SURREY, B.C. – In the midst of one of B.C.’s coldest winters on record, with home heating systems working around the clock, 225 Terasen Gas customers living in Olalla, near Keremeos, had their natural gas service temporarily interrupted after an excavator struck an underground natural gas pipeline. This incident, and many like it, could have been avoided had the excavator followed safe excavation practices as set out by provincial safety regulations.

 

“In 2008, Terasen Gas experienced 1,509 incidents related to excavator activity, which is down from 2007,” says Dwain Bell, Vice President of Distribution, Terasen Gas. “While there has been a decrease in damages, it is important to note that the chief cause of incidents has not changed. Approximately 70 per cent of last year’s incidents may have been prevented had a call been placed to BC One Call for gas line information.”

 

“Hand digging within one metre of a gas line could have prevented another 20 per cent of incidents, and the balance could have been prevented by protecting the facilities during the construction process,” continues Bell. “Less than one per cent of damages occurred because of an error in gas line location information.” The decrease in excavator-related incidents can be attributed to a decline in fourth quarter construction activity in the province.

 

Each time a gas line is hit, Terasen Gas arrives on-site to ensure public safety and make repairs. Also, every incident is tracked and reviewed to better understand the cause of system damage.

 

“We provide our safety regulators with the findings and use the information to plan and implement safety awareness activities that encourage safe excavation practices and remind people to use BC One Call,” says Bell. “For example, Terasen Gas supports the Dig Safe BC! workshops held around the province to educate the construction industry. We are also a founding member of the BC Common Ground Alliance which develops best practices for safe excavation.”

 

Being safe means getting underground gas line information before digging. Call BC One Call at 1-800-474-6886 or *6886 on your cellular at least three days prior to the start of your work. BC One Call will contact all member organizations with underground utilities, including Terasen Gas, in the dig area. This is a requirement of provincial gas safety regulations. The call and the information are free.

 

Once you have the location information, keep it on-site during excavation. Use the information to locate the gas line and then hand dig to expose the line before using any mechanical equipment. If you hand dig and can’t find the buried gas line, or need further clarification, call Terasen Gas at 1-888-822-6555. 

 

To avoid the dangers and costs of hitting an underground line, always Call Before You Dig. For more information, visit terasengas.com or visit http://www.bconecall.bc.ca/.

 

 

 

Kirsten Walker
Communications Specialist
Terasen Gas
Office: 604-592-7507
Email: kirsten.walker@terasengas.com

 

Gary Tremblay
Executive Director
BC One Call Ltd.
Office: 250-537-1559
Cell: 604-230-6122