EDITOR’S PICKS
The UK’S Water Industry continues to influence safe digging community
Record-breaking numbers of people in the UK are searching for pipes and cables before they put a digger bucket or spade in the ground, according to Digging up Britain 2023. More than 3.75 million search enquiries were placed in 2022 by the UK’s safe digging community.
The annual report by LSBUD, which provides an accurate barometer of digging activity across the country, reveals that 384,072 more searches were placed in 2022 than the previous year, a 12 percent increase. To put the total number of searches in perspective, there were more in 2022 than the number of steps the average person takes each year.
Despite these unprecedented numbers, the water sector remains susceptible to third party damage, leakages, and customer outages. That’s because just 15 percent of water companies share their asset information to a central portal, meaning up to 350,000 kilometres of water pipelines across the UK are currently unavailable at the point when a search enquiry is made. This is not only a significant volume of pipeline, but also means the water industry falls along way behind its gas and electricity counterparts, who boast 100 and 92 percent representation respectively.
It is not all doom and gloom for the water industry, with those performing excavations acutely aware of the need to perform an asset search. Indeed, people digging on behalf of water companies rank as the second most active sector, behind telecoms, making 1,032,328 searches in 2022. This was a 13 percent increase on the previous year, and accounted for 28 percent of all enquiries.
Richard Broome, MD at LSBUD, comments: “The water industry is proving to be somewhat of an anomaly. We have water companies who are not freely sharing their asset information, and then we have the same companies prioritising worker safety and other providers assets. Now we have complete coverage of the major gas distribution networks in the UK and the majority of electricity providers, we remain hopeful that water companies will follow suit in 2023 and beyond.
From a wider safe digging community perspective, search enquiries came in from all over the UK, not just isolated to the major cities. There were typical activity hotspots in the South and South East, but allowing for populations and population densities, the coverage of searches was widespread across Great Britain. This is another positive sign.
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Richard Broome concludes: “2022 was the best ever year for the safe digging community. Pipes and cables were better protected than ever before, and those working near them were safer. Of course, there is room for improvement, and that is what we push for, however we wanted to extend a thank you to every farmer, construction, highways, telecoms, water, gas and electricity worker and homeowner who searches before they dig. It is good practice, it is safe, and it is sensible. Remember, always search before you dig.”
Achieving Operational
Transparency: A guide to Managing Subcontractors and Engineers
Having a transparent view of your employees and subcontractors is not just a luxury; it's a necessity for operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
As owners, operations directors and office managers of drainage companies, you're likely no stranger to the complexities of managing subcontractors and engineers on different jobs and at different sites. The absence of clear visibility can hamper your ability to monitor activities, meet customer expectations, and run a smooth operation.
This article aims to shed light on how effective management of employees and subcontractors can result in better coordination, informed decision-making, and ultimately, a more efficient field service operation.
| October 2023 |
www.draintraderltd.com
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