Raising the Bar in Buried Services Safety – 2025
Over the last few months, DWJ Harkin, a leading construction and civil engineering organisation located in Birmingham, has taken impressive steps to enhance its knowledge, strengthen management systems, and remain proactive in working safely around utilities. Their goal? To simply develop skills and lead the way!
As part of their ongoing efforts to streamline, update, and maintain standards when working around buried services, DWJ Harkin has partnered with PGL Midlands to implement a competency framework. This creates synergy across their teams and ensures a consistent approach to safe systems of work when managing utilities and buried services works. Not only does this enhance safety, but it also raises the level and standard of training their operators receive.
Several of their team members have successfully attended and upskilled in cable avoidance tool training and safe digging. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants returning to the workplace with a deeper understanding, greater confidence, and a stronger emphasis on following procedures while using the equipment to its full potential and working to safe digging protocols.
– PGL Trainer
Our trainer commented: “This group was genuinely eager to learn more about the subject and improve their personal skills in locating buried infrastructure and practicing safe digging during excavation. They will certainly return to the workplace with a higher level of skill and the confidence to implement methods more methodically. Particularly around the cable avoidance tool and signal generator, they weren’t fully aware of its true capabilities and limitations. However, they now have a variety of practical scanning methods they can use when searching for signals given off by cables and pipes.”
Proactive Steps by DWJ Harkin
The health & safety and contracts teams have also proactively stayed ahead of legal requirements, best practices, and industry guidance by completing the EUSR Supervision of Utilities Works – Construction Operations course. This course not only provides up-to-date safety and utilities management information but also gives them valuable oversight of the training their staff receive in cable avoidance and safe digging, all whilst upskilling themselves to monitor and support performance and permit requirements.
The team now has access to a range of useful documents, bespoke briefings, toolbox talks, and further information to support their safe system of work, setting a high standard for their 2025 objectives.
Commitment to Safety and Excellence
It’s inspiring to see a building and civil engineering contractor not only investing in their training but also taking meaningful steps to mitigate potential buried service challenges, reduce risks, and ensure smooth operations moving forward. Achieving an annual ‘no strikes’ target is definitely an excellent goal to strive for. It reflects a commitment to safety, efficiency, and long-term success in the industry.
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Want to Learn More?
If you’d like to learn more about our competency framework and how you too can work towards a ‘no strike’ target, feel free to reach out.
