FortisBC announced April 15 that 2024 marked the lowest level of gas line damage in 20 years because of a surge in BC 1 Call requests.
A total of 779 incidents were reported, a direct result of growing use of the BC 1 Call locate request service.
“The strong correlation between increased BC 1 Call usage and the decline in gas line damages is clear,” said Ada Nadison, program manager, public safety at FortisBC. “While this progress is encouraging, we know there’s still work to be done, particularly in Metro Vancouver. We continue to prioritize safety and raise awareness about the importance of calling or clicking before digging.”
Nearly 170,000 BC 1 Call tickets were processed in 2024, a FortisBC release said, and “this surge in usage demonstrates heightened awareness of the importance of checking for buried utilities before disturbing the ground.”
FortisBC also conducted more than 30 safety training sessions across B.C. with contractors in order to further promote safe digging practices.
“We’ve seen fantastic engagement from contractors at our training sessions. These proactive measures are helping to keep damage incidents low. It’s encouraging to see such strong participation, and we remain committed to providing more training and support across the province,” Nadison said.
You can read FortisBC’s release here!