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Cable Avoidance Tool & Signal Generator

CAT & Genny Training

Stop the strike before it happens.

Half day (approx. 4 hours) Up to 12 delegates From £95 per delegate On-site from £650 per group
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What this course is

Striking a live cable is one of the fastest ways a good day on site turns into a life-changing injury, a HSE investigation and a stopped job. This course puts a CAT and Genny in your team's hands and teaches them to use it properly — not just switch it on and wave it about.

HSG47 expects safe digging practice built on plans, locators and safe dig techniques together. Most near misses we see on site come from people who were issued a locator but never properly shown how to sweep, how to signal-trace, or why the tool went quiet.

Who it is for

  • Groundworkers and excavation operatives
  • Utilities and street works teams
  • Site supervisors and gangers issuing permits to dig
  • Anyone breaking ground on a live site

What delegates will be able to do

  • Explain the risks of striking buried services and the legal framework around safe digging
  • Interpret utility drawings and understand their limitations
  • Set up and function-check a CAT and Genny before every use
  • Use Power, Radio and Genny modes correctly and know when each applies
  • Carry out a full, systematic sweep of a dig area and mark up findings
  • Apply direct connection, induction and sonde signal application methods
  • Understand safe digging techniques and trial hole practice under HSG47

Course content

Why services get struckReal incident case studies, consequences and cost — human, legal and commercial.
The legal and guidance frameworkHSE HSG47 Avoiding Danger from Underground Services, plus your duties under CDM.
Plans and recordsReading utility drawings, understanding what they do not tell you, and record accuracy.
The equipmentLocator and signal generator anatomy, daily checks, calibration and battery discipline.
Locating modesPower mode, Radio mode and Genny mode — strengths, blind spots and when to use each.
Signal applicationDirect connection, induction clamp and sonde tracing for ducts and drains.
Practical sweepHands-on scanning, pinpointing, depth estimation and marking out.
Safe diggingTrial holes, hand digging zones, insulated tools and what to do on a strike.

Assessment & certification

Assessment: Continuous practical observation plus a short written knowledge check.

Prerequisites: None. Delegates should have a basic working understanding of site environments.

Equipment: All locating equipment is provided. Delegates need suitable PPE for the practical element.

Straight answer on certification: our trainers are experienced construction professionals, courses are properly structured and assessed, and delegates receive a CRP Construction Academy certificate of training as an in-house record of competence for your training matrix. We are working towards recognised scheme accreditation — if a specific scheme card is a contract requirement for your site, tell us before booking and we will be straight with you about whether we are the right fit.

Common questions

Do you provide the CAT and Genny?

Yes. Equipment is provided for the practical session. If you want your team trained on your own kit, bring it along — we would rather they learn on the tools they will actually use.

Can you deliver this on our site?

Yes, and for CAT & Genny we would recommend it. Training on your live ground, with your services and your drawings, is worth far more than a classroom.

How long is the certificate valid?

We recommend refresher training every three years, or sooner if your working environment changes.

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Book CAT & Genny

Individual places on scheduled dates, or the whole gang trained on your site. Either way, it starts here.

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