Ear to the Ground - Fall 2015 - (Page 19)
FEATURE
B Y T H E B E L L F I E L D O P E R AT I O N S & D A M A G E P R E V E N T I O N T E A M , B E L L C A N A D A
Bell Canada
Leads Safety Effort
B
ecause modern communication
networks link millions of customers locally and around the world,
safeguarding them requires more than
just a warning to "Click" or "Call" Before
You Dig.
Bell, Canada's largest communications company, is leading efforts to
ensure the integrity of those networks
in a number of ways.
CRITICAL WATCH
PROGRAM
Excavators need to know more than
depth of the network installation to set
their drilling equipment. In the case
of tie-backs - the cabled anchors that
steady high rise buildings - which are
usually installed at a 20- to 30-degree
angle, drillers need even better
information to avoid having their digging become a true shot in the dark.
Bell has developed the Critical Watch
Program to mitigate the risk by notifying
Bell's Damage Prevention Team of a highrisk activity around any central office or
critical network site as well as emergency service locations such as fire and
police stations, hospitals, airports and
key government sites. When an excavator calls the Ontario One Call (ON1Call)
Centre or uses the Click Before You Dig
online service in any province, Bell's
screening centre is notified and the digsite detail is overlaid on Bell's network
in a tool called Multiviewer (Figure A).
If the excavation falls within the
critical notification area (highlighted
in pink) it triggers a process led by a
Bell Damage Prevention Manager who
reviews the details and works with the
contractor throughout the dig, including onsite visits, to oversee all aspects
and ensure the network infrastructure
is not damaged.
Thanks to Bell's Multi-Viewer mapping tool application, much of the process is automated. The viewer is easily
integrated with the most widely used
One Call ticket management systems.
Planview Utility Services Limited also
developed a Damage Prevention Risk
Assessment (DPRA) tool with all critical
zones built in as well as historical data
on requests and damage.
This tool enables the Bell Damage
Prevention Team to establish risk criteria for future digs, enabling team members to conduct drop-in audits to ensure
excavators have everything required to
safely complete the work. It also saves
time and makes it easier to manage the
thousands of excavation requests and
threats that occur each day by focusing on those that represent the greatest
potential customer impact.
BELL'S PROTOCOL
PROJECT
Because Ontario law requires all
underground infrastructure owners to
register their network through ON1Call -
and to notify the system about every
excavation request, including hand-digging - there are thousands of locate
requests every year. The law does not
differentiate between high- and lowrisk situations, creating new costs for
organizations who must comply.
Bell technicians execute about
10,000 work orders a year involving
FA L L 1 5
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ear to the Ground - Fall 2015
President’s Message
What Is a Stickered Locate?
Green Industry Damages Greatly Reduced
How TSSA Handles Late Locates
The ORCGA 10th Annual Golf Tournament
Hydro One Programs and Initiatives
Bell Canada Leads Safety Effort
Utility Coordination Comes to the Forefront in Canada
2015 ORCGA Locate Rodeo
Index of Advertisers
Ear to the Ground - Fall 2015
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