What is PAS128
Publicly Acquired Specification PAS128 is a standard developed with aims to better understand the quality of information on any given utility drawing.
The way we see it – it is nothing but a language. A slightly twisted language from what it should be. Overcomplicated and overambitious. Written most likely by someone who never used CAT & GENNY in their life time. IT is important to know – because something is called a standard it does not mean it is decent.
Is it great – Problems with PAS128
PAS128 was developed based on American and Australian standards. Except it was over designed without actually understanding what was the aim of this project. And without speaking to Australian and American.
There are number of problems which are broadly admitted by the Industry.
These are just some of them:
- It is believed by those with lesser understanding that Class B drawings are that every line in the picture was located / traced. It is simply not possible to get this far with equipment we have at our disposal.
- B4 Class (Unknown) should never change to B Class from D Level. But because of the point before it had to be „invented”! This poses a grave danger to many people in the industry. And we mean grave as fatalities will occur as a result of this Standard.
- Asking for B1 level survey – lets be honest – which utility survey company does it? And can every line ever be confirmed to B1 level on every drawing with application of every method and reasonable amount of money to pay for it?
- The frequency of dotting lines on the ground when locating – this should depend of the 2D shape of each string as opposed to having every string sliced at 0.5m (total absurd) or 10m. This should be down to a common sense as oppose to the standard dictating the frequency of searching. Every line is different and it requires different approach.
How to rectify it?
The first thing to do is to SIMPLIFY IT!
And the way to do it is to take the original PAS128 apart and retain only the „common sense” components. This can be done without touching the current PAS128 text and this web will show you how to do it.
We’ll show you how to transform your PTD System in line with PAS128 and yet we will make it as simple as it can be. This web site is designed to help the smallest of the smallest businesses as well as the most complex project including HS2. And there is never too late to implement changes.
The rectification will be in line with the standards set by the Australian – NSW – Highway Agency and the NSW NetworkRail. Why? – Because it has been tested and it works. For more than a decade with incredibly good results. Unlike PAS128.
Additionally – the systems proposed on this web site is not only to fix one layer of the problem but all of them. And depending on your organisation you will be able to select those elements applicable to your requirements.
Are we serious about Utilities? – Lets compare against Lift Plan
We have watched this industry to strike some 100k cables and pipes each year, injuring thousands of people and sadly still killing some. Not a lot has changed. Imagine if we were dropping loads when lifting as often as we strike services. We would all be in prison. So what has changed in terms of lifting? Everything. The whole attitude has changed. Why? – because there was someone who must have initiated this process and who had the power and will do do it.
So – What about excavations?
We go to meetings, investigate service strikes, read about case studies only to see that there is no difference. The same stories used to happen 3 decades ago and they still happen every day today.
So – what’s changed. Not a lot in terms of statistics…
The question is why? There are many answers. These are just some of them:
- Incompetence within companies H&S level and therefore reluctance to seek external help in order to „look good”. This seems to be a very serious problem – internal embedded culture within those who should pushing be pushing for a change. Why we say it – we have seen it at many Tier One level contractors. And this sets rather gruesome prospects for the future.
- We hate change
- Change means cost (allegedly)
- Taking chances
- We simply do not know how to do it including HSE and their awesome HSG-47. The fact that there is no monition in HSG47 anything onPAS128 is an example that the key body that should be setting the change doesn’t have the know-how and expertise on how to do it. Perhaps they never heard about PAS128…
- And there is nobody who can, who has the power and who has the silver bullet to do it – simply – all three have to be forged together to initiate this change.
All we can provide on this web site is the Silver Bullet. And all we can do now is to hope that one day we can transform this industry with implementation of common sense and simplified PAS128 language in order to communicate, to save lives, to save money and time.
We are now waiting for someone with power and will to initiate this change.