Ken Kuzyk (L) and Mike Sobel

Global Television (Edmonton) interviewed Ken Kuzyk of EMLOC Ltd on the importance of line locating.

Due Diligence

Due Diligence:  "Due diligence is the level of judgement, care, prudence, determination, and activity that a person would reasonably be expected to do under particular circumstances."

Applied to occupational health and safety, due diligence means that employers shall take all reasonable precautions, under the particular circumstances, to prevent injuries or accidents in the workplace. This duty also applies to situations that are not addressed elsewhere in the occupational health and safety legislation.

To exercise due diligence, an employer must implement a plan to identify possible workplace hazards and carry out the appropriate corrective action to prevent accidents or injuries arising from these hazards." - OH&S Legislation in Canada - Due Diligence

Your first step as a "ground disturber" is to make contact with your local OneCall centre.  Please note that not all buried utility owners are members of the OneCall system, but you should be able to access a membership list from the OneCall websites.

Secondly, you must ensure that all buried utilities are located.  It is part of your due diligence to ensure all utility owners have been contacted.

It is a locate technician's due diligence to locate the lines and mark them clearly, and note any concerns that (s)he may have regarding line proximity to the dig.