BC 1 Call
Click Before You Dig – Get your eTicket…
6 Steps to Safe Digging Cards
- Six Steps to Safe Digging – English
- Six Steps to Safe Digging – Punjabi
- Six Steps to Safe Digging – Simple Chinese
Public Awareness – DIRT and Best Practices
Note – for printed copies of the 6 Steps to Safe Digging, DIRT and Best Practice Cards to share with your members and for public awareness, contact info@commongroundbc.ca.
Infrastructure Owner Links
- FortisBC ~ Call Before You Dig Information
- FortisBC ~ Excavation Safety Brochure
- Trans Mountain Pipelines – Pipeline Safety and Damage Prevention
- Enbridge Inc – Pipeline Safety and Public Awareness
- BC Hydro ~ Electrical Safety Resources
Safety Video ~ Natural Gas Lines
British Columbians are at serious risk when underground infrastructure such as buried gas lines, pipelines or hydro lines are struck or damaged because building contractors, homeowners and other excavators are not aware of the lines’ precise locations before digging. In BC, there are over 2,000 documented hits to underground infrastructure each year. Many more go unreported.
A contributing factor to damages is lack of awareness of the excavation rules in BC, particularly as they relate to natural gas lines. Most cases of worker and public safety risk and damage are completely avoidable/preventable. BCCGA, in collaboration with WorkSafeBC, FortisBC and Technical Safety BC has developed a video that demonstrates the procedures that can reduce the risk of injury and potential damages that are directly linked to the lack of hand exposing the underground.
Please share the safety video with your workers, co-workers and members.
ToolBox Meeting Guides (WorkSafe)
- Call Before You Dig
- Hand Exposing Buried Facilities
- Marking Underground Facilities
- Additional Excavation Requirements
- Heat Stroke
- Heat Exhaustion
- Maintain Three Point Contact with Mobile Equipment
- Working Safely with Mobile Equipment
- Sloping and Shoring Requirements
- Prevention of Damage to Buried Facilities in BC
Underground Facility Locator Information
Early in 2023, CAPULC launched their National Underground Facility Locating and Marking Standard (Version 1.0).
This first-of-its-kind Standard in Canada provides a comprehensive framework for locating underground infrastructure and safeguarding buried facilities against accidental damage. A culmination of many years of effort by dedicated CAPULC members, this Standard is a major milestone for the industry and will help to establish consistency and cultivate proficiency in line locating across Canada.
There is no charge to download the CAPULC National Standard.
Legislation and Regulations
- The Energy Resource Activities Act
- National Energy Board Act
- Canada Energy Regulator ~ Regulatory Document Index
- WorkSafe BC ~ Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
- WorkSafe BC ~ Workers Compensation Act
- WorkSafe BC ~ WCB Standards
- Technical Safety BC ~ Safety Regulations
MarineSafe 811
MarineSafe811 works to advance marine damage prevention and 811 efforts in the US. The MarineSafe811 materials, resources, best practices, training, and support are always FREE to marine excavation stakeholders.