Many volunteers gathered around City Hall in London Ontario on Wednesday (April 3rd) for the annual Dig Safe Month Kickoff event, before taking to the streets to share the ‘Dig Safe’ message. Several teams of enthusiastic ORCGA members volunteered their time and were able to spread the word to many people walking around the London area – an unexpected snow squall didn’t even slow us down!

You might wonder why the ORCGA would plan a whole event to reach the general public with their ‘Dig Safe’ message, rather than just focusing on excavators. With the warmer weather approaching, many DIYers are planning on building decks, adding fences, putting in new gardens, etc. The truth is, it is very important for home owners to call for locates when they plan to dig on their property. There is not only an inherent risk to damage the underground plant but there is also a risk for the home owner to seriously injure themselves and others, if they come in contact with underground plant.

Therefore, the ORCGA strives to educate everyone about safe digging habits. Here are some practical ways that you can participate in this goal taken from the Dig Safe web site (www.digsafe.ca):

  1. Help support Dig Safe initiatives by calling for locates before beginning an outdoor digging project, large or small.
  2. If a neighbour is planning a digging project, remind them to call for locates before they break ground.
  3. If you have a web site, personal blog or e-newsletter, you can download our Dig Safe button on your profile to show your support for safe digging.

Dig Safe Month continues to roll on with local events in Toronto, Niagara, Sarnia and Kingston. Check out our Twitter feed – @got_locates, and the official @DigSafeOntario for more info.

So continue to spread the word and together we can make Ontario a safer place than it was yesterday!