"Whether you’re adding a fence to your home or working on a construction site, if you’re planning to dig more than a few inches into the ground, you need to check for buried utilities, including buried gas lines. An exposed gas line is a vulnerable gas line, and a gas line strike can result in serious danger. We investigated two catastrophic incidents in Comox and Fernie where underground gas lines were hit by an excavator.

In both incidents, the leaked gas from the punctured lines, entered buildings, contacted a sources of ignition and resulted in a catastrophic explosions. When you’re planning to dig, make sure to locate underground utilities, but also assess any risks and potential impacts if a gas line is hit, and have a plan in place should there be a gas leak.

Learn more about the steps you can take for safe digging at https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/"