Excavation spotters for buried power, gas, water and fibre.
Plans and locator marks tell you roughly where a service is. A spotter beside the trench watches for the warning tape, the sand bedding and the first sign of a cable or pipe, and stops the bucket before it bites.
Eyes on the bucket, every pass.
We check the Before You Dig Australia plans and locator marks with your crew, then stay with the excavation while it is near the services.
- Spotting during potholing, non-destructive digging and mechanical excavation near located services
- Pre-start review of BYDA plans, locator marks and the clearance your plan sets
- Watching for warning tape, bedding sand, cover slabs and unmarked services
- Stop work and notification when an unexpected service is found or contacted
Every service, exposed and recorded.
Records show what was found, where, and how deep, so the next crew does not have to guess.
- Services exposed, with type, depth and GPS location
- Unmarked or unexpected services and who was notified
- Plant spotted, operator, start and finish times
- Photographs of exposed services before backfill
How pricing works
Quotes are itemised by shift rate, travel, vehicle and equipment, and reporting. Shift rates cover the spotter. Locating and vacuum excavation are supplied by your locator or by the site.
Send the site location, the work program, the plant on site, your preferred dates and any permit or network operator conditions. We confirm scope, availability and price before work is booked.
What a spotter does, and does not do
A spotter has one job: watch the hazard and warn the operator or crew before anyone or anything gets too close. Our spotters do not operate plant, direct traffic as a licensed traffic controller, or take on other site tasks while they are spotting. That focus is what makes the control work.
Spotting supports, and never replaces, the higher order controls in your plan, such as isolation, de-energising, relocation or physical barriers arranged with the asset owner.
Tickets and competencies
Each shift is filled by personnel holding the tickets and competencies the task requires in that state, such as an endorsed spotter or safety observer course, general construction induction, first aid and CPR, and confined space, gas test or heights units where the work calls for them. Copies are supplied with the quote or before mobilisation on request.
Frequently asked questions
Do you locate services?
No. Locating is done by an accredited locator. We spot the excavation once the services are located and marked, and we check the marks against the plans before digging starts.
What happens if a service is hit?
Work stops, the area is made safe and kept clear, and the asset owner and site supervisor are notified straight away. Nobody touches a damaged cable or pipe. The event is recorded in full.
Can you spot for vacuum excavation crews?
Yes. Spotters work with vacuum and hydro excavation crews as well as conventional plant.