Eurovia and Ringway | Implementing Safe Dig areas

A new approach to training is being introduced by Eurovia and Ringway as part of the companies’ commitment to continually improve Health, Safety and Environmental (HS&E) performance.

The new strategy, Safe Dig Training, has been designed to reduce underground service strikes, which can occur when the ground is disturbed through works preparations, erecting site signage and repaving or resurfacing work. Deeper excavations can carry the risk of injury or loss of life.

The safe dig areas have been built in strategic depot locations across England and will be used as part of the new training to assess competency following a service strike. The training will be carried out by one of three in-house trainers as part of a one-day course, which includes an assessment of operatives carrying out safe digging activities.

With such a wide range of highways maintenance and construction activities requiring excavation works to varying degrees, underground service strike rates need to be significantly reduced. The new strategy is intended to replicate the conditions that could be encountered on site.

In practice, this new approach to training will better equip company employees faced with often challenging site conditions. The implementation of safe dig areas is expected to result in less service strikes when carrying out any excavations on the highway network.

Dave Campbell, Eurovia HS&E Director said: “By providing this vital training to all of our operatives who undertake this type of work, our aim is to adopt improved safe digging practice across the whole business. The safe dig areas are starting to appear in the divisions and are expected to make a noticeable difference on the number of service strikes going forward.”