Plan. Do. Review. Learn. Repeat.

Plan. Do. Review. Learn. Repeat.

It seems like a monotonous cycle looking at it in black and white but following those simple business rules keeps Utility Safety Partners focused on its services, service levels and the constantly changing damage prevention landscape.

On the heels of the past three years, which saw the highest levels of excavation and construction activity in Alberta in over a decade, 2023 is almost certain to produce the same. Across Canada, Alberta is the place to be right now with plenty of employment opportunities and relative affordable living compared to other provinces. Alberta added more than 150,000 new residents in 2022 and those people need places to live!

Helping to kick off the 2023 digging season, USP hosts the Utility Safety Conference at the Cambridge Hotel in Red Deer. This two-day event boasts a tradeshow, USP Committee meetings, a series of presentations March 28 and Ground Disturbance 101 and 201 Training March 29, and a special appearance of the Grey Cup and Mr. Jeff "The Keeper” McWhinney – one of the official Keepers of the Grey Cup! And at $100/person for Day 1 and $80/person and $125/person for GD 101 and 201 Training on Day 2, you won’t find a better value for your damage prevention dollar anywhere in Canada!

And just a couple of days later, we move into DigSafe Month! Across North America, April is generally the month when excavation activity increases and ramps up to the seasonal highs between May and August. Our Safety Ambassadors also hit the road April 1st and this year, two new Ambassadors will be promoting damage prevention and safety awareness in Central Alberta and Grande Prairie. We’re really excited to expand this important and complementary element of our overall Public Awareness and Education Program! Follow USP on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to stay in touch as we promote awareness across Alberta.

Over the summer months, USP and its Safety Ambassadors will be promoting awareness at a variety of locations and tradeshows throughout Alberta but that’s also when our Contact Centre is busiest processing locate requests for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. If you or someone you know needs training on how to request a locate online, USP continues to host webinar training throughout the digging season – or, you can watch all webinar training modules online.

And as always, if you have questions about Utility Safety Partners and its services, please contact us! 

Mike Sullivan - President of Utility Safety Partners