By Ontario One Call
In Ontario, the excavation landscape is marked by a sobering statistic: more than 4,200 underground utility damages occur annually, translating to roughly 19 damages every workday.
This high frequency of incidents underscores a critical need for enhanced safety practices among contractors and landscapers, who are often at the forefront of these potentially hazardous situations.
The impact of these damages extends far beyond mere inconvenience. Each incident poses significant safety risks, disrupts services and incurs substantial financial costs. For example, striking a single utility line can result in expenses that spiral into thousands of dollars, alongside severe penalties. More critically, it can lead to serious injuries or even fatalities, making safety compliance not just a regulatory requirement, but a moral imperative.
Despite these clear risks, a significant number of these damages result from failure to secure proper locates before excavation. Skipping this crucial step can stem from various factors, including perceived time savings, cost avoidance or simply a lack of awareness about the consequences of hitting underground utilities and the precautions that are in place to prevent them.
Industry professionals need to understand requesting a locate via Ontario One Call is more than a formality — it is a legal requirement and a vital safeguard that ensures all underground utilities are accurately marked, thereby minimizing risk of damage. It’s a simple yet effective step that not only protects the physical infrastructure, but also safeguards workers on the ground.
Educational outreach is crucial. Industry veterans and newcomers alike must be made aware of the staggering statistics and the real-world implications of neglecting to request locates.
Regular training sessions, workshops and seminars can help reinforce the importance of adhering to safety protocols and staying updated on best practices.
As we advance our infrastructure, the call to action for every professional involved in ground disturbance is clear: prioritize safety, reduce risk and uphold our duty to protect not only our utilities, but also the lives of those who work with them.
Each locate request submitted is a potential disaster averted, a financial burden avoided and a life saved.
Let’s make safe digging a cornerstone of our industry standards.
Established in 1996, Ontario One Call is a public safety administrative authority that acts as a communications link between buried infrastructure owners and individuals who are planning to dig in the province.
Ontario One Call spreads dig safe and click before you dig messaging, provides a locate request system that streamlines communications between those who want to dig with the owners of buried infrastructure, and regulates the public locate industry.
In 2012, the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act was passed, which stipulates that by law, anyone in the province of Ontario must contact Ontario One Call before they dig.
Though Ontario One Call does not physically mark the lines, pipes or cables, we relay all dig information to the buried infrastructure owners so they can mark (locate) based on the request you submit. Buried infrastructure owners will then deliver locates. Locates minimize the risk of infrastructure damage, loss of service, and injury.
