Please wait while we prepare your workspace
Company brandingStandard+
Add your company logo and brand colours, and customise how your documents look. Available on our Standard and Pro plans.
See exactly how your document will look before downloading.
Ready to download
Register a free account to download your PDF. Your document stays right here.
Register to Download →No card required · instant access
Already have an account? Sign inNot saved
This document isn't stored anywhere yet. A free account keeps it on your dashboard.
An editable Word (.docx) version of your document.
PLEASE WAIT DO NOT CLOSE THIS PAGE
YOUR DOCUMENT IS BEING GENERATED
Once you've generated and saved your document, create a secure share link to distribute across any platform. Collect encrypted digital signatures from your team and generate professional sign-off reports.
Increased Limits Available
Utility Avoidance on National Highways Toolbox Talk: Preventing Utility Strikes in Highways Work
The Utility Avoidance on National Highways Toolbox Talk provides critical guidance on identifying, locating, and avoiding underground and overhead utilities during highways work. This document is developed in line with Raising the Bar 9 (RTB9) and follows UK safety regulations such as the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and HSE guidance on avoiding utility strikes. It helps businesses protect workers, infrastructure, and the public from potentially fatal incidents involving buried services.
Utility strikes pose significant risks to worker safety, project timelines, and public services. Damaging cables, pipes, or gas lines can result in electrical shocks, fires, explosions, or service disruptions, particularly on National Highways projects where complex utility networks are often present. This toolbox talk outlines essential safety procedures such as pre-work utility surveys, safe excavation practices, and the use of cable detection equipment to locate and protect underground services.
The document covers the importance of following the HSE’s HSG47 guidance (Avoiding Danger from Underground Services), which sets best practices for planning, locating, and working near utilities. Workers are trained to recognise common utility markers, understand the limitations of detection tools, and follow safe digging techniques like hand excavation within identified zones. In line with Raising the Bar 9, the toolbox talk also highlights the importance of updating utility records and communicating findings to all site personnel.
Simplifying Toolbox Talk Creation with Our Online Generator
Our online document generator makes it easy to create customised toolbox talks like this one. Simply enter your project-specific details, and generate a professional, compliant document in minutes. This streamlined process saves time, reduces errors, and ensures consistent safety communication across all sites.
Useful Resources and Links
Traffic Signs Manual – Chapter 8: Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual
Safety at Street Works and Road Works (The Red Book):
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-at-street-works-and-road-works
HSE Guidance on Avoiding Danger from Underground Services (HSG47):
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg47.htm
