Templates / Permit to Dig
Permit to Dig
No ground is broken until services are located: utility drawings, CAT and Genny scan record, marked services, hand-dig zones and excavation controls. The US version includes the daily competent-person inspection log.
Download the template
The PDF is free once you have an account. The editable Word file is included too, so you can adapt and issue it under your own document control.
Every template is a starting point, not a finished document. Replace the headings and fields with your own project detail before you issue it.
Permit to dig.
Why you need it on the job
Striking a buried cable or a gas main is one of the quickest ways to kill someone on a groundworks job. The permit forces the drawings, the scan and the marking to happen in the right order, and it records exactly who authorised the dig and on what basis.
How it links to the standards
The equipment and controls this template asks you to record are governed by published standards that define what each item must withstand and how it is tested. These are the ones that apply most directly:
- EN 397 — industrial safety helmets
- EN ISO 20471 — high-visibility clothing
- EN ISO 20345 — safety footwear
The full EN standards library covers every standard referenced across SafetyOrbit.
Related guidance
Filling the template in is easier when you know the reasoning behind each control. These notes cover the practical detail:
- Energy and Networks — the full technique-note library for this kind of work
- Underground Cable Strikes: Locating and Avoiding Buried Services
Related guidance
The technique notes behind this document, from Construction & Demolition:
Related guidance
The technique notes behind this document, from Road & Highway Works:
Frequently asked questions
What has to happen before the permit is issued?
Utility drawings obtained, a CAT and Genny scan completed and recorded, services marked on the ground, and hand-dig zones agreed around anything found.
How close to a marked service can a machine dig?
Work up to the agreed hand-dig zone only. Inside that zone the ground is opened by hand until the service is exposed and confirmed.