Safety Coordination Services

This is a classroom-based 1-day Global Training-certified course in ground disturbance. It is available at SCS every week. SCS partners with Global Training to make sure we can bring you this supervisor-level ground disturbance training, which is a gold-standard ground disturbance course recognized by industry regulators.

This course is right for you if you need to supervise a ground disturbance such as excavations, earth-moving, or the maintenance of underground facilities, perform a ground disturbance on your own, or issue and receive GD permits. It will teach you the regulations and requirements for safe ground disturbance practices from pre-planning to the actual dig.

Student Feedback

“Detailed info, good pace.”

“Enough real world examples to provide a good understanding of content.”

“Very interactive and thorough, throughout the entire course.”

Course Content

“Call before you dig” is only a small part of what you need to know in ground disturbance training. At SCS, we partner with Global Training to help ensure that if you are a worker engaged in excavations, earth-moving, or the maintenance of underground facilities, you learn the unique dangers that come with those ground disturbance tasks. Whether working by hand, hydrovac, or powered earth-mover, you need to understand the hazards of disturbing underground facilities and what to do to prevent incidents. This course has the theory and exercises to teach you the information and skills you will need.

Course topics include the following:

– Legislation and due diligence
– Types of ground disturbances
– “Call before you dig” guidelines for safe excavations
– Soil terminology/classifications
– Hazard assessment and control techniques
– Overhead power lines and safe limits of approach
– Confined space entry and codes of practice
– Shoring systems

You will learn what laws affect ground disturbance both specifically and generally, and what responsibilities exist under the law for workers, supervisors, employers, and property owners in worksites involving disturbing the ground. This will include what legislation and industry practices affect the entry of confined spaces, and what industry codes of practice may also be binding. You also cover a discussion of the different types of ground disturbance classifications and their associated hazards.

You will review how to use the “call before you dig” systems and ensure the safety of workers prior to excavation.

You will learn how to use hazard assessment techniques, and how to control the hazards encountered after the assessment, to protect the worksite and workers. This will also cover the safe limits of approach for overhead power lines, which vary by voltage and current and require careful adherence to avoid electrical discharge.

You’ll find out how to use shoring systems to secure the banks of excavations or tunnels. It will also include how to classify soil types and best practices in adjusting shoring grades to match the appropriate soil condition.

Prerequisites and PPE

You don’t need to complete any other courses or have any prior experience to enroll in this course. You also don’t need to bring along any personal protective equipment (PPE).

Note: All courses require you to have government-issued photo ID.