Are Ground Disturbance Standards Necessary?

Deb Shelley, Global Training Centre.

The answer is easy—yes! In Alberta alone, we experience 15.2 hits every day! That means that every day we risk people’s lives and livelihoods by not following Ground Disturbance best practices. 

The societal cost of this damage to underground infrastructure in Canada continues to be estimated at more than $1 billion per year. Twenty-seven per cent of damages occurred because no locate was made to a One-Call Centre while 31 per cent of damages were the result of insufficient excavation practices. 

What Is the TSC and How Are They Responding?

The Training Standards Committee (TSC) within Utility Safety Partners (USP) is a volunteer-based group working hard at changing the lives of Canadians all across the country by creating the standards for Ground Disturbance training. The TSC mission is fueled by the desire to provide the expertise and knowledge to our worksites that creates an understanding of the hazards and risks, the legal requirements, and the mitigation necessary, to prevent damage to underground facilities.  

Why Should You Get involved? 

Because you know what works (and what doesn’t) — your experience can help us make decisions and create standards that work in real-time and reduce the chance of onerous requirements that don’t provide benefit.  

Because you and your company will benefit — Learning and sharing with industry experts, your peers, your clients, and the regulators on what’s new, the challenges you face, and improvement opportunities is invaluable to everyone! 

Because you’re tired of not having a choice — we complain all the time that no one listens and that we are forced to comply with regulations and red tape that doesn’t provide a benefit. This creates a huge cost in both time and dollars. This is your opportunity to be an advocate and advisor to the teams that make those decisions. 

Because you will live longer, be healthier, and be happier — Interestingly, volunteer work has distinct health benefits that can boost your mental—and perhaps more surprisingly—physical health. Indeed, a growing body of evidence suggests that people who give their time to others might benefit from lower blood pressure and a longer lifespan!

Bottom line — We need your help! As a safety-oriented association, we depend on the generosity, expertise, and passion of our many stakeholders to protect the safety and livelihood of the general public and everyone engaged in every dig. And, although we have used the term volunteer, most of our groups are paid by their employers to help advance the industry!

If you have an interest in learning more about what the TSC does, reach out to TSCAdmin@utilitysafety.ca with any questions or an invite to our next meeting!