The week, designed to raise awareness of the health and safety, financial and brand implications that come from hitting an underground pipe or cable, is back for its third year with more support than ever before.
David Foster, Health & Safety Director at Network Plus, commented: "We fully endorse and are proud to support this campaign. The campaign is aligned with our own commitment and drive to reduce underground service damages, reduce disruption to customers due to outages and importantly to minimise the chances of employees being injured by damaged services.
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"As part of our commitment, we continually remind employees that we want them to Be: SAFE by following our safe digging procedures, the training that they have been provided and avoid short cuts."
Samantha Brothwell, Streetworks Policy Manager at Western Power Network, said: "It's great that so many projects delayed by the pandemic can now go ahead but it’s vital that people have the basic knowledge to carry out this work safely.
"Underground electricity cables often go unnoticed and unthought of but, if uncovered or struck, can be extremely dangerous. Whether you're involved in a large scale infrastructure project or are doing some digging at home, you must be aware of what is underground before starting any work that involves breaking ground and plan your work accordingly. That's why we’re joining the campaign to urge people to stay safe and think before they dig."
The UK is experiencing a 'digging boom' post-pandemic thanks to the Government’s focus on kick starting the economy through investment in large-scale infrastructure projects. However, this rise in digging activity must not overlook safe digging practices.
Further to this, summer months are a busy time for digging, with industries like construction, highways, telecoms, agriculture and utilities, embarking on significant projects. The general public is also making the most of good weather, lighter evenings and time off work doing jobs in their garden. National Safe Digging Week acts as a timely reminder that everyone must dig safely, or else risk serious injuries, as well as the possibility of causing millions of pounds worth of damage.
