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NETWORK / 23 / MAY 2016 lion people with its safety messages during the current price control period, tar- geting schools and businesses most likely to come into contact with its power lines. In the gas business one of the major risks posed to safety, and consequently an area of major investment, is the iron mains replace- ment programme. The distribution network still has 72,000km of iron mains which are liable to corrode and fail, resulting in life threatening leaks. GDNs are already well into a programme of replacement with plas- tic alternatives, but technology to widen replacement options is being continually developed. Indeed the area is central to many Network Innovation Allowance pro- jects, which aim to cut costs, limit disrup- tion and lower the risks to safety (see le-). UKPN's Alli is emphatic that technology should not be seen as a fix-all for health and safety and shares news on the DNO's cam- paign to achieve zero lost time incidents through focus on culture and the need for individuals to take responsibility for their own well-being. Even so, there's no doubt technology will play an increasingly large role in defin- ing network health and safety. To start with, monitoring and reporting technologies can support better information capture, reduc- ing the burden of compliance on staff so they can concentrate on safety issues. Meanwhile, using drones to check the condition of power lines can remove the need for human intervention and, more broadly, fast-paced technology change brings inherent demand for new skills and training for network staff in order to keep them safe. It also opens up new ways to engage with staff and the public on safety issues by leveraging digital and social media communications channels. Anticipating the risks, opportunities and necessary skills for operating future net- works, should not however distract from the fact that certain capabilities, such as work- ing at height and in confined spaces, will always be part and parcel of the network world – and that those who know best how to conduct themselves safely in such envi- ronments, are set to retire in droves. Capturing this knowledge before it leaves the sector will be vital to ensuring safety standards are maintained. Energy & Utilities Skills Group, the sector's leading organisa- tion for defining skills strategy and working with government on policy, says network operators should see the impending genera- tional workforce shi- as a huge opportunity to ensure that a significant proportion of the sector has been trained to the right standards right from the beginning, setting the stage for safer careers and a safer industry as a whole, well into the future. → Rust and fracture GDNs are using the Network Innovation Allowance to develop innovative technologies to solve the iron mains risk. In progress • National Grid Gas Distribution (NGGD) is continuing to develop larger innovations such as Tier 1 Replacement System (Tors), Pipe Replacement In-Situ Manufacturing (Prism) and Cured In-Place Pipe (CIPP). NGGD says new techniques from these projects will reduce its repair expenditure forecast by a net £25 million for RIIO-GD1. Customers will benefit from this reduc- tion in costs, but also through a reduction in excavations and resulting traffic disruption. • SGN's Cast Iron Joint Sealing Robot (Cis- bot) has now progressed into imple- mentation. This technology provides an alternative means of risk management for Tier 3 main, and SGN is implementing the technology in its network, repairing and remediating some of the highest risk pipes covering a distance of over 9km. SGN is also working closely with other GDNs to help make Cisbot a viable option for joint repair and remediation. • Northern Gas Networks (NGN) is trialling polyethylene riser lining as a method to repair pipes, and developing methods to test these repairs with a view to creat- ing a definitive specification for the whole industry to use. It is estimated that using lining technology will save 25-50% over the current replacement method, equat- ing to approximately £3 million to £6 million for NGN alone over a five-year period. Recently Launched Subline structural – £417,515 NGN is working with Subterra to develop a factory-based system that can replicate the pipe diameter reduction process at the time the pipe is constructed, removing the requirement for it to be done on site. When the process is undertaken on site there are limitations due to size, the level of customer disruption and the cost of operation. But the technique is a valuable tool in avoiding the excessive financial costs and stakeholder impact of replacing size for size pipes. Prism above ground trial – £118,545 NGGD will use this project to build on recent work undertaken outside of the NIA which has delivered a proof of concept method of applying a polymer to the inside of pipes with the potential to satisfy gas industry requirements. Using this method, gas mains renewal could be possible via just an exca- vation at each end of the street. Blown air extrusion fully structural solu- tion – proof of concept – £330,359 Part of the wider Prism project, this phase of work will further develop the blown air extrusion technique, and identify a strategic and practical approach to delivering a work- ing solution. Photon Fix – £618,300 SGN will use this stage of the project to develop field readiness for liquid-based sealants and the UV curing process con- ceived under stage 2 for use in repairing large diameter joints.