Education and Awareness Committee Adapting Communication

Communicating safe digging practices is always challenging. First, your audience must be receptive and motivated to stay safe. Then the message itself must be clear, compelling, accurate and presented in a way that’s memorable so that the worker knows what to do on the job site. 

The Education and Awareness Committee has traditionally offered workshops, demonstrations, talks and attended tradeshows to help promote safe digging practices, improver worker safety and protect the environment. 

The pandemic challenged and changed all traditional communication and the committee, like the rest of the world, has had to adapt to new methods to target the digging community. Drawing inspiration and ideas from the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA) helps to shape a new direction in the post-pandemic world.

In 2020, the CCGA held a virtual workshop called, Digging Deeper: Shifting Tactics for Communication. Predictably, the importance of transitioning to virtual communication was the main theme. Homeowners and workers have continued with projects but are now seeking direction from online videos, blogs and workshops. Working with media outlets was another revived tactic important for reaching the digging community. Mainstream media is still an important source for timely information and reminders leading up to a long weekend to secure a locate, carry the added credence of a safety reminder when voiced by a radio personality. Lastly, strategic signage at a point-of-purchase display for shovels in a hardware store, is an old-fashioned reminder that the tool’s operator must work safely. 

The Education and Awareness Committee offered online workshops throughout the pandemic and during Safe Digging Month, launched its most extensive social media safety campaign ever. Committee Chair, Patricia Poulton, adds, “We adapted quickly to virtual communication, and we realize now that for many people, this may be their new preference in our changed world.”

- Mona Bartsoff