April is Dig Safe Month and we all have a role to play
Apri 16, 2020
Along with the arrival of spring comes the arrival of increased ground disturbance activities - and potential risks if safe digging practices aren’t followed.
For many landowners and companies, construction activities increase this time of year. With many of us staying close to home these days and the warming weather, homeowners are planning for or starting on outdoor home improvement projects. The global COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all aspects of our lives. Despite these circumstances, the importance of knowing our role to keep ourselves and others safe when doing any ground disturbance work remains just as critical. We all have a responsibility to click before we dig and know what’s below.
From planting a tree, to building a new fence or putting pipe or cables in the ground, we must be accountable to ourselves and each other to do these activities safely. There is a complex network of lines underground: electricity, water, natural gas and oil pipelines, phone service and internet cables, among others. During this time of physical distancing, these lines allow essential services to continue to operate. They are enabling children across the country to access school and learning resources online. They are heating our homes and powering essential services. They are keeping us connected with our family and friends via technology to ease social isolation.
By using Click Before You Dig and the provincial one-call resources they provide, we can all help minimize potential disruptions to the services we are relying on to make it through this difficult time. The CER works to keep energy moving safely across the country and we will continue to build awareness of safe digging practices to keep Canada’s energy infrastructure safe. Before any digging activity – whether by homeowners, companies, contractors or municipalities – always click before you dig.
It’s important to remember that we are all affected by COVID-19 and the impacts are far reaching. This includes those working in damage prevention services. When requesting locate services, don’t forget to take into account that wait times might be longer than usual for companies to respond to your One Call ticket.
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