This year, Switzerland’s population is expected to hit a record high, with an estimated 8.54 million people living in the country. As a result, investment in new infrastructure and renovation is on the increase.
With more assets joining or replacing existing infrastructure, the risk of striking utilities is high, creating a threat to public and workers’ safety.
Utility strikes can occur as a result of many factors, including:
- Inaccurate measurements on a map as a result of human error
- Legacy utilities not currently mapped
- Reference points have been moved or are no longer present
- Paper-based inventories are not shared with contractors and sub-contracts
- No available equipment to identify underground assets
Utility strikes can lead to devastating consequences and substantial costs for a business. Approximately one in 100 excavations result in a ‘hit’, and their impact can be distressing for an organisation and expensive.
We frequently hear in the news of organisations being fined due to health and safety breaches; however, the cost of a utility strike can extend further than monetary value. It can have a significant impact on a company’s reputation.
To reduce health and safety risks on-site, field workers carrying out utility maintenance, repair, or upgrades should have access to information on the accurate location of utilities. They will then be able to identify any pipes or cables underground, reducing the risk of utility strikes and accidents.
Using the latest Leica Geosystems detection technologies, localising underground assets becomes a simple and efficient task, increasing crews’ safety on-site and assuring protection of buried utilities, ultimately minimising health and safety risks, unplanned costs, and downtime. Leica Geosystems Detection Solutions provide the most streamlined and integrated detection process in the field, covering avoidance, verification and mapping workflows combined with positioning systems and machine control.
Read our ‘Shape the future: Achieve a digital utility network’ white paper to find how you can improve health and safety in the workplace.
Andre Fischer
Regional Sales Manager