ClickBeforeYouDig is a Best Practice

As a society, we implement measures to protect ourselves, our family and our communities from harm, and such was the case when the very first One-Call service was realized. A lot has changed since then and many improvements to the damage prevention process over time have reduced the risk of damaging buried utilities.

Almost 10 years ago, Alberta One-Call Corporation (AOC) adopted ClickBeforeYouDig as its primary call-to-action. Everything from online travel arrangements, banking and grocery shopping had already shifted away from the phone, and while we continued to accept locate requests by fax and phone, the ClickBeforeYouDig service was available and active 24-7-365. At the time, promoting the online process was considered more a matter of convenience but it was — and is — much more than that.

When a person requests a locate online via the web, the risk of damaging a buried utility is reduced by almost half. Full stop.

There are several reasons why this statement is true but predominantly, it’s simply because nobody knows better than the person digging where their dig site is located and the online locate request process allows them to plot it onto a Google map.

Acting on a hunch, AOC’s contact centre manager, Joe Rosenberg, conducted an analysis a few years ago of all reported damages documented in the Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) in Calgary and Edmonton. After compiling a list of all damages in those cities, he determined whether or not there was a locate request made to AOC. If yes, he then determined how that locate request was made – online or by phone. The results of his analysis indicated the risk of damaging a buried utility was considerably greater when the locate request was made by phone.

Armed with this information, AOC approached all other One-Call Centres in Canada asking if they might a conduct similar analysis and if they were comfortable, to provide the results for comparison. Only Ontario One Call responded affirmatively and their results were almost identical to Alberta.

Fast forward a few years and Joe Rosenberg has conducted another analysis and once again, the results were essentially the same – online locate requests result in fewer damages than those placed by phone.

Armed with this information, Alberta One-Call Corporation will propose a significant change the Canadian Common Ground Alliance’s Best Practices to promote ClickBeforeYouDig as a national campaign. 

It’s not just about convenience. It will reduce damages.