Course Genie
Utilities

EUSR CAT 1 & 2

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Pick a date that suits your team

EUSR CAT 1 & 2 is run on demand — tell us when you'd like to attend and where, and we'll arrange a date and venue that works for you. Single delegates and group bookings both welcome.

UK-wide venues + online Group discounts available

Overview

The EUSR CAT 1 and 2 course combines the two core safe digging qualifications for people who break ground near buried services. Category 1 covers the operative level: locating and avoiding underground utilities before and during excavation. Category 2 adds the supervisory level for those who plan and oversee the work, including safe systems of work, permits and the supervision of excavation teams.

Striking a buried electricity cable or gas main is one of the most serious incidents in utilities and groundworks, and HSE guidance HSG47, Avoiding Danger from Underground Services, sets the standard the course teaches: plan the work, obtain and read utility plans, locate services with detection equipment, and dig safely around them. Delegates practise with cable avoidance tools, and the course pairs naturally with our dedicated CAT and Genny course for the detection equipment itself and the Cat 1 location course for operative-only teams.

On passing you are registered with EUSR, the Energy and Utility Skills Register, which utility networks and their contractors check before allowing work on their assets. Teams working on the networks also hold the SHEA safety passports for their sector: SHEA Gas, SHEA Power or SHEA Telecom. Browse the full range under utilities training.

Who this course is for

  • Groundworkers and excavation operatives breaking ground near services
  • Gangers and supervisors planning and overseeing excavation work
  • Utility contractors working on gas, power, water and telecom networks
  • Civils and highways teams working in the public highway
  • Machine operators digging around live services
  • Anyone whose employer or network client requires EUSR safe digging registration

Requirements

  • No formal entry qualifications
  • Category 2 suits those with supervisory duties or experience
  • A reasonable level of spoken and written English
  • Photo ID for registration on the day

What you'll achieve

  • EUSR registration for Category 1 and Category 2 on passing
  • Competence in locating and avoiding underground services to HSG47
  • The ability to read utility plans and use detection equipment properly
  • Supervisory knowledge of safe systems of work for excavation
  • Evidence of safe digging competence for network clients and contractors
  • A foundation for the SHEA safety passports for your sector

Syllabus

Why services get struck
Incident causes, consequences and the legal duties around buried services.
HSG47 in practice
Plan, locate, dig: the HSE approach to avoiding danger from underground services.
Utility plans
Obtaining, reading and interpreting plans from asset owners.
Detection equipment
Using cable avoidance tools and signal generators to trace services.
Safe excavation
Trial holes, safe digging practice and working around exposed services.
Supervision (Category 2)
Safe systems of work, permits and supervising excavation teams.

EUSR CAT 1 & 2 FAQs

Category 1 is the operative qualification: locating and avoiding underground services when you dig. Category 2 is the supervisory level, adding the planning, permits and oversight of excavation work. This course covers both.
Employers and network clients expect anyone breaking ground to be trained to HSG47, and EUSR registration is the standard way to evidence it in the utilities sector. Most utility contractors will not let untrained operatives excavate near services.
EUSR is the Energy and Utility Skills Register, the national skills register for the utilities sector. On passing, your qualification is recorded on EUSR, where clients and contractors verify your training before you work on their networks.
They overlap but focus differently. This course covers the whole safe digging discipline including supervision; the <a href="/courses/eusr-cat-and-genny/">CAT and Genny course</a> concentrates on using the detection equipment itself. Many teams take both.
Delivery varies by provider and group, typically around a day for the combined categories. We confirm exact timings when you book or enquire.
If you work on a utility network you will usually also need the SHEA safety passport for that sector, such as <a href="/courses/eusr-shea-gas/">SHEA Gas</a> or <a href="/courses/eusr-shea-power/">SHEA Power</a>. Safe digging and SHEA cover different ground, and network clients commonly require both.
Prices for the EUSR CAT 1 and 2 course vary by location, group size and whether you book a public date or an in-company course. Where live dates are shown at the top of this page, the price against each date is the full cost of a place. Otherwise send an enquiry from this page and we will come back within one working day with options and pricing.
Yes. The CAT 1 and 2 course works well delivered to a whole team at once, on site or at a venue near you, and in-company delivery is often the cheapest way to train several people. Request a quote through our <a href="/for-employers/">employer booking page</a>, with purchase order support included.
The course runs on demand as well as on any public dates shown at the top of this page. Send an enquiry with your preferred timing and location and we will confirm available options within one working day.

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