Define the boundary
Record the exact dig area, depth, purpose, drawings and responsible people.
Groundworks contractors
Keep service clearance, dig authority and excavation inspection as separate decisions
Connect drawings, service information and RAMS while keeping the permit to dig separate from the competent inspection of the excavation.
SiteHQ in practiceThe practical problem
Keep service clearance, dig authority and excavation inspection as separate decisions
Permission to start digging is not the same as a later competent inspection of an excavation. SiteHQ keeps the two records separate so plans, detection, physical findings and ongoing actions are not collapsed into one checkbox.
FICTIONAL DEMONSTRATION
Inspection due 07:00South yard drainage excavation
The permit authorises a defined dig; the inspection records competent findings later.
Permit to digPTD-005 - authorised area B3-B5
ServicesPlans reviewed; physical locating required
Excavation inspectionSeparate start-of-shift record
Open actionConfirm edge-protection change
A practical example
From service information to an inspected excavation
SiteHQ connects project drawings, RAMS and evidence with distinct workflows for permits to dig and excavation inspections.
Clear the services
Capture plan review, survey/detection, markings, trial holes and plant limits.
Issue the permit
Set a validity window and record issuer, receiver and handback.
Inspect separately
A competent inspector records support, access, defects, actions and whether the excavation is available.
Relevant SiteHQ records
What is available—and what remains gated.
Status wording is deliberately explicit. A workflow being present in software does not by itself approve a specialist certificate or replace the person responsible for the real work.
RAMS, drawings and project evidence
Available nowKeep source information and reviewed controls with the project.
Permit to dig and services-clearance record
Available nowDedicated time-bound workflow; physical clearance is never inferred.
Excavation inspection report
Available nowSeparate competent-inspector workflow with findings, defects and actions.
Enter once, carry forward carefully
Useful project information moves with the job.
SiteHQ can reuse confirmed information and keep its source visible. It must not turn a document reference into a physical observation.
- Project, location and dig boundary
- Drawings, surveys and service information
- RAMS, people, plant and dates
- Attachments, permit version and later inspection link
Fictional Preview exampleDrainage trench beside loading bay
BoundaryMarked 12 m trench, 1.2 m target depth
ServicesPlans supplied; detection result requires site entry
PermitIssuer, receiver and expiry required
InspectionSeparate competent-person findings record
Human approval stays visible
SiteHQ prepares and controls the record. People make the decision.
SiteHQ does not locate buried services, verify markings, inspect ground conditions or decide an excavation is safe. Those checks must be completed and recorded by authorised competent people.
Questions contractors ask
Clear answers before you start.
Can SiteHQ clear the area from drawings alone?
No. Drawings are one evidence source; physical detection and other required site checks must be completed by competent people.
Is the excavation inspection part of the permit?
No. They are distinct records with different triggers, findings and responsible people.
Can an expired permit be reused?
No. A time-bound permit must be reviewed and reissued rather than silently extended.
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