Thank you for your commitment to ensure the highest standards of safety and best practice when carrying out essential work to avoid utility strikes. As part of this drive, USAG produces an Annual Report on Utility Strikes to highlight trends in asset damage throughout the UK; a concept based on international best practice. The drivers for this are to help all stakeholders improve by recognising best practice, reduce damages and delays and, most importantly, increase the safety of people working near utilities. Data collection templates and guidance can be found here. All data will be anonymised and a Non-Disclosure Agreement is available upon request. 

We thank you in advance for your help; the deadline date for return of 2017 & 2018 information is 07 June 2019.  Your efforts to keep to this deadline are appreciated as it will enable the finalised reports for both 2017 and 2018 to be compiled and made available in the coming months for the good of the whole industry. Should you have any questions please email Richard Broome, Head of Data and Reporting Group.

One of our large utility construction and maintenance contractor members Amey has produced a handy video training guide to their locating services process. They are happy to share this guide with the rest of USAG and you can view the video on their youtube channel by clicking below.

National Damage Prevention Day – This year the national damage prevention day hosted by LSBUD is being held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on Thursday 20th June. USAG is proud to support this event and there will be a diverse agenda of speakers from the utilities, contractors, regulatory authorities, service and equipment suppliers all dedicated to reducing damage to utilities, keeping the essential services to homes and business running and most importantly of all keeping workers and the public safe.

LSBUD have kindly offered members of USAG the opportunity to purchase reduced price tickets at a cost of £76.50 + VAT by simply entering the promo code USAGMEMBER don’t worry if you’re not a member, use the code then simply send us an email to join on info@utilitystrikeavoidancegroup.org

The USAG team hope to see you on the day where we will be available to discuss damage prevention with you.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-damage-prevention-day-2019-hosted-by-lsbud-tickets-57711016203

The USAG group was recently featured in an article in the Water and Wastewater treatment magazine. This piece focuses on the risks and scale of the problem and the initiatives that have taken place such as linesearchbeforeUdig, training and advances in technology to better inform and improve the working practices of those excavating near utilities. 

The full story can be found on the Water and Wastewater Treatement website by clicking the following link:
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https://wwtonline.co.uk/features/striking-it-out-how-can-the-industry-cut-down-utility-strikes

IOSH fully supports this proactive industry-led initiative and wholeheartedly agrees that risk assessment, planning, safe systems of work and competence are all essential for ensuring that digging and excavating are safe.

We need to make sure that all workers involved in excavations avoid accidentally striking the myriad of underground services, including electricity cables and gas pipes. Health and safety professionals are committed to helping employers and workers by raising awareness and promoting good working practices.

The latest HSE guidance ‘Avoiding danger from underground services’ highlights the devastating consequences of failing to manage such work properly, with workers being killed or seriously injured from striking live underground cables. These tragedies are preventable and IOSH believes we must act to ensure every worker goes home safely at the end of the working day.

The Institution would urge all organisations involved in commissioning or conducting any ground or excavation work to renew their efforts to raise health and safety standards and to sign up to this Charter. We all need to work together to make sure accidental contact with underground services is a tragedy of the past.

Jan Chmiel

Chief Executive

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health