Utilities

[jones2004]

Ive been told that their is an organisation you can contact to see if there are services where you are excavating, does anyone have any idea who he was talking about. Apparently its free as well!! which is a bonus.

[rms]

I think you have to know what services are a concern and contact the relevant companies. They will usually provide info if they think you might do 30k of damage!

[Tony McC]

There used to be summat called "Dial-B4-U-Dig" and it was an 0800 number, but I can't find any trace of it now, other than a note entered into my little black book back in 1992.

[pepperday]

Both gas & electric utilities will do this service. The biggest pain about it, is getting the right department.

[ABILITY]

I think the 'Dial before you dig, was / is for BT cables, set up to avoid digging up fibre optics with rather expensive results.
I believe that Insurances will not cover damage unless a record of contact to such authorities, along with all possible other ways of tracing can be shown to have been carried out.

[pepperday]

Once you've got the information / dwgs. Never ever dig without scaning the area first. C.A.T & signal generator (if required). Never assume that the services are buried at the correct depth. If i had a penny for the amount of times we've started external works and found cables / pipes running close to the surface, i'd have £3.20 ish.
Further to the scaning, i don,t think theres a gadget that picks up plastic gas / water, but i could be wrong.
If your laying new services please bear in mind the poor contracror who, in a couple of years time may be digging in the same area. So bury at correct depth & keep a record / dwg, of whats where. It could save lives.
Oh dear i'm going into rant mode. Apologies but we've just done a job where gas 250mm below - mains elec cable 100mm below - B.T 300mm below(not to bad) - numerous external lighting cables (at least armoured) 150mm below.
Lost at least a week & a half of time, forget the agro of phone calls, and a client pulling hair out screaming Delay! & How much!
I love this job.
.

[Tony McC]

You can use a signal generator to transmit a signal along gas, lecky or other plastic pipes. I can't recall what it is that makes it different to generating signals along 'other' services: maybe it's a low frequency signal.

[danensis]

This is a reminder of the Dial Before You Dig service.

Dial Before You Dig, is a free service. It is available to any licensed person who intends to dig in the public footpath or road. Usually this is to provide a service for gas, water, cable TV etc.

To reduce the risk of damage a BT Plant Protection engineer will call and mark the ground with coloured paint, to show where the BT cables are.

Licensed people intending to dig and wanting to contact Dial Before You Dig, to avoid damaging BT underground cables, can:

Ring 0800 917 3993 (Mon–Fri 08:00-17:00).
Outside of these times a recording gives detailed instructions.
Email DBYD@BT.COM

[Mercedes]

I had a little man that dug up the gas mains, cost me a few hundred quid to sort it out..and that was a good few years back. As far as 1/2 the estate, it wasnt me honist.