Before You Dig Australia

Before You Dig Australia Before You Dig Australia provides the free referral service to protect workers & prevent asset damage

⚠️ BYDA is a big supporter of developing the skills and knowledge of our future tradespeople – in particular instilling ...
03/06/2026

⚠️ BYDA is a big supporter of developing the skills and knowledge of our future tradespeople – in particular instilling safe work habits around utility risk management and safety early in their careers.

? Because the and sectors are leading contributors to utility strikes across Australia.

Recently BYDA’s Kate Birrell and Peter Richardson, met budding apprentices at the TAFE NSW NSW annual in Mount Druitt. They shared little-known facts about the real risks and dangers of working near utility networks (💡 15k+ utility strikes annually), and the importance of being utility aware on every jobsite.

They made sure every apprentice they spoke with knew about the and tool to access plans, maps and safety information about underground and overhead utility networks on their jobsites. Utility tools that are freely available to anyone – including apprentices.

A shout up to the wonderful TAFE NSW organisers for delivering a fantastic event.

🦺
BYDA is always look to partner with Universities, TAFEs and RTOs and how we can build those work safe skills in the classroom.

We love the opportunities to speak with apprentices and trainees – where our focus is building their knowledge and awareness about the risks and dangers of working near services and, importantly, the steps to reduce those risks and work safe.

Help us raise awareness in the next generation of trades about utility risk management and safety, contact our BYDA Damage Prevention Education Team 👉 www.byda.com.au

With civil construction activities a leading contributor of utility strikes in Australia, Before You Dig Australia is co...
01/06/2026

With civil construction activities a leading contributor of utility strikes in Australia, Before You Dig Australia is committed to working closer with civil contractors to find collaborative solutions to reduce this costly impact.

BYDA recently joined forces with Civil Contractors Federation SA to host a second construction forum, bringing together civil sector representatives for in-depth discussions. The session provided a valuable platform to engage with key industry figures, gain first-hand insights into their challenges when working around utility networks, and explore practical strategies to minimise the hefty costs and impact of utility strikes.

Participants emphasised the risks and dangers of working around utilities are often underestimated. They also highlighted the importance of stronger cross-industry collaboration and innovative solutions to truly improve utility risk management.

Thank you to all attendees for your valuable contributions: Access Training, Bardavcol, BDT Construction SA, Beltrame Civil, Electel, Enerven, SA Cable & Pipe Locating, Seymour Whyte, and Tiger Vac.

Together, we’re building a safer and more informed industry.

A special acknowledgment to CCF SA for hosting this important session at their HQ. Your support of the utility damage prevention mission is much appreciated and valued.

In recent weeks, we shared findings from the ‘Australia’s Underground Utility Safety Reckoning’ report – one of the most...
27/05/2026

In recent weeks, we shared findings from the ‘Australia’s Underground Utility Safety Reckoning’ report – one of the most comprehensive examinations of utility strike risk in Australia.

The message is clear: Australia’s approach to underground utility safety is no longer fit for purpose.

We are operating in a high-risk environment with:
🔸 Fragmented legal frameworks
🔸 Inconsistent data quality
🔸 Systems that have not kept pace with modern infrastructure demands.

While responsibility is often described as “shared”, in practice it is too often pushed to those with the least ability to influence outcomes.

This is not a knowledge gap.
This is a commitment challenge.

The research sets out a practical path forward:
1️⃣ Mandatory BYDA utility plan requests
2️⃣ Stronger, nationally consistent legal frameworks
3️⃣ Improved underground asset data quality and accessibility, including digital and GIS capability
4️⃣ Greater investment in workforce capability and awareness, and enforcement.

These are not radical ideas.
They are proven approaches already adopted globally.

At BYDA, we are committed to enabling this reform.
But meaningful change requires collective action.

We invite government, regulators, asset owners and industry leaders to step forward and publicly commit to strengthening Australia’s utility safety framework.

Because if we choose not to act, we are also choosing to accept the consequences.

the three critical actions for utility safety reform 👉 https://tinyurl.com/28jwe54u

Voted as one of the best in Melbourne, Unify Plumbing Solutions are serious about their trade. This includes making su...
26/05/2026

Voted as one of the best in Melbourne, Unify Plumbing Solutions are serious about their trade. This includes making sure their crews are match-fit and skilled in the risks and safe-work practices of working around complex urban utility networks.

BYDA Damage Prevention Officer Jarred Prowd met the expert crew, stepping them through the often-overlooked dangers and impacts of utility strikes – and the best practice steps to mitigate the risks to avoid damage, harm and disruption.

Thank you Matthew Benstead for being proactive about building your team’s capability in utility risk management and inviting BYDA to speak with your crew.

Fantastic to hear they gained valuable insights and learnings from the session with Jarred. It was great to see their particular interest in the importance of and the AS5488 (the Australian Standard for the Classification of Subsurface Utility Information).

💡 Smart planning before you dig helps keep plumbing doing what it does best – connecting communities and keeping everything flowing smoothly.

🦺

. You have a legal “Duty of Care” to take reasonable steps to locate underground utilities BEFORE starting any type or ...
25/05/2026

. You have a legal “Duty of Care” to take reasonable steps to locate underground utilities BEFORE starting any type or size of excavation work – even in a small backyard. Every. Single. Time.

Neglecting to locate and identify essential services – electrical cables, gas pipelines, water main and telecommunication lines – can result in serious safety hazards, expensive repair costs, severe service disruptions, and significant financial liability.

Before you dig, your obligations are clear:
🔸 Follow local state or territory work or occupational, health and safety (WHS or OHS) legislation and regulations
🔸 Follow any laws or requirements to protect certain utilities, such as gas pipeline and transmission networks
🔸 Protect workers and the public
🔸 Minimise the potential for utility damage and service disruption.

🦺 , always request free utilities plans for your jobsite at www.byda.com.au

is falling behind:🔸 No national mandate.🔸 Fragmented laws.🔸 Limited accountability. Meanwhile, global leaders are:✔ Ma...
21/05/2026

is falling behind:
🔸 No national mandate.
🔸 Fragmented laws.
🔸 Limited accountability.

Meanwhile, global leaders are:
✔ Mandating a ‘before you dig’
✔ Enforcing compliance
✔ Requiring high-quality data.

The path forward is clear:
🔸 Mandatory BYDA enquiries
🔸 Better data sharing (including GIS)
🔸 Stronger enforcement
🔸 Improved capability across the workforce.

🦺 The risks are known.
🦺 The solutions exist.

The only left: Will we act?

This is a key finding from the ‘Australia's Underground Utility Safety Reckoning’ report - major research commissioned by Before You Dig Australia and conducted by New View Safety.

We're calling for .

the three critical actions for utility safety reform 👉 https://tinyurl.com/28jwe54u

Half of all identified causes of utility strikes sit at the frontline. Yet the conditions that create those failures si...
14/05/2026

Half of all identified causes of utility strikes sit at the frontline. Yet the conditions that create those failures sit upstream:
🔸 Weak legislation
🔸 Poor data quality
🔸 Inconsistent standards
🔸 Procurement pressures.

Workers don’t create the system – they inherit it.

🦺 If we want better outcomes, we must design a better system.

This is a key finding from the ‘Australia's Underground Utility Safety Reckoning’ report - major research commissioned by Before You Dig Australia and conducted by New View Safety.

We're calling for .

the three critical actions for utility safety reform 👉 https://tinyurl.com/28jwe54u

🦺 Throughout May SafeWork NSW inspectors are targeting safe work near overhead powerlines and underground services in co...
12/05/2026

🦺 Throughout May SafeWork NSW inspectors are targeting safe work near overhead powerlines and underground services in construction.

Inspectors will be speaking with principal contractors, site supervisors, workers and health and safety representatives to ensure they have effective systems in place to safely plan for work near overhead powerlines and underground services, including use of mobile plant, vehicles, scaffold, hand tools and site access.

⚠️ Here’s key tips from SafeWork NSW on staying :

🔸 Know where and what the services are, by doing a Before You Dig Australia and/or check
🔸 Consult with the supply authority
🔸 Plan site access and vehicle entry zones so they are away from powerlines where possible
🔸 Adhere to exclusion zones and approach distances
🔸 Use trained and competent plant operators, and spotters or safety observers
🔸 Use engineering controls such as hydraulic limiting switches for excavators to limit lift height, non-destructive equipment to locate underground services (water bore, pot holing), gummy bucket on excavators instead of teeth, and
🔸 Only trained and authorised persons should test cables or services.

🔎 Before You Start Work:

11/05/2026

👋 Hey South Australian tradies, the is coming to Adelaide this week. The BYDA team will be there talking all things utility damage prevention – from what’s underground to what’s overhead – and the tips to keep you and your crew and sites safe.

So, if working around utilities is a regular challenge, then visit the team at the Adelaide Showground this Thursday.

👋 Swing by for a chat, pick up some merch, and help us spread the word about safe digging and working smart around utilities. We're at Stand 114. See you there!

🦺 Bunnings Trade Expo
🏠 Adelaide Showground
📆 Thursday, 14 May
⏰ 12pm to 7pm
🎟️ Entry is free. Register here: https://ow.ly/NBmb50YXh80

of the most alarming findings from BYDA’s latest research: Utility strikes are no longer treated as exceptions – they ...
07/05/2026

of the most alarming findings from BYDA’s latest research: Utility strikes are no longer treated as exceptions – they are being priced into projects.

Cost pressure. Time pressure. Delivery pressure.
All pushing decisions toward risk.

When utility strikes become “expected”:
🔸 Reporting drops
🔸 Learning stops
🔸 Risk increases.

🦺 We accept damage as a cost of doing business.

This is a key finding from the ‘Australia's Underground Utility Safety Reckoning’ report - major research commissioned by Before You Dig Australia and conducted by New View Safety.

We're calling for .

the three critical actions for utility safety reform 👉 https://tinyurl.com/28jwe54u

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