Damaged underground service / service strike

What it looks like on site

• Water leak, gas smell, exposed cable, broken pipe, fibre/telecom line cut, power outage

Possible causes

• No service locate
• Hand digging not used near services
• Old as-built inaccurate
• Excavator too close

Immediate action

1. 1Make the area safe first. Stop only the affected workface if continuing could make the issue unsafe, hidden, or harder to fix.
2. 2Take wide, medium, close-up, and context photos before anything is moved or repaired.
3. 3Check the latest consented drawings, specification, RFI responses, site instructions, and inspection requirements.
4. 4Tell the responsible subcontractor what you have found and ask for their proposed correction in writing if the issue affects quality, cost, time, or compliance.

Step-by-step fix

1. 1Identify the exact location using room name, gridline, elevation, peg, manhole number, footing line, or drawing detail reference.
2. 2Compare the site condition with the approved documents and manufacturer instructions.
3. 3Decide whether the fix is simple workmanship correction, RFI, engineer/designer direction, minor variation, amendment, or council inspector discussion.
4. 4Agree the person responsible, repair method, hold point, and reinspection evidence before work resumes.
5. 5Complete the repair, photograph the corrected work, and update the defects/RFI/variation/inspection register.
6. 6Record programme impact, cost impact, and who was notified in the daily report.

What not to do

• Do not cover, backfill, line, clad, tile, paint, or pour over the issue to keep the programme moving.
• Do not approve a technical fix verbally when structure, moisture, drainage, fire/safety, H1, or consent compliance may be affected.
• Do not rely on memory. Record the drawing revision, detail number, photos, people contacted, and agreed next action.