Gas Safety and Excavating:

What you need to know

Presented by the BC Safety Authority

The BCSA: Who We Are

What We Do

Amusement Rides Elevating Devices Passenger Ropeways Gas Systems

Electrical Equipment Refrigeration Boilers & Pressure Vessels Railways

BCSA and WorkSafeBC

WorkSafeBC is dedicated to promoting workplace health and

safety for the workers and employers of this province.

We work with British Columbians to enhance the safety of technical

systems, products, equipment and work.

Finding the Regulations

Sections 38-49 of the Gas Safety Regulations govern

excavation work

Regulations Summarized

– If you are going to break ground, contact

the gas company or its agent (BC One

Call) a few days before beginning work to

request gas line location information in the

area

Regulations Summarized cont’d

– Don’t break ground until you have a plan, surface staking or surface marking, and keep the markers visible

– Hand dig to expose the location of gas lines; don’t probe with pointed tools

– Immediately contact the gas company if the lines are not placed according to the plan

Regulations Summarized cont’d

– If you are planning to blast near a gas installation, contact the gas company 3 business days prior

Regulations Summarized cont’d

• Don’t damage the installation, protective wrapping, or cathodic protection devices

• Thoroughly tamp backfill

• Support the gas line so it will stay in line and grade

Act if you damage a gas line

– Extinguish flames or ignition sources

– Warn anyone in affected the premises, and

advise them to evacuate if they smell gas

– Call 911 (police and fire department)

– Call the gas company

– Warn traffic, vehicles and pedestrians

Because you don’t want this

Call the gas company if you

– expose any bell

and spigot joints,

mechanical

couplings, valves

or line insulators

- hit a line – even if no gas escapes

- expose more than 3 meters of gas line

And call if

• you damage insulators, test

wires, sacrificial anodes, anode

beds, rectifier wires or other

cathodic protection devices

• you damage protective

wrapping on a gas line

You don’t want this to be you

If you don’t comply with Regulations

• Enforcement tools BCSA may use include

– Compliance Orders

– Discipline Orders

– Monetary Penalties

• So know the regulations and act safely!

Who to contact

• BC Safety Authority www.safetyauthority.ca

• Underground Utility Awareness Workshop (Electrical Industry Training Institute Ltd.) http://www.eiti.bc.ca/safety/workplace_safety/sft-150.html

• Heavy Equipment Training & Evaluations Operators Training School http://www.operatorstraining.com

• BC Common Ground Alliance www.commongroundbc.ca

• BC One Call www.bconecall.bc.ca

• Terasen Gas www.terasengas.com