Call Before you dig! It's the law!
We recognize the difficulty in being mandated to join Ontario One Call,
that's why for the month of May, 2011 UtiLocate Dispatch Inc. is offering 50%
off of all installation charges for UtiLocate 2 to municipalities.
In the U2 age paper has been replaced with a revolutionary
digital system of instant access. Usability and speed have
been upgraded to improve locating efficiency. Control has been
extended to envelop your entire system, including in-field
locates. Give yourself the reliability and flexibility you
require in the ever changing world of underground locating.
Your work is managed, tracked, stored and distributed according
to your specific business requirements. |
If at this time you are looking to outsource your underground locating,
UtiLocate Inc. recommends contracting Terra Discovery Ltd., a
well-respected locate service provider.
Terra Discovery, Ltd.
General Number
(866) 702-8484 08:00-17:00 EST
Sales
(416) 936-6103 09:00-17:00 EST
info@terradiscovery.ca
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| If you are a municipality and you own utilities, you need to read this!
The "Call Before You Dig" Act, which would require all those operating underground infrastructure to participate in Ontario One Call, has passed it's second reading unanimously. If you aren't ready to receive your locate requests from Ontario One Call, this is your opportunity to become prepared.
UtiLocate 2 is a fully loaded locate work order management system. It receives tickets from Ontario One Call, it allows your dispatching staff to easily assign requests, and even gives you the option to do electronic in the field locate completing; including digital drawings. UtiLocate 2 can even automatically fax or email completed digital locates which completes the locate process.
"Ontario One Call Act" passes second reading
April 21st, 2011, MPP Bailey's legislation received all-party support during debate and passed unanimously through second reading. Originally presented to the Assembly on April 13, 2011 the next step on its legislative journey will be an in-depth review in one of the Assembly's standing committees before receiving a final third vote.
The Ontario One Call Act would make safety a priority by streamlining the current system; it would require all those operating underground infrastructure to participate in a single 24/7 call centre in the province to provide the 'locates' for underground infrastructure.
"I'm very happy that the other parties have seen the value in this important bill," said Bailey, following the vote. "This bill isn't just about streamlining a confusing system to make it easier to dig in your backyard; it's about preventing accidents and saving lives."
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Failing to locate all underground and overhead utilities prior to construction has led to property damage totalling nearly $33 million each year. This imposes a significant loss of revenue, as well as productivity and efficiency for businesses of all sizes.
Between 2008 and 2009, there were over 2500 pipeline strikes in Ontario, two of which resulted in fatalities. Last autumn, a Niagara Falls landscaping company was fined $225,000 following a fatal explosion at the site of a residential home. The company, after failing to locate the underground utilities, accidentally punctured a propane line on the property. Tragically, a 58-year-old grandmother of three, who was home at the time, died in the explosion.
The Ministry of Labour found that the landscaping company had made no effort at all to discover the location of underground utilities or have their 'locates' marked. This grave oversight left the workers on site with no knowledge of what was beneath the ground where they dug and resulted in the death of a Niagara Falls' woman.
"One life is too many," said Bailey. "We need to stop dragging our feet on this issue - its just common sense. We need a system where anyone, anywhere in Ontario can find out what infrastructure exists under their property. With the growing complexity of our underground utilities, a mandatory One Call system will save money, and lives."
The Ontario One Call Act has the full support of many of Ontario's construction and utility companies, as well as the current Ontario One Call agency - so far almost 40 municipalities, agencies and companies have written to our office expressing their support for Bill 180.
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