly important if there are plastic pipes which cannot always be found by locator.

Please use the link above to request plans showing networks locations.

When you start work:

• Always hand dig near to services, use spades and shovels rather than picks, pins or forks.
• It is possible that cables or pipes may be embedded in concrete. Electricity cables embedded in concrete MUST either be made 'dead' before the concrete is broken out or another safe way of working agreed with the cable owner
• Services are sometimes protected by concrete polythene or earthenware tiles or a marker tape may be laid above the service - this is a useful indication of the presence of the service, you should avoid disturbing any tile or tape to expose the service if possible. There are however, many services in existence, that have no tiles, tapes or other physical indication of their presence on site.

Safety Advice - Working Near Cables

For advice on working near to underground cables at a specific location call 0800 0963080 and ask for 'cables & plant proximity working advice'. Alternatively use the link above to find out how to contact us.

For general enquiries or advice when working near to underground cables call the CableSafe Team helpline on 0800 0150927.