Risk of serious incident increases in spring as partners push Dig Safe Month
The blast of an explosion. A screaming voice shouting “fire in a hole”. The sudden loss of power, communications, or natural gas services for an unknown period.
All these have happened in Saskatchewan, which stresses the importance of April, which is designated as Dig Safe Month by the Saskatchewan Common Ground Alliance (SCGA) membership and the Government of Saskatchewan to promote the importance of safe digging.
As construction work dramatically ramps up during April by as much as 60 per cent compared to March, the SCGA, its members and Sask 1st Call are reminding the public to request a locate for underground lines before starting any digging project.
“Locates are free, timely, easy to do, and they help prevent a serious incident, which can cost you financially or even worse, with injuries or even the loss of life,” said Shannon Doka, Executive Director of the SCGA. “One simple click or call to Sask 1st Call can make your digging job free of worry.”
Requests to Sask 1st Call increased by 6.9 per cent in 2020 to 151,282. Last year with the onset of the pandemic, there was a huge uptake in homeowners investing in their properties – new decks, replacing fences, and landscaping – all of these projects require planning and locates. While this higher level of activity of is good for the construction community, higher levels of activity can put pressure on people who may forget to perform proper safety steps.
“It has never been easier to request line locates online at www.sask1stcall.com/request-online,” said Erin Rodger, Manager of Sask 1st Call. “Give us at least three full working days before you plan to start your work. This is a vital step to keeping everyone safe from the negative consequences when an underground utility is damaged.”
An incident in Saskatoon jeopardized facilities such as a nursing home and blocked key roadways. The incident has been documented in one of the SCGA’S locally produced videos - Hitting an underground cable in the city - Youtube.
A network of complicated underground infrastructure delivers heat, electricity, water, phone, and internet, making modern life convenient for Canadians. Every year, however, thousands of buried wires, cables and pipelines are damaged by excavation activities – big or small; this damage is estimated to cost Canadians up to $1 billion annually.
Every digging project warrants a locate request. Especially projects such as installing a fence, planting a tree, planting a new garden, and building a deck are all examples where you require a locate request. To help promote Safe Digging Month, the SCGA provides you with access to the Best Practices Manual and locally produced educational videos for homeowners and professional contractors. View the videos and much more about safe digging at scga.ca.