Damage Prevention and Ground Disturbance Practices for Buried Facilities By Jeff Beddoes BCLS NP Editor’s Note: Opinions expressed in the Link Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the ABCLS, its Board, or other members. This article was researched and prepared by Jeff Beddoes, BCLS NP at the request of the Board to assist the membership in understanding issues related to working near buried facilities. The Board received this article on June 10, 2021 and requested that the Professional Reference Manual Committee prepare guidelines for land surveyors working near buried facilities and to consult with the membership about those guidelines.
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number of years ago I heard mention that some group was intending to approach the federal government and lobby for the introduction of legislation that would add additional burden to the work of land surveyors, something to do with requiring searches for pipes, conduits and cables buried in ground. I didn’t spend much time considering this issue because I did not conduct fieldwork nor supervise staff who did. And besides, when I was active in practice, the only time I ever poked holes in the ground was when I was looking for evidence or setting posts along boundaries, and surely utility companies knew enough to place pipes and wires and conduits deep enough to be safe and well away from boundary lines. More recently, I had reason to revisit the Buried Facilities issue and, as a member of the Professional Reference Manual Committee, or perhaps simply having grown a little older and hopefully a tad wiser, I gave more serious thought to the matter. I respectfully suggest that all members ought to make themselves aware of this issue and consider their practice appropriately.
The purpose of this article is to provide members with some history; the current direction that legislation pertaining to damage prevention of buried facilities appears to be taking; and, perhaps most importantly, provide members with an overview of best practices. It seems that I heard correctly. In May 2017, Bill S-229 was introduced in the Senate. Among other things, the Bill would require mandatory participation in One Call centres by utility owners, mandatory call before you dig, and provide parameters around ground disturbance upon federally regulated lands. Although Bill S-229 died at the dissolution of parliament before the 2019 election, the story and the issue certainly do not end here. Before I get ahead of myself it might help if I provide the definitions of five terms1: Buried Facility – Anything buried or constructed below ground level respecting electricity, communications, water, sewage, oil, gas and other substances including but not limited to, the pipes, conduits, ducts, cables, wires, valves, manholes, catch basins and attachments to them.
Digging Community – Anyone that engages in or is responsible for ground disturbance. Ground Disturbance – Any work, operation or activity that results in a disturbance of the earth regardless of depth. Hit or Hits – The act of actually hitting a Buried Facility when disturbing the ground. Locate (verb) – The use of appropriate instruments to determine the approximate horizontal locations of underground facilities identified through research of existing as-built documentation and any other sources of information. Are Ground Disturbances really an issue that land surveyors ought to care about? I suspect I am like my fellow land surveyors, and I like facts. Here are a few: In 2016, there were 11,989 Hits reported across Canada, 1270 in British Columbia, ➤ In 2019, the cost to repair damage made by Hits caused through Ground Disturbance in Canada was estimated at 1.2 billion dollars, ➤ 96% of the reported 1,304 Hits in British Columbia in 2019 were of gas and telecommunication lines, ➤ 43% (2016) of Hits were the result of a lack of research by the Digging Community. Simply put, no buried facility locates were performed. (40% of Hits happened despite a locate being performed, due to inadequate excavation practices.) ➤
1 These first four definitions are taken from the British Columbia Common Ground Alliance (BCCGA) Ground Disturbance 201 Standard. 12
August 2021 | the LINK
