Utility Safety Partners’ Damage Prevention legislation objective continues to move forward and I have a favour to ask. Concentric Public Affairs created a microsite dedicated to all things legislation that provides a fact sheet, backgrounder, narrated presentation of our legislative journey, and electronic version of the proposed legislation

Given the proliferation of QR Codes, I developed the ClickBeforeYouDig QR Code and strongly suggest it be incorporated in all damage prevention awareness programs and promotional documentation.

Providing software for the creation of ‘One-Call’ tickets is a niche market, and there are not many software companies catering to the needs of the few facility notification centres in North America. Often, our software is developed as a companion product by companies whose primary business is running contact centres or providing ticket management software to a much larger market.

For many utility owner leaders and stakeholders, the new Utility Safety Partners (USP) Locating & Marking Standard couldn’t be published soon enough. The formative discussions lead to a vision that Utility Safety Partners would not only enhance all Alberta One-Call legacy service offerings but focus on emerging as an industry trendsetter in mission critical damage prevention initiatives prioritized by industry.

I’ve been engaged in legislative development for a long time at the federal and provincial level. Given my long-standing relationship with the Canadian Common Ground Alliance, I’ve been asked many times to provide my opinion on the relationship between legislation and best practice. In short, the two are closely related, yet distinct in their purpose and scope.

Since October 1984, the message of “Call Before You Dig” (and more recently, “ClickBeforeYouDig” and “Where’s the Line?”) has become a common mantra for homeowners, utility operators and the contractor community.

As we head into the dead of winter some people could use a refresher on how to survive in emergency conditions during inclement weather. Some people — but we’re Canadians right?! We know all the usual tips and tricks (keep a first aid kit with winter survival gear in the car, wear layers, stock extra food/water in case of a power outage, etc.). But we already know all this so let’s focus on some not-so-well-known tricks to make your winter as safe as it can be.

I was a DPA (damage prevention associate) for my first two years with Utility Safety Partners (Alberta One-Call) and certainly dealt with more than a few inappropriate callers. Since becoming a team leader eight years ago, I now get the escalations of escalations, often folks at the brink of screaming due to their frustration around locate delays or other issues that have cropped up within the damage prevention industry over the years.