WorkSafe Victoria executive director John Merritt, left, and Dial Before You Dig’s Mark Binks are working to promote the free service to tradesmen and utilities workers.A FREE service telling tradesmen and plant operators if it is safe to dig underground has received a promotional push from WorkSafe Victoria.
WorkSafe is urging workers who have to dig underground to avoid risk of serious injury or death by dialling 1100 before they dig to receive up-to-date advice on what cabling may be underground in a specific area.
Dial Before You Dig is a free referral service used by professional contractors, underground asset owners and individuals undertaking excavation.
Given two clear working days notice of a work-site location, it provides information on the presence of underground assets.
Dial Before You Dig chairman Scott Reid said it ensured the safety of workers and the integrity of infrastructure that residents relied on, such as telephone lines or gas pipes.
“Millions of dollars worth of damage could occur and lives and livelihoods be threatened through careless excavation practices,” he said. “WorkSafe and Dial Before You Dig encourages those who could damage infrastructure to use the service and for infrastructure owners to ensure records are kept up to date.”
WorkSafe’s executive director, John Merritt, said it was important to realise cables and pipes could be anywhere.
“They are laid at varying depths on public and private property and can be inside and outside easements.
“Without planning your work and checking for the presence of pipes and cables, the risk of serious injury or death rises along with the potential to cut essential services to homes and businesses over a wide area.”
