BC 1 Call warns avoidable underground strikes

BC 1 Call used the launch of a new feature series on July 8 to make a simple claim about underground work: success is often measured by what does not happen. In the first instalment of a six-part series published by ConstructConnect’s Journal of Commerce, the British Columbia damage-prevention organization said the benchmark is “no strike, no outage, no explosion, no injury.” The article argued that buried infrastructure work is shaped by uncertainty long before an excavator starts digging. BC 1 Call said locates, incomplete records, as-built uncertainty and excavation risk management all sit at the center of preventing utility damage on active projects. ### Why is BC 1 Call framing prevention around incidents that never happen? BC 1 Call said in the July 8 feature that underground damage prevention is unusual because the desired result is the absence of an event. (canada.constructconnect.com) The organization described avoidable strikes as incidents that can lead to service outages, safety hazards and disruptions to daily life. ConstructConnect’s Journal of Commerce presented the piece as Part 1 of a six-part series, “Beneath B.C. — Building the Future Around Our Past.” The series examines buried infrastructure as construction activity intensifies across British Columbia. (canada.constructconnect.com) ### What does the piece say actually prevents a utility hit? The Journal of Commerce feature said prevention starts with coordination rather than with a single field action. (canada.constructconnect.com) BC 1 Call pointed to locate requests, interpreting available records, accounting for uncertainty in as-builts and managing excavation risk as the practical work that reduces the chance of a strike. BC 1 Call’s contractor guidance sets out the operating steps behind that message. (canada.constructconnect.com) The organization says excavators submit a locate request, receive a confirmation ticket and are notified which member utilities have buried facilities on or near the site. FortisBC, one of the utilities that directs contractors to the system, says excavators should contact BC 1 Call at least three business days before disturbing the ground. FortisBC says the process helps identify underground gas and other utility lines before work begins. (canada.constructconnect.com) ### Why does this matter beyond specialist utility crews? ConstructConnect’s coverage tied the message to everyday construction and civil work rather than a narrow specialty. (bc1c.ca) The feature cast underground coordination as a basic project-delivery function for roadway, site-servicing and other excavation-heavy jobs. BC 1 Call’s April 2026 underground infrastructure roundtable report described the issue in similar terms. (fortisbc.com) The report said the organization gathered municipalities, utilities, contractors, regulators, associations and technology firms on Feb. 25 to discuss how British Columbia could improve damage prevention and coordination. ### What does BC 1 Call say the wider system still needs? BC 1 Call said in its roundtable report that damage prevention depends on better coordination across owners, excavators, regulators and local governments. (canada.constructconnect.com) The report said the goal was to identify system-level themes and support continued decision-making across British Columbia. The organization has also continued public outreach alongside the feature series. (bc1c.ca) BC 1 Call promoted a “Before You Break Ground” webinar in June and has published contractor-facing guidance through its website and partner appearances. ### Where does the series go from here? ConstructConnect’s Journal of Commerce identified the July 8 article as Part 1 of a six-part series, indicating additional instalments are still to come. (bc1c.ca) BC 1 Call has linked the series from its homepage under “Beneath B.C. - Building the Future Around Our Past: Part 1/6 Series with Journal of Commerce.” BC 1 Call’s next public-facing materials are likely to appear through its news page and the continuing Journal of Commerce series. (bc1c.ca) The organization’s website lists the feature among its latest items and continues to host contractor instructions for locate requests and confirmation tickets. (bc1c.ca) (canada.constructconnect.com)