Underground Services VR Training: Plans, Cable Locators and Safe Digging (CDM 2015 and HSG47)
VR scenario on avoiding underground cable and gas pipe strikes: service plans, CAT and Genny scanning, marking, trial holes and safe digging practice from HSE HSG47.
QUICK ANSWER
Regulation 25 of CDM 2015 requires energy distribution installations, including buried cables and pipes, to be located, checked and clearly indicated where necessary to prevent danger. HSE guidance HSG47 sets the method: plans, locating devices and safe digging. A VR scenario tests the whole sequence before a groundworker touches a breaker.
What the Rule Requires
CDM 2015, regulation 25, with HSE guidance HSG47: where necessary to prevent danger, energy distribution installations must be suitably located, checked and clearly indicated. HSE guidance HSG47, Avoiding danger from underground services, sets out a safe system of work built on planning, using service plans, detecting services with locating devices and using safe excavation practices such as hand digging near services.
The scenario is a footpath excavation for a new street light. The service plans show a low voltage cable, but the cable avoidance tool also picks up an unmarked signal, the marking paint has been washed off by a road sweeper and a gang member wants to use a breaker to get through the concrete quickly.
Hazards in This Scenario
- Electric shock and burns from cable strikes
- Gas pipe damage and leaks
- Unmarked or misplotted services
- Mechanical tools near services
The Procedure the Scenario Rehearses
- Get and read the service plans
- Scan the area with a locator before and during work
- Mark the services and refresh marks
- Dig trial holes by hand near services
- Use insulated tools and keep the breaker away from marked runs
- Stop and report any unexpected service
Mistakes the Scenario Is Built to Catch
- Trusting the plans alone
- Scanning once and never again
- Breaking out over a marked cable
- Carrying on after hitting something
Competence Assessment Matrix
| Decision point | What the assessor sees | Pass standard |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Plans obtained and read | Read before work |
| Scanning | Unmarked signal found | Found and marked |
| Digging | Method near services | Hand dig, no breaker |
| Unexpected service | Response | Stops and reports |
What VR Covers
- Hidden services that do not match plans
- Locator practice
- Strike consequences without risk
- Records per groundworker
What VR Does Not Replace
- Locator training on your equipment
- Real permit to dig procedures
- Utility company liaison
Scope of a One-Scenario Pilot
A pilot builds this scenario as a single module, in Unity or Unreal Engine depending on the visual fidelity the task needs and the headsets on site. It runs on standalone headsets, logs every learner decision, and exports a per-person record for your training file. It is measured against your current method with a test cohort before anything is scaled.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HSG47?
HSE guidance on avoiding danger from underground services.
Are service plans enough?
No. Plans can be inaccurate. Locators and safe digging are also needed.
Can VR replace locator training?
No. It trains decisions. Practical locator use still needs hands-on time.
Want this scenario built around your site?
We review your current procedure and tell you which parts can be rehearsed in VR and which still need hands-on practice.
Scope One ScenarioFurther reading
- Work at Height VR Training for UK Construction Sites (Work at Height Regulations 2005)
- Scaffold Inspection VR Training: 7-Day Checks and Reports (Work at Height Regulations, Regulation 12)
- Ladder and Stepladder VR Training for UK Sites (Work at Height Regulations, Schedule 6)
- MEWP VR Training: Scissor and Boom Lift Operation, Entrapment and Rescue (PUWER and LOLER)
- Heavy equipment operator safety guide
- All VR training scenarios: United Kingdom
- VR pilot readiness checklist
- How VR training programs are priced