聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The Saskatchewan Common Ground Alliance (SCGA) hosted its annual Safety Breakfast in Carlyle on Tuesday, April 4, in the morning at Carlyle Memorial Hall.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Attending the breakfast were construction workers, supervisors, business owners, rural municipalities, emergency responders, and anyone associated with any aspect of ground disturbance or working near overhead lines.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Carlyle breakfast was one of 28 sessions held throughout the province and works to reduce accidental line hits throughout Saskatchewan promoting both phrases: 鈥淐lick Before You Dig鈥� and 鈥淟ook Up and Live.鈥�
Five steps to safer digging:
1.聽聽聽聽 Always contact Sask 1st before digging: 1-866-828-4888, sask1stcall.com, or download the Sask 1st Call app via the Apple Store or Google Play. Provide the exact location of the dig site, the type of work, and the start date. Also, remember not all facilities are registered with Sask 1st Call, so ensure you contact the proper channels.
2.聽聽聽聽 Wait the required amount of time: develop both a work plan and perform a hazard/risk assessment including an emergency response plan.
3.聽聽聽聽 Locate accurately: Confirm line locates and check the expiry date of the locates.
4.聽聽聽聽 Respect the marks: ensure all previous steps have been taken, understand crossing agreements/approvals, and conduct a tailgate safety meeting with workers prior to the start of work.
5.聽聽聽聽 Dig carefully: if there鈥檚 been a change to the work plan, contact Sask 1st Call, ensure exposure of lines is done as required by facility owners, use safe excavation procedures in accordance with Occupational Health and Safety, ensure proper supervision, and in the event of damage contact the facility owner and call 911 in an emergency. Once the work is complete, clean up the site and ensure all is in order.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 If you鈥檝e struck a power line call 1-306-310-2220 and wait for SaskPower to arrive; do not exit your vehicle and keep others away.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There are also both Provincial and Federal safety regulations, which employers are expected to know in regards to work. For more information on Provincial regulations call 1-800-567-7233 and for Federal call 1-800-641-4049.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In addition to this information presented at the breakfast in Carlyle, there was also a video which explained companies can register with STARS for $6 a day or $150 a year. The company would provide STARS with all information pertinent in case of an emergency as well as any available resources on site, from farms to corporations, so if an emergency does present itself STARS already has the information pertinent to that site including GPS coordinates of where it is.
