FortisBC has announced the 2020 recipients of its annual Excavation Safety Awards, given to companies that exemplify safe digging practices. This year's recipients are LJE Underground Inc. (formally known as Thor Hydro & Drill) and BC Plant Health Care Inc., both located in Surrey.

The award is a joint initiative with BC 1 Call, Technical Safety BC and the BC Common Ground Alliance and considered businesses across the Lower Mainland that submit a high number of locate requests to BC 1 Call and have not damaged any FortisBC natural gas lines within the last three years.

When asked what is the importance of this award for the excavating community, Chris Hyland, President and CEO of BC 1 Call, said that “we are glad to have FortisBC as one of our biggest supporters and this initiative shows again its utmost commitment to safety. We hope this award will encourage more organizations to excel at their excavation practices in the years to come.

Source: FortisBC

What the winners have to say

LJE Underground Inc. submitted 1430 tickets and BC Plant Health Care submitted 1049 tickets to BC 1 Call. Both companies followed damage prevention best practices to ensure no gas lines or any other underground infrastructure was damaged.

According to Lana Svjetlana Turk, President & CEO of LJE Underground Inc., winning this award “means that we have succeeded to provide a safe environment for our workers and for our customers as well. In this industry if a job is not done safely, there could be dire consequences and therefore focusing on safety is of utmost importance to us.”

Cliff Hoegler, owner of BC Plant Health Care, was grateful for the award and emphasized the importance of eliminating risks by partnering cooperatively with companies like FortisBC.

Do as this year's winners did!

Help make British Columbia a safer place: always submit a ticket to BC 1 Call and follow the instructions provided by our members, such as FortisBC, before undertaking any project that involves digging. In doing so, you can avoid damages to underground infrastructure, loss of essential services such as gas, heat, internet or water and even injuries.

Requesting a locate with BC 1 Call is free and easy. You can do it online 24/7 at bc1c.ca or by phone, from Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm PST (excluding holidays) through our toll-free number 1-800-474-6886.