National Safe Digging Week runs from 3rd to 9th July and brings awareness to the importance of safe digging. Our joint venture partner, LSBUD (LinesearchbeforeUdig), provides a free-to-use online safe digging service that provides the location of underground assets and infrastructure across the UK.
They had an impressive year in 2022 when they saw not only a search growth but also an increase in the number of new members. The service processed over 3.75 million enquiries in 2022, equating to more than one every 8 seconds with 98% of requests being responded to in less than 3 minutes. This highlights a rapid growth for the safe digging community and the desire to stay safe.
LSBUD are working to ensure that all its members and users are upholding the best practices when it comes to safe digging. This includes providing awareness days such as National Damage Prevention Day which was held recently and included some insightful talks from Macnaughton McGregor Ltd, USP Competency Framework, and Cadent Gas Limited.
Any individual or organisation can use the LSBUD portal to check their work against more than 120 asset owners’ utility networks which include over one million kilometres of underground and overhead pipes and cables in the electricity, gas, high-pressure fuel, water and fibre optic networks.
They ensure that they are following the proper protocols and that they have the most recent mapping data available for LSBUD users which helps to protect utility assets from damage and ultimately, lives from being harmed. For those construction companies, contractors and UK consumers doing the digging, the service quickly provides information about LSBUD’s members’ assets allowing excavation works to be carried out safely, reducing disruption and costs.
For asset owners, the collaborative portal helps protect underground infrastructure by increasing third-party knowledge of where assets are located. This encourages safer working environments and reduces asset strikes, increasing the resilience of networks and improving customer service.
Richard Broome, Managing Director of LSBUD and a Partner at Fisher German, said: “As always, communication, information and sound relationships are key to the success of LSBUD. Whether there are vast numbers of people involved as seen in some of the large projects or just one person in a domestic project, effective communication of the safe digging message is paramount.
“Planning is so important, and it is key that those digging have up-to-date information before any work is started. People need to remember that by undertaking work with limited or no prior knowledge of what is beneath them, there is a real risk of injury or even fatality.”
Click here to find out more and here to read their ‘Digging Up Britain 2023 Report’.
