Caution underground services sign

This Caution Underground Services Sign provides a clear and highly visible warning that underground services may be present beneath or close to the identified area. The sign helps alert workers, contractors, plant operators and other site personnel before excavation, drilling or other ground disturbing work is carried out.

Underground services can include electricity cables, gas pipes, water mains, drainage systems, telecommunications cables, data services and other buried utilities. Damaging these services can result in serious injury, disruption, property damage and potentially dangerous incidents.The prominent Caution heading attracts attention, while the Underground Services message clearly identifies the potential hazard beneath the ground.

This sign is suitable for construction sites, industrial premises, factories, warehouses, commercial properties, utilities sites, car parks, highways works, maintenance areas and other locations where buried services are known or suspected to be present. It can be positioned on walls, fences, posts, barriers or other suitable surfaces close to the route or location of underground utilities.

The sign is particularly useful in areas where excavation, trenching, drilling, piling, landscaping, fencing or other groundworks may take place. Excavators, breakers, augers and other powered equipment can damage buried services rapidly if their position has not been properly established before work begins.

Hand tools can also damage underground services. Appropriate precautions are therefore required regardless of whether excavation is being carried out manually or using mechanical plant. Contact with buried electrical cables can cause electric shock, burns, fire or other serious injuries. Damage to gas pipes may release flammable gas and create a risk of fire or explosion. Damage to water, drainage, telecommunications and other services can cause flooding, contamination, loss of essential services and significant disruption to the surrounding site or community.

A Caution Underground Services Sign provides a useful visual reminder that buried utilities may be present, but the sign should not be relied upon to identify their precise location or depth. Before excavation or other intrusive groundworks begin, available service plans and other relevant information should be obtained and reviewed as part of the planning process.

Suitable locating equipment and safe digging techniques should be used where appropriate to help establish the position of underground services before work proceeds. The actual position and depth of buried services may differ from drawings or previous records. Services can also change direction, and additional or undocumented utilities may be present.

Workers should therefore follow the site specific safe system of work and should not assume that an area is clear simply because a service is not shown on a plan. Where underground services have been identified, their routes may be marked or otherwise indicated using appropriate site procedures to help workers recognise areas requiring additional care.

This sign can be used alongside Danger Electric Cable Below, Gas Main Below, Water Main Below, Do Not Dig and other specific underground service warning signs where the particular service is known. Where several types of utility are present, additional identification signs can help provide more detailed information about the individual hazards.

Contractors and plant operators should be informed about known underground services before starting work and should understand the precautions required for the task being undertaken. Where a permit to dig or permit to work system is used, the sign can support the wider control arrangements by providing a permanent or temporary visual warning at the location.

Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive on avoiding danger from underground services emphasises planning the work, locating and identifying buried services and using safe excavation practices. The exact controls required will depend on the site and work activity. The sign should be installed in a prominent position where it remains clearly visible to people approaching the affected area. Where work progresses or site layouts change, the position and continued relevance of the signage should be reviewed.

This Caution Underground Services Sign supports safer groundworks but should complement rather than replace service plans, locating equipment, risk assessment, permit systems, competent supervision and appropriate safe digging procedures.

Manufactured from durable, high quality materials with clear print and excellent visibility, this Caution Underground Services Sign provides a professional and long lasting solution for warning workers and contractors about buried cables, pipes and other underground services.

Materials available for this product

Self Adhesive Vinyl Sticker

Description:

A self adhesive vinyl plus other stuff in here too

Thickness:

95 micron

Fixing Options:

Self Adhesive

1mm Rigid

Description:

1mm Rigid PVC plastic full descritption

Thickness:

900 micron

Fixing Options:

Can be screwed or glued

3mm Foamex

Description:

3mm Foamex Plastic full descrioption in here

Thickness:

3mm

Fixing Options:

Can be screwed or glued

*indicates your currently selected material