Safe Digging & Excavating

OHS Code States You Are Responsible

The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code says you must call Alberta One-Call to mark underground utilities in your work area.

Alberta One-Call : 1-800-242-3447 or click for alberta1call.com

You must call before you begin work

  • It is a free service (although for private/secondary installed utilities, there may be a fee).
  • Markings are valid for 14 days.
  • Call at least two working days ahead.
  • Give more notice during long weekends and holidays.

You can face big costs for hitting a line

  • Seriously hurting yourself or another worker.
  • Causing a fatality.
  • Losing work time.
  • Paying expensive repair costs.
  • Causing a loss of natural gas service to other members of the co-op.

After a call, DIG SAFELY

Natural gas markings are yellow

They show:

  • The direction the natural gas line runs.
  • The approximate location of the line.

They do not show:

  • The depth of the line - which can be just a few inches from the surface as soil is graded or erodes.

Keep a One Metre Clearance

Natural gas lines stand no chance against excavation equipment. They will be punctured easily.

  • Keep a one metre (3 feet) safety clearance on either side of the outside of the locate marks.
  • This is the hand expose zone - absolutely no machines.
  • If you are excavating in this zone, you must use a shovel or hydrovac to carefully expose the natural gas line.
  • You must be able to see the line - to verify its location - before continuing the job.

When working around Natural Gas, Safety should always be your first priority.

Take immediate action if you Hit a Gas Line

You must call immediately, even if you do not smell gas or hear it escaping.

If you hit a gas line, call Central Peace's emergency line 24 hours a day at 780-864-3873, or 911

Do not try to repair the line yourself!

  • Keep people away from the area.
  • Cordon off the site.
  • Do not attempt to pinch off the line or stop the flow of gas.
  • Shut off all equipment and vehicles.
  • Do not use cell phones in the area.
  • Put out any cigarettes or open flames.
  • Allow gas to vent into the air.

The two most important steps to remember:

  1. You must "Click Before You Dig" prior to beginning ground disturbance work. Alberta One-Call will notify a Central Peace Natural Gas representative who will come to your worksite and identify all natural gas lines in your work area. Contact 1-800-242-3447 or albertaonecall.com 

 

2. Hand expose the natural gas line. You must carefully hand expose the natural gas line if you are disturbing the ground within one metre (3 feet 3 inches) of the outside edges of the locate markings.

Note: Hydrovacing is an acceptable method of hand exposing.