What certifications should a GPR scanning company have
The certifications, accreditations, and competencies that distinguish a defensible GPR scanning company in the UK.
By Terry Bagust, Co-founder and Managing Director
GPR scanning is unregulated in the UK in the sense that no statutory licence is needed to operate the equipment. That does not make all surveyors equivalent. A defensible scanning company can show a clear set of qualifications, standards and insurance, and will tell you plainly which ones it holds and which it does not. Here is what to look for.
CSCS
The Construction Skills Certification Scheme card is the industry’s standard competency card for site work. Anyone scanning on a commercial UK site should hold one at the right level. Ask for it. Every Corvus operative holds a CSCS card.
ProQual Level 3 and PAS 128 (for utility work)
If the job is mapping buried services before you dig, the survey should follow PAS 128:2022, with a quality level stated against every line on the drawing. The relevant qualification for the surveyor is the ProQual Level 3 Certificate in Utility Mapping and Surveying. Our utility surveyors hold it.
EuroGPR Certified Surveyor
EuroGPR is the European GPR association. Its Certified Surveyor scheme tests GPR theory, field practice and interpretation, and it is a useful signal of individual competence, particularly on post-tension floor scanning. It is not a legal or industry requirement in the UK. If a surveyor says they hold it, check the number on the EuroGPR register. Corvus does not currently hold it, and we would rather say so than imply otherwise.
Pre-qualification schemes
Constructionline, CHAS and other SSIP schemes are used by main contractors and public sector clients to qualify subcontractors. Where you are buying through a main contractor, membership may be a procurement requirement. We are working towards Constructionline and an SSIP scheme in Corvus’s name.
UKAS-accredited laboratories (for concrete testing)
Where cores are tested for strength, the laboratory should be UKAS-accredited for the method, so the certificate stands up with your engineer, insurer or in a dispute. Corvus uses independent UKAS-accredited laboratories for core testing. See the credentials that matter in scanning and testing for how to check a lab’s scope.
CAA authorisation (for drone work)
Commercial drone work in the UK needs the right CAA authorisation. Our drone surveys are flown by our own team, as a CAA-registered operator with Flyer IDs, in the Open category.
Insurance
Three covers matter for commercial work:
- Professional indemnity, for claims arising from negligent advice or interpretation.
- Public liability, for third-party injury or damage during the work.
- Employer’s liability, a legal requirement for most companies with employees.
Ask for current certificates before you commission. Our public and products liability cover is £5,000,000 for each and every claim, and our professional indemnity is £2,000,000.
Method statements and risk assessments
Not a certificate, but a sign of a company that knows what it is doing. Every job should come with a method statement and risk assessment, issued before attendance. Ours are.
Calibration
Calibrated equipment is the basis of a defensible measurement. Ask how the equipment is checked and whether that check is recorded for your job.
DBS checks (for occupied homes)
If the survey is inside people’s homes, ask whether the surveyors are DBS checked. Ours who work in occupied homes are.
Practical checklist
Before commissioning a GPR scanning company, confirm:
- CSCS cards for everyone on site.
- ProQual Level 3 and PAS 128 deliverables, if the job involves buried utilities.
- Any EuroGPR claim, checked on the register.
- Pre-qualification scheme membership, if your procurement needs it.
- Current professional indemnity, public liability and employer’s liability certificates.
- A method statement and risk assessment before the day.
- UKAS-accredited laboratory testing for any cores.
A company that answers all of these without hesitation, including telling you what it does not hold, is one you can defend using. Our current list is on the accreditations page.
What this means for your job
Our full list, including what we do not hold yet, is on the accreditations page.
