SaskEnergy launches Safe Digging Excellence Award

What better time to recognize Saskatchewan contractors who are dedicated to safe digging practices than during Dig Safe Month?

This April, SaskEnergy launched the Safe Digging Excellence Award to recognize and celebrate contractors who reduce the risk of damage to underground infrastructure by following safe digging practices. In the first year of the award, SaskEnergy recognized three Saskatchewan businesses that make safe digging a focus on every job site — Parkland Contracting and Vac Services (Yorkton), Yaremy Screw Piles (Melfort) and Jerry Mainil Limited (Weyburn). 

With more than 414,000 customers served by nearly 88,000 kilometres of gas lines across the province, maintaining the safety and integrity of Saskatchewan’s natural gas system is a critical component of our focus on safety. Working with the digging community to promote safe digging practices is an important part of this work.

“By working together with the digging community, we have seen record low contacts with SaskEnergy infrastructure over the past three years,” says Kevin Adair – Executive Vice President, Customer Service Operations. “The recipients of the award are setting an example for the industry through their dedication to safe digging. Reducing the risk of damage to underground utilities and making worksites safer for their employees and the public. That deserves to be celebrated.”

Each of the Award winners requested at least 25 line locates each year for three years in a row and has zero contacts with underground infrastructure during that time.

By entrenching safe digging practices into their everyday processes, these companies are making safety a priority, reducing the risk of property damage and personal injury while ensuring their projects can be completed on time.

The idea for the Safe Digging Excellence Award came from similar initiatives across various industries, recognizing achievements in innovation, creativity or technical excellence — or in this case commitment to safety! — to inspire other peer companies to improve their efforts.

“By applying these same principles to safe digging practices, highlighting key industry players who are demonstrating how to achieve no line hits, we are hoping for a natural ripple effect in the digging community,” explains Sheena.

The awards were presented at SCGA’s local Dig Safe Awareness breakfasts, further promoting safety messaging with contractors across the province.

“It was an honor to personally attend and witness the awards being presented. The pride and spirit of each of the recipients and their crews as they were recognized in front of their peers in the digging community was rewarding to see,” says Sheena.

April was first declared Dig Safe Month (then Safe Digging Month) in 2011, as the unofficial kick off to construction season in Saskatchewan. Promoted by the Government of Saskatchewan, Sask 1st Call and the Saskatchewan Common Ground Alliance (SCGA), Dig Safe Month serves as an important reminder to follow safe digging practices when working near underground infrastructure.