Our joint venture partner, LSBUD (LinesearchbeforeUdig), has launched a new safety awareness video to raise awareness of underground and overhead pipelines and cables.
LSBUD is free to use online search service any individual can use to check their works against over 110 asset owners’ utility assets. These assets include 1 million kilometres of underground and overhead pipelines and cables in the electricity, gas, high-pressure fuel/oil, heating, water, and fibre optic networks. The service processed over 3.75 million enquiries in 2022.
The video explores the unseen dangers, when breaking ground as part of construction, highways, utility, farming or fencing work and explains some best practices people must follow to avoid damage to the environment, serious injury, or even death and the consequences of digging ‘blind’.
The video, from fencing contractor Elliott, went viral in June 2021 when his post-knocker hit an underground gas pipeline on private land in Derbyshire. The potentially serious incident made national news headlines and resulted in an explosion which threw the fencing machine and the contractor into the air. The incident caused major disruption to the local community until the supply was restored.
Richard Broome, Head of Pipeline Management and Maintenance and Managing Director at LSBUD, said: “In our world of work, it is only the serious incidents that capture the nation’s attention. Fortunately, Elliott was largely unharmed, but his video has been seen by millions of people around the world, putting the potential dangers of digging into the spotlight. Rather than shy away from the incident, Elliott wanted to spread the safe digging message, helping keep other people safe on site. It is a brave and honourable approach, and one that will benefit many projects, potentially saving many lives.”
Elliott said: “The video is hard-hitting. It is the first time I have discussed the incident, and it is tough to bring it back up. For a few seconds, I simply thought that my time was up, and I was more than incredibly lucky to walk away with not so much as a scratch on me.
“If I could use this unwanted ‘fame’ to make people safer then at least something good could come out of it. I want to make sure that anyone out there thinking of putting a hole in the ground, no matter if it is knocking in a fencing post, planting a tree, or taking on a major construction project, then they should always search before they start work.”
To watch the Explosion Safety video, click here
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