Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) has issued a call for governments to introduce reforms to reduce underground utility strikes, improve excavation safety and modernise the way Australia manages underground asset data.
In a recent report, BYDA sets out the ways in which utility strikes occur, how they can be prevented, and the role that governments need to play in achieving greater safety and efficiency.
Specifically, it wants reform to bring Australia up to international standards for ‘before you dig’ services.
Data shows that:
- More than 15,000 underground utility strikes occur across Australia each year;
- This costs the economy $4.6 billion through delays, disruptions and lost productivity;
- Thousands of workers in fields such as surveying and construction are exposed to the risk of injury or death.
Australia is falling behind
The report shows how Australia is lagging behind other countries when it comes to underground asset databasing and worker protection.
In France, for instance, there is a national legal obligation to use before-you-dig data.
“Australia is well behind comparable jurisdictions such as France, Canada and the United States in the legal and regulatory frameworks governing excavation safety,” said BYDA’s CEO, Mell Greenall.
“The problem in Australia is systemic rather than behavioural. While responsibility for preventing strikes often sits with frontline workers, the power to improve underlying conditions rests with governments, regulators, and asset owners.
“What we’re talking about is a 40-year-old system in a high-risk digital age. It is a fragmented information ecosystem that remains largely static and document-based, yet one with consequences for all.”
What BYDA wants governments to do
BYDA is asking governments to reform policies to:
- Make BYDA enquiries mandatory prior to starting any excavation work, by amending WHS, electricity and gas regulations;
- Improve underground asset data quality and access, along with minimum standards and data sharing, for a potential annual saving of $782 million;
- Support regulators, improve industry education and enable targeted enforcement, for a potential saving of $332 million per year.
“These reforms do not require building a new system. Rather, they involve strengthening the legal and regulatory environment so the existing ecosystem can operate effectively. This is an immediate opportunity for government leadership,” said Greenall.
“We must act now, before a major service outage or fatality event. The research in this report highlights an unavoidable situation: incremental improvement will not be enough.
“Decisions must be made now to prevent what we see as an inevitable serious incident involving an underground service strike.”
Related reading:
Transforming underground utility location data
