July’s heat bakes down on the concrete of Alberta, hot enough to fry an egg and create what used to be called a Dog Day Afternoon (though it has since drifted out of common parlance, despite the efforts of Sidney Lumet). We hold our hands to our foreheads and squint at the bright sun, and then wipe the sweat from our collective brows in one single motion.

Lovink points out how crisis communications has evolved in the past two decades, largely due to the rapid nature of social media. Getting ahead of a story is paramount, but in the digital age, it requires swift and agile responses to keep up with public scrutiny and media coverage. Platforms like Twitter have become vital emergency management tools for disseminating crucial information to the masses. However, recent incidents demonstrate the complexities and challenges faced by organizations in this ever-changing landscape.

While artwork adorning tanks at terminals isn’t anything new, this is the only tank on the planet promoting ClickBeforeYouDig.com – the one-window portal to request a locate anywhere in Canada or the United States. Working with former Enbridge employee, Warren Loper, who always had a knack for promotions, an idea became a plan and the plan became reality.

The importance of that first locate request, from a contractor, captures everything Alberta One-Call was meant to achieve — a service to coordinate, consolidate and simplify notification to buried utility owners of proposed ground disturbances in the vicinity of their buried assets. Once notified, those buried asset owners triage the information to determine the best course of action to prevent damage to their buried infrastructure. When you boil it down, it’s a very simple concept and one that was absolutely needed in Alberta.

Last month, we posted an article announcing the new Utility Safety Partner Industry Recognition Awards. Over the next three months, we will introduce details about each of the three award categories — Excavator of the Year, Locator of the Year, and Member of the Year. This month’s focus is Excavator of the Year.

As you may already know Infrastructure Resources has announced a significant change - it is now proudly rebranded as the Excavation Safety Alliance. The organization's leaders, Scott Landes and Whitney Price, recently appeared on The Safety Moment podcast to share their perspectives on this momentous shift. With a remarkable history and a focus on advancing safety and damage prevention, the Excavation Safety Alliance is poised to make a lasting impact in the industry.