The leading cause of accidents in both transmission and distribution systems is damage by digging near existing pipeline. Frequently, this damage results from someone excavating without asking or without waiting the standard 48-hours for the gas company to mark the location of its lines. Excavation damage accounted for almost 60 percent of all reported distribution pipeline incidents between 1995 and 2004, according to statistics kept by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Pipeline Safety.
You can help maintain pipeline safety by being aware of your legal requirements when excavating and performing other activities near underground utilities. Before excavating, notify the appropriate One-Call center for the area where you will be digging or, notify Centra Pipelines when performing other non-excavation activities near our facilities. We are all responsible when it comes to damage prevention.
For safety reasons, most of Centra’s pipelines are buried. We install line markers at roads, rail and river crossings and other places along the rights of way to help the public identify the location of our buried pipelines.
Centra Pipeline Markers show the general location of the pipeline and provide emergency contact information. Markers cannot be relied upon to indicate the exact location or depth of the pipeline. If you are planning a digging project, it’s important that you first call One Call or 811 so we can mark the location of the pipeline and have a representative present when digging occurs.
In case of an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency response number and Centra’s 24-hour emergency number listed on the line markers. Call us immediately if our pipeline is struck or if you see someone working near them. Even minor dents, chips or scrapes are serious and may cause future leaks if they are not repaired.
The Canadian Common Ground Alliance released Version 2.0 of the National Best Practices at the 2016 CCGA Damage Prevention Symposium in Banff, Alberta. An electronic copy can be found here: