• Use cranes or excavators to handle and position heavy pre-insulated pipe sections
• Ensure all steel welds are made by coded welders and inspected before joint insulation
• Wear RPE and skin protection during polyurethane foam joint insulation operations
• Establish exclusion zones during pressure testing at the specified test pressure
• Locate buried services before excavating the pipe trench route
• Support trench sides to prevent collapse for the full depth of the installation
• Protect the pipe outer casing from damage during backfilling with approved material
• Follow the isolation or hot tapping procedure for connections to live networks
• Check pipe alignment and gradient during installation to prevent thermal stress issues
• Brief the team on the scalding hazard from hot water in operational district heating pipes

• DON'T handle pre-insulated pipe sections manually — they are too heavy and long
• DON'T foam pipe joints without RPE and adequate ventilation for isocyanate vapour
• DON'T enter the exclusion zone during high-pressure testing of the pipeline
• DON'T weld joints without the welder holding current coded certification
• DON'T insulate joints before NDT inspection has confirmed the weld quality
• DON'T backfill over the pipe with material containing sharp stones or debris
• DON'T connect to a live district heating network without a formal isolation procedure
• DON'T excavate for pipe trenches without locating and marking existing buried services
• DON'T ignore pipe alignment tolerances — thermal stress causes joint failure in service
• DON'T touch operational district heating pipes — surface temperatures cause severe burns

See also: Pipeline Safety Awareness | Hydrostatic Pressure Testing