British utility location surveyor

**spencer newson** · November 22nd, 2010, 07:59 AM

I have been asked to introduce my self as i have been a member now for a little while,(this feels like an AA meeting haa) well my name is Spencer, i am 39 years old, married with 3 handsome boys under 5 years old, i used to be a commercial construction Diver untill i broke my neck in a swimming pool on holiday about 14 years ago, since then i have remained in the construction sector but working on the roads, Tarmacing, kerb laying etc, very early on i got interested in underground services and how one goes about locating them. i joined a construction company who taut me how to use the cat and genny very basic skills back then, but i needed to know more so i went to radiodetection and took there Rd400 course which really helped to boost my confidence, well that was 13 years ago.
Since then i have completed a senior surveyors course in Utility location which covers Ground probing radar and Rd8000 equipment.
I now run the utility location dept for the company that i currantly work for and cover the whole of the south of England ,i teach employees on how to use correctly the Rd cat and genny and i also give presentations on the dangers of working near underground/overhead services, and have managed to bring the strike rate down of our company down by 50 %, which is very satisfing to have been able to achieve.
next year i will be hopefully starting my own company and start to build my empire fingers crossed.
things that i enjoy is Drawing, motor bikes(choppers), tattoo's, fishing, rock music, whiskey (lots of when i get the chance) and generally horsing about.
i have always been an Rd man from the 400,4000 and now 8000 and i use the Easy locator by Mala which in my mind is the best radar Kit out there and on occasion i even used divining rods which do help locating water mains in the fields or in the back of beyond.

It has been really great being able to read and sort of chat on this forum site as we do not have this over here i think, there has been some great technical issues being discussed and also very funny stories being told, being able to disscus technic's and solve problems with your counterparts is very usefull as well as have a good ole laugh.
so that's me done i surpose keep up the good work and i shall be looking forward to reading the threads and hopefully helping anyone out who needs it.
Peace out
Spencer

**Jcbro86** · November 22nd, 2010, 09:02 AM

man, i never even thought about locating in other countries before, its pretty cool that you use alot of the same equipment that we use in the states. congradulations on being so successful as a locator, i'm just 2 years in the field but i feel like in one way or another locating is going to be in my future career and your story is pretty inspiring.

good luck spencer with your future business, is it construction or just locating? either way i hope it makes you super rich : )

**UULC** · November 22nd, 2010, 10:29 AM

Spencer,

Welcome to the Vine!! Post often. Let us here in the US and Canada know how it is to locate in England. If you ever have a question ask and you will find that you will get several answers. Some can be as a rule of thumb and others will be very direct. We have a lot if very experianced locators on here.

**4Q2** · November 22nd, 2010, 01:58 PM

Nice, Great resume!
British cats like Spencer even write in proper English. See, maybe thats what I need is to do. Hang out with a couple of British cats for a while and lose some of the Jersey Raw. I can learn how to sling insults in proper English and the nonsense posters and negative feedback posters won't even know. hahahaahahaha..................

All kidding aside though, Spencer, I find this quote in your post interesting, tell me more:

"(I was able to) bring the strike rate down of our company down by 50 %, which is very satisfing to have been able to achieve."

How often do employees go on strike, there? Is it a company wide union strike or individual saying, "Yep, I'm on strike today. Let's go get a pint and play some snooker, mate" (been there, done that). What are they striking for, money? benifits?

Here most utilitiy companies that have in house locators have strong unions. Employees are happy and we don't really have to strike. Some contract locate companies have unions, but if the union said they were going on strike, I'm sure management would be rolling on the ground belly laughing. Sure glad I don't work for a contract locator anymore, the benies and long hours for little money s#cked.

Great hobbies, I have the same addictions: Bikes, Fishing Boats, Rock and Roll and lots of Whiskey. Too bad your married, thats a bad habit. Haha ha ha ha ah ha................

**UULC** · November 22nd, 2010, 02:03 PM

Hey 4Q2, Is talking about hits or striking? I took it as in damages.

**4Q2** · November 22nd, 2010, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by UULC

Hey 4Q2, Is talking about hits or striking? I took it as in damages.

Oh!!! See, just another reason I gotta learn proper English, so when I can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, I can baffle 'em with bullshit.

**FreedMan** · November 23rd, 2010, 09:50 AM

Welcome!

**DavidDodd** · November 23rd, 2010, 01:30 PM

Tell us about gas & water lines in the UK. Cast iron? Ductile? Steel? Copper? PVC? Wire? Tape?

**TheCableVine** · November 23rd, 2010, 03:04 PM

Hey, Spencer.

Welcome aboard. We now have, to the best of my recall, 4 countries represented now. Glad to have you aboard.

**ProfessionalLocator** · November 25th, 2010, 08:58 AM

Welcome aboard Spencer, nice of you to rub elbows with us colonials.

You like Whiskey that much? You sure your not Irish?

**spencer newson** · January 5th, 2011, 10:40 AM

Haaaaaa nice the term strike rate is refering to the amount of cables or pipes hit by asshole road workers or dissfunctional machine drivers haa
glad you enjoyed me proper english skills cos i aint ever been told that i ever write in the Queens english haa let alone speak it

**spencer newson** · January 5th, 2011, 11:03 AM

David,
the majority of the water inferstructure over here was originally laid in cast iron, ductile iron, steel, ductile steel, with property feeds in lead or copper and asbestos( nice) also fibre glass and pitched fibre (very brittle), but as time moved on the water companies have started pushing plastics up the old metal pipes, mdpe,pe and such like .
no tracing wires have been installed along the new routes, they did try traceing tape but as im sure you are aware of once its been laid some bugger a few weeks latter diggs across it and damages it and thats that.
Gas is pretty much the same set up really to be honest i just wish the government put some kind of law in place to make the supply companies be made more accountable and put proper tracing wires into the plastic pipes, ok you can properbly get a short trace on the old mains between breaks in the pipe but its still very frustrating at times thats why i use the GPR but sometimes even that can't get a good fix on the pipes due to poor ground conditions.

I work prodominantly in the south west of England and we were bombed very hard back in WW2 so working in built up areas GPR is basically looking through rubble and we have a lot of clay and GPR don't like the clay man.
hope this helps in any way dude