Cat And Genny Training in Evesham

CAT & Genny training for Evesham businesses

If your employees are involved in excavation, groundworks, drainage, utilities or other work that disturbs the ground, they need to understand how to check for buried services before work starts.

Vally Plant Training provides CAT & Genny training in Evesham for employers wanting practical cable avoidance training for their workforce. We can deliver the course at your own suitable site, helping businesses train several employees together without sending the whole team away.

This is particularly useful for Evesham groundworks contractors, civil engineering companies, drainage teams, utilities contractors, agricultural businesses and construction companies carrying out work across the Vale of Evesham and Worcestershire.

Individuals and smaller companies can also attend our nearby training centre in Tewkesbury.

If you are organising several types of workforce training, you can view our full range of plant training courses or learn more about NPORS plant operator training with Vally Plant Training.

Which CAT & Genny course do I need?

There are two CAT & Genny training routes available through Vally Plant Training: Novice Training and Refresher Training.

There is no Experienced Worker Test route for CAT & Genny.

Novice CAT & Genny training

The novice course is suitable for candidates who are new to using cable avoidance equipment or who do not have suitable recognised previous CAT & Genny training.

Training starts with the fundamentals of underground service locating before progressing to practical use of the Cable Avoidance Tool and Signal Generator.

Candidates learn how to carry out equipment checks, conduct a systematic survey, understand different locating modes, interpret signals and recognise the limitations of cable locating equipment.

Previous experience in construction, groundworks or excavator operation does not automatically make someone eligible for refresher training if they have never completed recognised CAT & Genny training.

Candidates new to formal operator training may also find our NPORS Novice Training Guide useful when looking at other plant training categories.

Refresher CAT & Genny training

The refresher course is intended for candidates who have already completed suitable recognised CAT & Genny or cable avoidance training and need to renew or update their knowledge.

This could include an operator with an expired CAT & Genny certificate or somebody who has previously completed suitable accredited cable avoidance training through another recognised awarding body.

If you are unsure whether previous certification qualifies someone for refresher training, speak to Vally Plant Training before booking.

Our NPORS Refresher Training Guide also explains how refresher training works across other eligible NPORS categories.

What about experienced plant operators?

An experienced excavator operator, groundworker or utilities worker may have years of site experience but still require novice CAT & Genny training if they have never completed recognised cable avoidance training.

CAT & Genny is different from many plant categories because there is no Experienced Worker Test route for this course.

For other plant categories, experienced operators may be able to demonstrate existing competence through assessment rather than completing novice training. Our NPORS Experienced Worker Test Guide explains which type of operator the EWT route is intended for.

For a broader explanation of cards, training routes and assessments, visit our Complete NPORS Guide.

What is CAT & Genny training?

CAT & Genny training teaches candidates how to use cable avoidance equipment as part of the process of locating underground services before excavation or other ground disturbance.

CAT stands for Cable Avoidance Tool.

The equipment may also be referred to as a:

• CAT scanner
• Cable detector
• Cable locator
• Underground service locator
• Utility locator
• Service detector

The Genny, or Signal Generator, works alongside compatible locating equipment and can be used to apply a detectable signal to suitable services.

Formal cable avoidance training is important because using a CAT is not simply a matter of switching the locator on and walking across the proposed excavation area.

Operators need to understand what the equipment can detect, how the different modes work, why systematic searching matters and, importantly, what the equipment cannot tell them.

Full national course information is available on our main CAT & Genny Training Course page.

Who should attend CAT & Genny training?

The course is suitable for employees whose work involves excavation, breaking ground or locating services before work begins.

This can include:

• Groundworkers
• Excavator operators
• Drainage operatives
• Utilities workers
• Civil engineering teams
• Highway workers
• Site supervisors
• Construction workers
• Agricultural contractors
• Landscapers
• Maintenance teams
• Employees involved in permit-to-dig systems

Around Evesham and the Vale, underground service locating can be relevant on everything from housing developments and commercial sites to agricultural yards, drainage work, irrigation projects, service connections and redevelopment schemes.

What will you learn on a CAT & Genny course?

The course combines theory with practical use of cable avoidance equipment.

Candidates can cover:

• Underground service hazards
• CAT and Genny pre-use checks
• Correct cable locator operation
• Systematic search techniques
• Power mode
• Radio mode
• Generator mode
• Signal Generator operation
• Applying and tracing signals
• Interpreting locator responses
• Marking suspected services
• Utility plans and service drawings
• Physical indications of underground services
• Limitations of locating equipment
• Re-scanning as work progresses
• Safe excavation awareness
• Equipment care and storage

The aim is not simply to teach somebody how to operate a CAT scanner. Candidates need to understand how the information produced by the equipment fits into a wider safe system of work.

HSG47 and avoiding underground service strikes

HSE guidance HSG47 – Avoiding Danger from Underground Services describes three basic elements of a safe system of work: planning the work, locating and identifying buried services, and safe excavation.

CAT & Genny equipment sits within that wider process.

A cable locator doesn’t replace service drawings, risk assessment, planning or safe digging practices. Likewise, finding and marking a suspected service doesn’t mean the excavation can then proceed without appropriate precautions.

Our Working Near Underground Services Guide explains the wider process of preparing for work around buried utilities.

Understanding CAT scanner modes

One of the reasons formal training matters is that a Cable Avoidance Tool can operate using different locating modes.

Candidates need to understand why relying on only one mode can give an incomplete picture of what may be underground.

The course covers the appropriate use of Power, Radio and Generator modes, together with systematic search techniques and interpretation of the responses produced by the equipment.

Workers also need to recognise that the absence of a signal does not prove that an excavation area is free from buried services.

Why use a Genny with a CAT?

The Genny is a Signal Generator used alongside compatible locating equipment.

It can apply a detectable signal to a suitable service, allowing the CAT operator to locate and trace that signal.

This can provide additional information compared with relying only on passive signals already present in the ground.

Knowing when and how to use the Genny is therefore an important part of practical cable avoidance training.

Underground service plans and CAT scanning

Service plans can provide valuable information about utilities expected within a work area, but the information shown on drawings needs to be considered alongside what is found on site.

A CAT & Genny survey can help locate and trace services, but neither the drawing nor the locator should be considered in isolation.

Where scan results, physical site features and available service information do not agree, the discrepancy needs to be addressed before excavation proceeds.

CAT & Genny training for excavator operators

Excavator operators frequently work in areas containing buried services, particularly during drainage, trenching, foundations and utility work.

Holding an excavator qualification does not automatically demonstrate competence to carry out underground service locating.

Likewise, completing CAT & Genny training does not qualify someone to operate an excavator.

Evesham employers requiring both competencies can combine workforce planning with our 360 Excavator Training Course and other relevant plant courses.

Cable avoidance for drainage, utilities and groundworks

Drainage and utility projects frequently involve excavation in areas where existing services already cross the proposed work.

The location of those services can affect where a trench is excavated, how work is approached and what additional precautions may be required.

CAT & Genny training is therefore particularly relevant to Evesham businesses carrying out:

• Drainage installation
• Utility connections
• Service repairs
• Duct installation
• Groundworks
• Foundation excavation
• Highway work
• Commercial developments
• Housing projects
• Agricultural groundworks

For teams moving excavated material around site, we also provide Forward Tipping Dumper Training, while employers with material-handling requirements can view our Telehandler Training Course.

Underground services on agricultural and rural sites around Evesham

Evesham and the surrounding Vale have a strong agricultural and rural working environment alongside residential and commercial development.

Ground disturbance on farms, yards and rural sites can involve drainage, irrigation, new buildings, fencing, access routes, electrical supplies, water services and other buried infrastructure.

The fact that a site is rural does not mean underground services will be absent.

Old services may also follow routes that are not immediately obvious from what can be seen above ground.

For agricultural contractors and businesses undertaking excavation, CAT & Genny training can form an important part of preparing employees to locate services before work begins.

CAT & Genny training and safe excavation

Locating and marking a buried service is not the end of the process.

The information obtained needs to be communicated to those carrying out and supervising the excavation.

Excavation methods should then reflect the hazards identified, the expected position of services and any uncertainty that remains.

Where appropriate, careful excavation, trial holes and continued checks can help confirm the actual position of buried infrastructure.

A CAT scan should never be treated as proof that an area is completely clear.

Training several employees together

For employers, one of the main advantages of on-site CAT & Genny training is the ability to train several members of the workforce together.

The course can accommodate up to six candidates, making it suitable for businesses that need groundworkers, excavator operators, supervisors or utilities employees working to the same standard.

Training a team together can also make it easier to discuss how underground service locating fits into the company’s own working procedures.

Businesses planning several different operator courses can browse our full range of NPORS training courses.

On-site CAT & Genny training in Evesham

Vally Plant Training can deliver on-site CAT & Genny courses in Evesham and across the surrounding Worcestershire area.

This is particularly suitable for employers wanting to train a group of employees together.

Areas covered can include:

Evesham • Pershore • Badsey • Broadway • Honeybourne • Offenham • Bretforton • Wickhamford • Fladbury • the Vale of Evesham and surrounding Worcestershire areas.

On-site delivery allows candidates to complete their cable avoidance training without travelling to our centre and can reduce disruption where several members of the same workforce require certification.

CAT & Genny training near Evesham at our Tewkesbury centre

Individuals and businesses that don’t have suitable facilities for workplace training can attend our dedicated training centre at Newton Farm Business Park, Ashchurch, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 7BE.

The centre is conveniently located close to M5 Junction 9, making it easily accessible from Evesham and the Vale.

Ashchurch for Tewkesbury railway station is approximately five minutes’ walk away, and parking is available at the centre.

Centre-based CAT & Genny training is particularly useful for individual candidates, smaller companies and employers with only one or two people requiring the course.

On-site training requirements

For workplace delivery, the customer site must provide a suitable and safe environment for the theory and practical elements of the course.

Requirements can include:

• Suitable CAT & Genny equipment
• Equipment in safe working condition
• Manufacturer information where required
• Safe practical training area
• Appropriate underground service locating opportunities
• Relevant service information or plans where available
• Risk assessments
• Method statements where applicable
• Suitable welfare facilities
• Candidate photo identification
• Appropriate PPE

We can confirm the requirements with you before the training date.

Employers can also review our Customer Site Requirements for Plant Operator Training before arranging on-site training.

CAT & Genny training prices

CAT & Genny training at our Tewkesbury centre is available from £280 + VAT per person.

The relevant NPORS card and registration fee is additional where required.

Published centre prices apply to courses undertaken at our Tewkesbury training centre.

On-site CAT & Genny training in Evesham is quoted separately because the price can depend on the number of candidates, travel time and distance, training requirements and equipment available.

Discounts may be available for multiple candidates and businesses booking several courses.

For current national course information and centre pricing, visit our CAT & Genny Training Course page.

NPORS and in-house CAT & Genny certification

Vally Plant Training can provide different certification options depending on the requirements of the employer and workplace.

NPORS CAT & Genny training

NPORS training is suitable where recognised third-party certification is required.

Vally Plant Training is an NPORS Approved Training Provider, delivering NPORS training for businesses and individual operators across a wide range of plant and workplace categories.

In-house CAT & Genny training

In-house certification may be suitable where an employer needs documented evidence of training and assessment for employees working within its own operations.

An in-house certificate is not the same as an NPORS Operator Card.

Employers should check acceptance with their client, principal contractor, site or insurer where appropriate before choosing this option.

Our In-House Training vs NPORS Training Guide explains the differences in more detail.

CAT & Genny assessment and certification

Candidates complete the appropriate theory and practical assessment covering the knowledge and skills taught during the course.

Assessment can include:

• Equipment checks
• Correct CAT operation
• Selection and use of locating modes
• Genny operation
• Systematic searching
• Interpretation of indications
• Understanding equipment limitations
• Safe working procedures

Successful candidates receive the appropriate certification for the training route completed.

Employers trying to understand the wider NPORS system can also read our Complete NPORS Guide or browse our Plant Operator Guides.

CITB funding for Evesham employers

Vally Plant Training is a CITB Training Provider Network Member.

Eligible CITB-registered employers may be able to access funding towards qualifying training, subject to current CITB eligibility and funding requirements.

If your business is CITB registered, tell us when requesting your training quotation.

Why choose Vally Plant Training?

Vally Plant Training has been delivering plant and operator training since 2014.

For Evesham employers, we provide the flexibility of arranging training at a suitable workplace or sending candidates to our nearby Tewkesbury training centre.

Businesses can also combine CAT & Genny requirements with other training such as 360 Excavator Training, Dumper Training, Telehandler Training and other plant training courses.

You deal directly with Vally Plant Training rather than a training broker, making it easier to discuss candidate numbers, training routes, workplace requirements and dates with the team actually providing the training.