• • • SAFETY IN ENGINEERING • • •
The decarbonisation movement and the need for safe digging
Richard Broome, managing director of LSBUD, the UK’s leading online safe digging resource, takes a look at why safe digging practices are essential as the UK Government places significant investment in the decarbonisation movement in a bid to Build Back Better and kickstart the economy
economic recovery. It is weighing up where the strongest opportunities lie and where the UK’s money will be best spent.
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The most likely scenario for this is making significant investment in large scale infrastructure – and this includes spend on the ‘decarbonisation movement’.
Driving growth Last Year, Rishi Sunak laid out the three pillars of the Government’s plan to drive growth beyond the pandemic – chief amongst them was investing in infrastructure. When this is coupled with the £640 billion (over five years) that was set aside in the 2020 Spring Budget for the ‘Build Back Better’ campaign, the intention is clear.
A key focus for this infrastructure growth is decarbonisation as part of the UK’s Net Zero objective. In order for the UK to achieve Net Zero by 2050, its power system will need to be virtually carbon free. However, it will also need to be significantly larger to cope with the additional demand from electrification in transport, heating and some industrial processes.
ith things returning to some form of normality in the UK, the Government is all too aware of the need to stimulate an
An expanded system will require serious investment in network infrastructure. With this in mind, it’s abundantly clear that the volume of digging work relating to the energy sector and renewable projects is set to rise considerably in the coming years.
To achieve these objectives, we anticipate: • £1.3 billion being invested in the electric vehicle (EV) charging structure;
• Investment into the UK’s power networks to ensure the infrastructure does not hold back the transition to electric vehicles, cleaner sources of heat and greater renewables on the grid; and
• The annual investment in the energy sector to be £20+ billion per annum.
Essentially, we’ll see significant upgrades and enhanced maintenance to meet the Government’s targets for economic growth and decarbonisation, all achieved through historic levels of investment. The Government is clear that speed is of the essence which sounds great in principle, but speed of delivery often undermines important protocols and ends up with corners being cut, which could in turn lead to serious issues being encountered.
More digging So, what does all of this additional activity mean? Simply put, more digging.
As the number of infrastructure projects increases, so does the volume of excavation work. This means that there is a greater need than ever to ensure the digging work is being undertaken safely. Whilst we all want to reap the benefits of a jump-started economy immediately, we mustn’t hamper our future selves by not thinking about the implications of a major upswing in activity. With more decarbonisation projects set to take place than ever before, the chances of someone hitting an underground pipe or cable increase, especially as time pressures creep in. This can’t happen. Performing a quick and easy asset search before a digger bucket hits the ground must remain part of all organisation’s safe digging practices. This is not only imperative for the health and safety of our workers, eliminating unnecessary risk onsite, but it also keeps projects on track.
In many cases, future projects are dependent on the previous one finishing on time. If you are delayed because some pipes or cables have been struck, you have to pause activity, miss the deadline, and someone else will pick up the next contract. Time really is money.
There are also financial consequences for companies to think about when an asset is struck. The pipes and cables will obviously need to be repaired, but beyond this there are indirect costs, such as traffic disruption and loss of custom to local businesses which must be factored into the final bill. All very costly, especially as a free, two- minute search is all it takes to help make sure the route or area is pipe and cable free. There are certainly exciting times ahead for
everyone involved in the decarbonisation movement, doing good for the planet, whilst generating plenty of opportunities.
This is why safe digging practices are essential – they avoid major health and safety incidents, reduce delays onsite, facilitate more contracts and tenders being won, eliminate huge bills to pay and stop damage to a business’ reputation. All of these factors are avoidable, so long as people take care when digging and understand their surroundings completely. The UK must go green, but it must go green
safely. All involved in infrastructure projects must search before they dig.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • FEBRUARY 2022 15
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