The NRSWA Unit LA or our Cat and Genny training courses teach you how to find and locate underground cables. 600 people are injured every year due to underground cables being damaged during excavation work on the highway. Many more are often injured through causing damage to water and gas pipes, these damages often incur high repair charges and loss of work. Know how to locate what is below your feet before you start digging!
On receiving payment for your NRSWA Unit LA or Cat & Genny course, an email with your 'course joining instructions' is sent to you.
This documents includes the following details:
You will be learning on a live site during your course if you choose the NRSWA Unit LA course. Therefore, you will be required to wear protective clothing. Requirements vary by location, and some centres can be more accommodating but typically you are required to bring:
If you do not have access to any of this equipment/clothing please let us know, call or chat with our team and they will help.
You will be asked to provide photo ID on your course, such as a passport or driving license, please bring this with you.
NRSWA courses usually have a start time of between 8am and 8:30am and our PSS in-house training usually starts between 9 and 9:30am.
As this is an accredited and nationally recognised certification, there is a multiple-choice exam at the end of the course. Therefore, the awarding bodies have the following rules for supporting delegates on this course:
The delegate must be literate and be able to read and write in English – SQA Awarding Body
The delegate can have a reader this would be the trainer or a member of staff at the training school – City and Guilds Awarding Body
If you have any questions or concerns regarding support during the course, please contact our team.
Project Skills Solutions offer NRSWA Unit LA (Location and Avoidance) training, as well as our in-house Cat & Genny Training.
Essentially, you will receive the same training on both courses. However, the difference between them is that the NRSWA Unit LA is a nationally recognised qualification and on successful completion of this course you will be sent a NRSWA or 'Streetworks' card. Delegates who attend our in-house Cat & Genny Training, receive a Project Skills Solutions certificate which evidences that delegates are competent in using a Cat & Genny to locate underground services.
The course best for you may vary depending on the type of work you do, Contact a member of our team who will be happy to discuss your needs.
Cable avoidance training (cat and genny training) will teach you how to locate and avoid underground services, such as electricity and gas during excavation work.
The course will teach you how to avoid underground cables and pipes whilst excavating roads and pavements. The course covers the use of various cat and genny manufacturers' equipment e.g C Scope and Radiodetection, how to use the tool and its limits, and the techniques used to avoid danger from underground services. It is not only essential to the health and safety of operatives working on an excavation, it is also important for supervisors overseeing the work and making sure procedures are followed. Maintaining safe excavation practices is vital to prevent costly disruptions during construction and civil engineering projects.
When booking, look at the course name as this will tell you whether the course is going to gain you a NRSWA certificate (Unit LA) or whether you are booking our Project Skills Solutions in-house training course.
Do you have a group to train?
Let us tailor a course to your group and organisation, we can use your equipment so delegates get hands on experience with the equipment they will use on a day to day basis, include risk assessments from your organisation and you'll save money.Contact us to find out how we can provide bespoke training for you.
Please note the subjects covered may vary at different course sites
The NRSWA is an accredited certification, and therefore covers specific learning objectives set by HAUC UK (Highway Authorities & Utilities Committee).
The learning objectives covered on this course are:
Utility Services include:
Highways Services include:
Please download the course overview below, easy to print and email if you need to share course information with a manager or colleague. If you would like an overview sent to you, please fill out the form and it will be with you within a couple of working days.
Off of the A90 in Laurencekirk is the location of our Aberdeenshire training centre. It is close to local amenities as well as only a 10 minute walk from Laurencekirk train station.
In between the A1 and A189 north of Newcastle is where our Northumberland training centre is located. A great location for NRWSA courses, but only accessible by car.
This training centre is located on the outskirts of Bedworth, off of the M6 and A444. A great location for NRWSA courses, but only accessible by car.
Our Hampshire training venue is located East of Winchester off the A31. Accessible only by car but a great location for NRSWA courses.
Just North of the town of Bilsthorpe lies our Nottinghamshire training venue. It is a short drive to local amenities in the town from this location.
The first of two training centres in the Birmingham area, just a short walk from Olton train station and surrounded by local amenities for refreshments and lunch.
The second of two training centres in the Birmingham area in West Bromwich, connected to local bus routes and a short walk from Sandwell & Dudley train station, surrounded by local amenities for refreshments and lunch.
Our training centre in Brentwood, Essex offers a full range of NRSWA courses, located just off of the A127 and just a short drive from the M25.
Located just off of the M5 East of the village of Falfield is our Bristol venue. Accessible only by car but a great location for NRSWA courses. There is one Café located a short walk from the venue.
North of the village of Caldicot off of the M48 is our South Wales NRSWA training venue. It is a short drive to shops and local amenities for lunch in the town of Caldicot.
Our Chelmsford venue is off of the A12 towards to village of West Hanngingfield. Accessible only by car but a great location for NRSWA courses.
Next to the River Wylye in the village of Codford lies our Warminister training centre. Accessible only by car but a great location for NRSWA courses, a few cafes are in the area as is a small petrol station.
South of the town of Corby is where our Northampton training venue is located. It is a short drive from Corby train station and the town's local shops and supermarkets.
A short walk from Derby's Peartree train station is our NRSWA training venue. Close to shops and local amenities for lunch.
Our Doncaster training venue is off of the A631 West of the town of Gainsborough. Only a short drive from this town and its amenities.
North of Southampton airport off of the M3 in Colden Common is where our Hampshire NRSWA training venue is located. Accessible only by car but a great location for NRSWA courses.
Located off of the M8 on the route between Glasgow and Edinburgh, is the location of this training centre. Easily accessible from the M8 and other major routes.
Located off of the M8 right in the middle of the route between Glasgow and Edinburgh, is the location of the West Lothian training centre. Easily accessible from the M8 and other major routes.
Our NRSWA training centre in Farnham is South of the village of Fleet, lying in-between the M3 and A31.
Lying south of the town of Chatham off of the M2 is our Kent NRSWA venue. Accessible only by car but a great location for NRSWA courses.
Our training centre is based in Horsham, offer a full range of NRSWA units which are accredited by CABWI. The training centre is located just east of the A24 in Broadbridge Heath.
Off of the M25, Clacket Lane services is the location of our Kent NRSWA training centre. Accessible only by car but a great location for NRSWA courses.
This training venue is located on the outskirts of the town of Leyland, next to the M6.
Our training centre in Liverpool offers a full range of NRSWA training courses. Located in the middle of the M58, M62 and M6, it has great transfer links.
Our training centre is in Bury, Manchester. Close to local amenities and on local bus routes.
Our training centre in Jarrow, Newcastle offers NRSWA open courses, just a short journey (2.9 miles) from Fellgate station or (6.48 miles) from Heworth.
Our training centre in Nottingham offers a full range of NRSWA units. Located East off of the M1 before the M1 and A38 meet.
Further south than our other West Sussex venue, Pulborough is a 30 minute drive from the seaside town of Worthing.
Located off of the A13 and a short drive from the M25 in Rainham is the location of another of our Essex venues.
Our training centre in Somerset is based in Woolverton, just off of the A36, which is south of the city of Bath.
The second of two venues in Hampshire, this training location is north of the town of Tadley. A short drive will take you to the town's amenities and local services.
A short drive from the M1 or a 30 minute walk from Wakefield Kirkgate train station, is where our NRSWA training venue in Yorkshire is found. The venue is on the outskirts of city and easily accessible by car.
East of Northampton in Wellingborough is where this training centre is located. Accessible only by car but a great location for NRSWA courses.
Wickford is located between the A127 and A130, easily accessible from the M25 and other major routes in and around Essex.
Located on the outskirts of Reading in Wokingham, this NRSWA training venue is located where the M4 and A329(M) meet. This venue is easily accessibly by car from the surrounding towns and cities, including Slough, Maidenhead and Basingstoke.
You have to be 16 and over to attend an NRSWA course. If you are 16 or 17 you will need written consent from a parent or guardian to attend the course.
Yes we can get the trainer to tailor the course content to the specific needs of clients.
If you are not doing any excavating or reinstating in the footpath or road, but you need to sign off an area to work in. You might just need;
002 – Signing, lighting and guarding
This is a 1 or 2 day course (depending on your location and experience) which we run UK wide on a weekly basis. Dates and prices for this unit are on our website alternatively call us for locations and availability.
The NRSWA Operative course is practical, there is some theory and written work but this is a small portion of the course. If you have any concerns, you can call and speak to our team. If you have a learning difficulty this isn’t a problem we can let the trainer know before you attend and he can give you extra help if required.
The NRSWA certificates and card are valid for 5 years. Once your card has expired you will need to refresh your training with the Re-Assessment. We also run these courses UK wide, with courses running weekly.
Full courses themselves are 5 days long to attend in most locations, signing, lighting and guarding courses are usually 1 day.
If you have lost your street works card you will need to phone SCOTVEC for a replacement on 0845 2702720.
If you drop kerbs and you are excavating and then putting the kerbs back, you will need to complete the 5 day course which generally covers units 1-6+ 9. Units covered do vary at each location. These courses run UK wide with dates running weekly.
If you are not doing any of the actual excavating or reinstating yourself and are just needing to monitor/ supervise the operatives, you will require the NRSWA Supervisor training.
Course prices vary by location, click on your course page and search for your location to find the price in your area.
The majority of our courses include lunch, this is based on location however and some do not. Once you have booked your course, you will receive joining instructions with lunch information included.
If you have any dietary requirements please let us know so we can accommodate, if you would like to know if your course includes lunch before booking contact us and our training team will answer any questions you have.
The very nature of these workshops mean we need a minimum number of people for the course to run. This is both to make it financially viable as well as promoting a good environment for learning.
If for any reason we need to cancel we’ll do our best to give you plenty of notice and provide alternative options or a refund.
The PSS head office is in Basildon, Essex, but we have training centres/ locations UK wide.
You can speak to our team through the chat on our website or call us. Alternatively you can email us at [email protected]
Marvin is our quackers little duck, he is here to help.
Don’t forget ‘Don’t Duck Out of Training….’
All of our prices include all the certification and/or cards for the course, there are no added extras for any certificates.
The full address is available on our location page for each venue, at the bottom of the home page, you’ll find a list of venues.
If you can’t find the venue you need or would like to speak to the team they can help you and provide the course postcode to help you plan your journey.
You have to be 16 and over to attend an NRSWA course. If you are 16 or 17 you will need written consent from a parent or guardian to attend the course.
Yes we can get the trainer to tailor the course content to the specific needs of clients.
If you are not doing any excavating or reinstating in the footpath or road, but you need to sign off an area to work in. You might just need;
002 – Signing, lighting and guarding
This is a 1 or 2 day course (depending on your location and experience) which we run UK wide on a weekly basis. Dates and prices for this unit are on our website alternatively call us for locations and availability.
The NRSWA Operative course is practical, there is some theory and written work but this is a small portion of the course. If you have any concerns, you can call and speak to our team. If you have a learning difficulty this isn’t a problem we can let the trainer know before you attend and he can give you extra help if required.
The NRSWA certificates and card are valid for 5 years. Once your card has expired you will need to refresh your training with the Re-Assessment. We also run these courses UK wide, with courses running weekly.
Full courses themselves are 5 days long to attend in most locations, signing, lighting and guarding courses are usually 1 day.
If you have lost your street works card you will need to phone SCOTVEC for a replacement on 0845 2702720.
If you drop kerbs and you are excavating and then putting the kerbs back, you will need to complete the 5 day course which generally covers units 1-6+ 9. Units covered do vary at each location. These courses run UK wide with dates running weekly.
If you are not doing any of the actual excavating or reinstating yourself and are just needing to monitor/ supervise the operatives, you will require the NRSWA Supervisor training.
Course prices vary by location, click on your course page and search for your location to find the price in your area.
The majority of our courses include lunch, this is based on location however and some do not. Once you have booked your course, you will receive joining instructions with lunch information included.
If you have any dietary requirements please let us know so we can accommodate, if you would like to know if your course includes lunch before booking contact us and our training team will answer any questions you have.
The very nature of these workshops mean we need a minimum number of people for the course to run. This is both to make it financially viable as well as promoting a good environment for learning.
If for any reason we need to cancel we’ll do our best to give you plenty of notice and provide alternative options or a refund.
The PSS head office is in Basildon, Essex, but we have training centres/ locations UK wide.
You can speak to our team through the chat on our website or call us. Alternatively you can email us at [email protected]
Marvin is our quackers little duck, he is here to help.
Don’t forget ‘Don’t Duck Out of Training….’
All of our prices include all the certification and/or cards for the course, there are no added extras for any certificates.
The full address is available on our location page for each venue, at the bottom of the home page, you’ll find a list of venues.
If you can’t find the venue you need or would like to speak to the team they can help you and provide the course postcode to help you plan your journey.
Please download the course overview below, easy to print and email if you need to share course information with a manager or colleague. If you would like an overview sent to you, please fill out the form and it will be with you within a couple of working days.
Save time and money by training staff together on your site.
Training a group of your staff together allows us to tailor the course directly to your company and to your goals; we take care of everything and can fit training around your schedule.
Your staff can also learn in an environment that they will be operating in.
Chat with us online or call 0800 0213 263 to get a quote and see how much you could save.
Please download the course overview below, easy to print and email if you need to share course information with a manager or colleague. If you would like an overview sent to you, please fill out the form and it will be with you within a couple of working days.