04/10/2025
With spring here and projects moving ahead, before you start digging make sure you don’t miss the first and most important step. Call before you dig.
As spring arrives, many British Columbians are turning their attention to outdoor projects such as gardening, landscaping, and construction. Whether you’re removing shrubs, installing or replacing fence posts, building a deck, or planting anything more than a few inches below the surface, it is essential to locate underground utilities by contacting BC 1 Call before starting any work that involves digging.
Failure to do so can have serious consequences. In this incident, a concrete forming stake was driven into an underground service cable at a residential property. The resulting electrical fault caused overhead utility lines to melt and fall to the ground, ultimately leaving the property without power.
It is likely that the fault occurred when the stake made contact with both the underground service cable and the neutral conductor. Contributing factors included the failure to identify cable locations prior to construction, shallow cable depth in partially excavated ground, and ground movement caused by the weight of a concrete pump truck outrigger.
April is Dig Safe Month—use this opportunity to reinforce safe digging practices. Always click or call before you dig.
Learn more: https://hubs.li/Q03gtc3C0
