The Safety Moment by Utility Safety Partners
- Épisodes
- 97
- Parution
- toutes les deux semaines
- Dernier épisode
- 21 Oct 2026
À propos du podcast
In our modern culture, the safety moment has evolved as brief and casual conversations in which to share. They are the perfect time to bring up safety topics in a non-threatening (though potentially lifesaving) way. The Safety Moment Podcast is produced by Utility Safety Partners – a non-profit corporation that has been providing communication service between the digging community and the owners of buried facilities since 1984. Let’s talk about damage prevention, excavation safety, locating and marking, watching for overhead powerlines, and legislative matters to ensure contractors and neighbours can all do their work safely. Let's talk safety - it's always a good conversation.
Épisodes 97
Gratitude, Hard Lessons and What's Next for Utility Safety Partners
Send us Fan MailAfter fifteen seasons, what do you say to the people who carried you through the hardest one? In this solo episode, Mike Sullivan, President of Utility Safety Partners, reflects on a digging …
Notes de l’épisode
After fifteen seasons, what do you say to the people who carried you through the hardest one?
In this solo episode, Mike Sullivan, President of Utility Safety Partners, reflects on a digging year when calls to the contact centre rose more than 40 percent, and he thanks the agents, team leaders and managers who got through it.
He looks at what gives him confidence, including the Alternate Locate Provider option, the Look Up and Live overhead power line map, and the Damage Prevention Professional Certification, a program he is grateful his board backed.
He also shares that he will retire on April 30, 2027, and looks back on a career he calls a privilege.
Listen for:
:45 What happens when call volume jumps 40% and the locates never arrive?
5:15 Why are damages near zero when the locator isn't rushed?
9:00 Why do people hit overhead power lines they can plainly see?
12:45 What qualifies someone to manage damage prevention?
16:30 Could AI have predicted the season no one saw coming?
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REPLAY - Building a Profession From the Ground Up: The DPP Certification Story
Send us Fan MailThis is a REPLAY of an episode first published in April 2026.What if the people who keep gas lines, fibre, and power cables from being torn out of the ground have never had a profession to call …
Notes de l’épisode
This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in April 2026.
What if the people who keep gas lines, fibre, and power cables from being torn out of the ground have never had a profession to call their own?
Mike Sullivan talks with Coral Lukaniuk; engineer, longtime pipeline-integrity and public-awareness leader, and founder of coRoc Solutions, now Executive Director of the brand-new Damage Prevention Professional (DPP) Certification Program.
They unpack a strange truth: damage prevention is named in federal and provincial regulation, yet nearly everyone in it "fell into" the work, with no curriculum, credential, or career pathway behind them.
Coral explains why a nonprofit like Utility Safety Partners is the right home for the program, why it's emphatically not "just an Alberta thing," and why building a profession is a decades-long project worth starting now.
The conversation lands on a simple test of success: a day when DPP certification is a job requirement, and a damage-prevention pro is recognized as readily as an electrician at your door.
Listen for:
2:59 Why has no one ever built a career path for the people protecting what's buried beneath us?
7:25 Why does it matter that a nonprofit — not a company — is behind this certification?
13:58 Why would a board chase a goal that comes with no guarantee of success?
26:12 Why do so many people wrongly dismiss this as "just an Alberta thing"?
30:53 What does success actually look like for a profession that has never existed?
Connect with Guests:Coral Lukaniuk,Executive Director | coRoc Solutions
LinkedIn | Damage Prevention Professional Certification
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REPLAY - Groundbreaking: Alberta’s Alternate Locate Provider Program
Send us Fan MailThis is a REPLAY of an episode first published in August 2024.Ready to revolutionize excavation safety? Mike sits down with Ron Laidman and Iain Stables to explore Alberta's Alternate …
Notes de l’épisode
This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in August 2024.
Ready to revolutionize excavation safety?
Mike sits down with Ron Laidman and Iain Stables to explore Alberta's Alternate Locate Provider (ALP) program.
Launched after years of development, the ALP is set to change the game in damage prevention, offering unprecedented flexibility, increased capacity, and improved safety for all excavation projects.
Dig in as they discuss the ALP's impact, the challenges of implementation, and what the future holds for this innovative approach.
Listen For:
00:56 - The Birth of the Alternate Locate Provider (ALP) Program
05:13 - The Challenges of Consortium Contracts and the Need for Change
18:34 - The Rigorous Assessment Protocol for ALP Providers
25:28 - How Excavators Can Initiate the ALP ProcessGuests:
Ron Laidman | Principal Advisor at Enertia Solutions
Email | LinkedInIain Stables | Manager at ATCO Energy Systems
Email | Iain’s LinkedIn | Website | ATCO LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
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The Note-Taker Who Never Went Home
Send us Fan MailEvery year, roughly one in four utility strikes happens because someone never made the call… and after more than 50 years of fighting that number, Bill Kiger isn't slowing down. Mike …
Notes de l’épisode
Every year, roughly one in four utility strikes happens because someone never made the call… and after more than 50 years of fighting that number, Bill Kiger isn't slowing down.
Mike Sullivan sits down with Bill Kiger, President and CEO of Pennsylvania 811, a man who was handed a four-page law he'd never heard of at a 1974 meeting he was only supposed to attend to take notes… and who never really left.
What follows is a first-person account of how damage prevention was built from scratch.
Kiger covers all of it, handwritten tickets, a 45% routing failure rate, the birth of computerized ticketing, and the partnership that quietly launched Alberta One Call in 1984.
He's equally candid about what hasn't moved: no-locate damages have dropped from 50% to 25% over his career, and they've been stuck there.
What comes through above all is Kiger's unwavering conviction that no one advances alone, and that the border between Canada and the U.S. has never been the obstacle some imagined it to be.
Listen for:
2:07 How does a note-taker at a six-member Pittsburgh committee meeting end up spending 52 years building an entire industry?
11:27 When the most advanced One Call system in North America had a 45% failure rate... what did that look like, and why did it push Bill to invent something that didn't exist yet?
17:22 With 25% of all utility damages still caused by no locate request, has the industry hit a wall it can't break through?
26:19 How did a Pennsylvania One Call centre end up secretly operating Alberta's very first One Call system... and what nearly gave them away?
36:18 As FNCA grows and the Canada-U.S. damage prevention relationship deepens, where is this industry actually headed in the next decade?
Connect with Guests:Bill Kiger, President & CEO, Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc
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The Book the Damage Prevention Industry Has Needed for 50 Years
Send us Fan MailEvery day, the underground infrastructure that powers modern life — gas, electricity, water, fibre — is struck by excavation equipment hundreds of thousands of times across North America, and …
Notes de l’épisode
Every day, the underground infrastructure that powers modern life — gas, electricity, water, fibre — is struck by excavation equipment hundreds of thousands of times across North America, and for the first time ever, someone has written the book on why.
Scott Landes, a damage prevention leader with more than 40 years in the field, and Benjamin Dierker, Executive Director of the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii), join host Mike Sullivan to discuss their newly released book,
Holding Back Disaster: Protecting Lives and Infrastructure Through Excavation Damage Prevention, published by Routledge on August 11, National 811 Day.Built from interviews with roughly 45 industry insiders across the world, the book gives anyone from a new locator to a curious policymaker a human-centred account of a life-or-death industry most people have never heard of.
The conversation covers the messy, iterative process of writing a first-of-its-kind book, why damage numbers are at record highs even as the industry targets a 50-percent reduction, and what it will take in technology, culture, and new talent… to finally move the needle.
Listen for:
5:08 Why is this the first comprehensive book ever written about damage prevention?
19:13 What would the most experienced people in this industry say to their younger selves?
22:17 Why are damage costs at a record $83 billion even as the industry targets a 50% reduction?
23:39 Is technology already capable of eliminating the need for a notification centre?
27:22 What will it actually take to bring new people into damage prevention — and why does it matter?
Connect with Guests: Scott Landes, CEO, Excavation Safety Alliance, LLCMinneapolis
LinkedIn | WebsiteConnect with Guests: Benjamin Dierker, Executive Director and Author
LinkedIn | Website | Email | Book Link 1 | Book Link 2
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Gamified Safety Training for Construction Workers
Send us Fan MailEvery day, workers sit through safety orientations and walk away understanding far less than anyone in the room assumes…and nobody checks. Mike Sullivan sits down with Dr. Estacio Pereira …
Notes de l’épisode
Every day, workers sit through safety orientations and walk away understanding far less than anyone in the room assumes…and nobody checks.
Mike Sullivan sits down with Dr. Estacio Pereira, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Calgary and founder of the ENSURE initiative, who turned his own experience of silently struggling through Canadian safety meetings into a research mission. Pereira introduces Bridge, a gamified mobile assessment platform that uses real photographs of a worker's actual job site to test hazard recognition in real time — giving trainers measurable data on exactly where their crew's knowledge breaks down, on the ground they're actually working on. The conversation cuts to the core of a systemic problem: passing a safety certification and actually understanding the hazard in front of you are not the same thing, and the industry has been confusing the two for decades.
Listen for:
9:45 How does a gamified safety tool actually know what workers don't know?
14:25 Why do workers stay silent in safety meetings even when they're completely lost?
18:00 What happens when your entire workforce has generic training but site-specific hazards?
32:57 What are SafeTalk and SimLift, and why do they matter beyond the classroom?
37:27 If a worker passes with 70%, how do you know the 30% they missed isn't the critical part?
Connect with Guests:Estacio Siemann Santos Pereira, P. Eng, Educator, and Researcher in Project Management
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The Man Who Helped Build 811 Says It's Not Enough Anymore
Send us Fan MailThree people were killed in Dallas on May 28, 2026. An 811 locate ticket had been filed. Some lines were marked. The gas line that mattered was not.That's the gap this industry has to …
Notes de l’épisode
Three people were killed in Dallas on May 28, 2026. An 811 locate ticket had been filed. Some lines were marked. The gas line that mattered was not.
That's the gap this industry has to confront.
Mike Sullivan sits down with Brigham McCown, Naval aviator, federal pipeline regulator, pipeline CEO, and founder of the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii), to trace the original eight-step vision behind 811, a vision that stalled at step three.
McCown argues the industry must move from a notification culture to a knowledge culture, and ultimately toward predictive safety, and that overly prescriptive legislation may be one of the things slowing that shift.
The conversation also covers the data security tensions around utility mapping, why online locate requests produce dramatically fewer damages than phone-based ones, and how Alberta's Alternate Locate Provider program achieved what a rigid legislative framework likely would have prevented.
Listen for:
5:21 Why did Naval Aviation pioneer the safety culture that every high-risk industry now tries to copy?
13:18 What was the original eight-step vision for 811 — and why did progress stall at step three?
17:01 Could the legislation meant to protect damage prevention actually be slowing it down?
31:45 Does calling 811 by phone produce more damages than submitting a locate request online?
34:12 What does it mean to move from a "call before you dig" culture to a "know before you dig" culture?
Connect with Guest:Brigham McCown, Chairman and CEO | Alliance for Innovation and InfrastructureLinkedIn | Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
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Every Box Was Checked and a Young Life Was Still Lost
Send us Fan MailEvery step of the damage prevention process was followed…and a five-year-old boy still died. Mike Sullivan sits down with Ron Peterson, Executive Director of the National Utility Locating …
Notes de l’épisode
Every step of the damage prevention process was followed…and a five-year-old boy still died.
Mike Sullivan sits down with Ron Peterson, Executive Director of the National Utility Locating Contractors Association (NULCA) and a 30-plus-year veteran of the locating industry, to discuss the position paper that sent shockwaves through the damage prevention world: "This System Is Designed to Fail."
Peterson explains why a one-call system built 50 years ago for a million locate requests can't survive 250 million notifications, ticket abuse with zero consequences, and utility maps that show lines on the wrong side of the road…or not at all.
What sets this conversation apart is Peterson's refusal to point fingers outward first: locating contractors, he argues, must own their failures in staffing, retention, and race-to-the-bottom contract bidding.
Mike and Ron also explore Alberta's Alternate Locate Provider program as living proof that unlocking locator capacity dramatically reduces damages, and float a bold "Uber for locators" concept that could reshape how excavators secure qualified help.
Listen for:
1:10 How does a stranger spray-painting your backyard turn into a 35-year career?
3:57 What happens when a system built for one million locate requests faces 250 million?
9:15 Why did a fatal gas explosion 500 feet from Ron's childhood home force this reckoning?
15:02 Why do trained locators keep walking out the door and is money really the reason?
32:28 Could ordering a qualified locator like an Uber actually fix the capacity crisis?
Connect with Guests:Ron Peterson, Executive Director at NULCA-The Voice of Professional LocatorsFollow The Safety Moment via Utility Safety Partners
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Building a Profession From the Ground Up: The DPP Certification Story
Send us Fan MailWhat if the people who keep gas lines, fibre, and power cables from being torn out of the ground have never had a profession to call their own? Mike Sullivan talks with Coral Lukaniuk; Longtime …
Notes de l’épisode
What if the people who keep gas lines, fibre, and power cables from being torn out of the ground have never had a profession to call their own?
Mike Sullivan talks with Coral Lukaniuk; Longtime architect of large‑scale strategic programs, engineer and facilitator with deep engagement experience, founder of coRoc Solutions, and Executive Director of the new Damage Prevention Professional (DPP) Certification Program.
They unpack a strange truth: damage prevention is named in federal and provincial regulation, yet nearly everyone in it "fell into" the work, with no curriculum, credential, or career pathway behind them.
Coral explains why a nonprofit like Utility Safety Partners is the right home for the program, why it's emphatically not "just an Alberta thing," and why building a profession is a decades-long project worth starting now.
The conversation lands on a simple test of success: a day when DPP certification is a job requirement, and a damage-prevention pro is recognized as readily as an electrician at your door.
Listen for:
2:59 Why has no one ever built a career path for the people protecting what's buried beneath us?
7:25 Why does it matter that a nonprofit — not a company — is behind this certification?
13:58 Why would a board chase a goal that comes with no guarantee of success?
26:12 Why do so many people wrongly dismiss this as "just an Alberta thing"?
30:53 What does success actually look like for a profession that has never existed?
Connect with Guests:Coral Lukaniuk,Executive Director | coRoc SolutionsLinkedIn | Damage Prevention Professional Certification
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The Algorithm Knows Where You're Digging Before You Do
Send us Fan MailWhat if the next threat to buried infrastructure isn't an excavator's bucket….it's an algorithm that already knows where every line is buried? Mike sits down with AI strategist …
Notes de l’épisode
What if the next threat to buried infrastructure isn't an excavator's bucket….it's an algorithm that already knows where every line is buried?
Mike sits down with AI strategist, futurist, and bestselling author Peter Swain, who has led more than 1,400 technology projects with companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google, to confront a question the damage prevention industry can no longer avoid: could big tech effectively map North America's buried infrastructure without ever touching the industry's proprietary records?
Swain's answer: yes... through correlated data alone, sets up a wide-ranging, unflinching conversation about AI models already measuring in the genius IQ range, predictions of an end to all disease within a decade, and why regulated industries will be dragged forward by rising expectations whether they're ready or not.
Along the way, the two dig into the failure of regulation, our own culpability in giving data away for convenience, and evidence that human critical thinking is measurably declining just as we need it most.
It ends with Mike answering a question few industry leaders would touch: what happens if AI makes his own job unnecessary?
Listen for:9:17 How long can a safety industry afford to move slow?
14:00 What does genius-level AI mean for human judgment on site?
20:04 If AI takes safety jobs, can UBI catch the fall?
25:29 Could big tech sell the buried world back to its owners?
31:01 What happens to dig site safety when critical thinking fades?
Connect with Guests:Peter Swain, AI Technologist | 5x Best Selling Author | International Keynote speaker
Website | Email | LinkedIn | X
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REPLAY - Lines in the Sky: The Overhead Risk You’re Overlooking
Send us Fan MailThis is a REPLAY of an episode first published in May 2025.What if the next big thing in utility safety isn’t underground—but overhead? Mike Sullivan sits down with Nathan Coutu from ATCO …
Notes de l’épisode
This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in May 2025.
What if the next big thing in utility safety isn’t underground—but overhead?
Mike Sullivan sits down with Nathan Coutu from ATCO Electric to spotlight the groundbreaking "Lookup and Live" application, a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing overhead power line contacts.
Nathan shares how this Alberta-wide, GIS-based mobile and web app helps users visualize and safely navigate around energized overhead lines—especially crucial for agricultural, construction, and utility workers.
Drawing inspiration from similar successes in Australia and Saskatchewan, he reveals the collaborative journey of Alberta utilities working together for public safety, the staggering contact statistics that prompted action, and the powerful simplicity of a solution that could save lives.
If you’ve ever thought "I knew the power line was there—I just didn’t see it this time," this episode could be a game-changer.
Listen For:
3:48 The Birth of “Lookup and Live” in Alberta
5:16 From “Where’s the Line” to a Province-Wide Collaboration
7:22 The Overhead Threat You Keep Ignoring
16:51 50% Fewer Incidents: What Australia Taught Us
24:52 The Push for Simplicity and Adoption
27:20 Breaking Through Data Sharing Barriers
Connect with guest Nathan Coutu
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The Safety Conversations That Started with Coffee
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a pandemic coffee chat accidentally becomes one of the most respected podcasts in the energy industry? Mike Sullivan sits down with James Cross, co-creator of Coffee with Jim …
Notes de l’épisode
What happens when a pandemic coffee chat accidentally becomes one of the most respected podcasts in the energy industry?
Mike Sullivan sits down with James Cross, co-creator of Coffee with Jim and James, to unpack the origin story behind the show that connected an entire industry during COVID.
James shares how a simple Zoom conversation evolved into a powerful platform for collaboration, storytelling, and safety advocacy across the natural gas and damage prevention world.
From his roots in West Texas and a passion for public speaking to taking the podcast live on the road and into the field, James reflects on the lessons learned from hundreds of conversations with frontline workers, industry leaders, and safety professionals. The discussion dives deep into safety culture, near miss reporting, industry collaboration, and whether podcasts truly make a difference.
Emotional, funny, and deeply human, this episode is both a celebration of community and a reminder that the most impactful conversations often start with a cup of coffee.
Listen for::40 How Did A Pandemic Coffee Chat Turn Into A Hit Industry Podcast?
7:53 Why Was Convincing The First Podcast Guest So Difficult?
13:39 What Happened When Coffee With Jim And James Went Live At A Conference?
26:40 Are Safety Metrics Measuring The Right Things In The Industry?
47:07 What Dangerous Situation Did PG&E Workers Face In The Field?
Connect with Guests:James Cross, Chief Experience Officer | EWN
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The Absence of C-suite Ownership of Damage Prevention Culture
Send us Fan MailEvery day across North America, workers excavate near buried infrastructure that could kill them and most of the people who built the system protecting them can't explain how the whole …
Notes de l’épisode
Every day across North America, workers excavate near buried infrastructure that could kill them and most of the people who built the system protecting them can't explain how the whole thing fits together.
Mike Sullivan sits down with Scott Landes, a four-decade figure in North American damage prevention who co-founded Rhino Marking & Protection Systems and the Excavation Safety Alliance.
Scott and Mike explore what the industry has built and what it is still failing to do, the absence of C-suite ownership of damage prevention culture, the near-impossible challenge of changing state-level legislation even when it's broken, and why Scott believes a simple cultural shift at the top of major utility companies could eliminate 99% of damage incidents.
The conversation closes on a practical challenge: what is the one action every listener could take tomorrow to immediately reduce the risk of a strike?
Listen for:
6:35 What does Jimmy Buffett's brand genius have to do with how damage prevention companies succeed or fail?
17:31 Why did it take 40 years for someone to write the first comprehensive book about the damage prevention industry?
21:32 Who is Holding Back Disaster actually written for — and what does it hope to change?
37:42 If you rewrote this book in ten years, what would you hope the industry had finally solved?
44:24 What is the one action every person in damage prevention could take tomorrow to immediately reduce the risk of a strike?
Connect with Guests:
Scott Landes, CEO, Excavation Safety Alliance, LLC
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REPLAY - Measuring Absence in Damage Prevention
Send us Fan MailThis is a REPLAY of an episode first published in August 2024.How do you measure what didn’t happen? In this episode, Mike sits down with Wayne Jensen to explore the fascinating concept of …
Notes de l’épisode
This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in August 2024.
How do you measure what didn’t happen?
In this episode, Mike sits down with Wayne Jensen to explore the fascinating concept of quantifying the absence of damage in the damage prevention industry.
They discuss the evolution of safety practices, the challenges of relying too heavily on regulations, and the importance of recognizing proactive behavior in preventing accidents.
The conversation dives deep into the human side of safety, celebrating the unsung heroes who ensure nothing goes wrong – and the complexities of proving that their efforts were the reason why.
Listen For:
3:19 - The Origin of Monthly Damage Prevention Meetings
8:09 - The Effectiveness of Public Awareness Programs
20:56 - Are We Too Reliant on Legislation?
28:33 - Responsibility and Accountability in Damage PreventionGuest: WAYNE JENSEN
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It's Not a Safety Problem. It's a Human Problem.
Send us Fan MailWhat if the most powerful safety speaker is the one without a dramatic scar to explain? Mike Sullivan sits down with Wylie Davidson, motivational speaker and safety culture specialist behind the …
Notes de l’épisode
What if the most powerful safety speaker is the one without a dramatic scar to explain?
Mike Sullivan sits down with Wylie Davidson, motivational speaker and safety culture specialist behind the Leaving a Safety Legacy program, to explore what it actually takes to make a safety message stick.Wylie built his career not on a dramatic injury story or a near-miss, but on a fundamental conviction: safety culture isn't a program, it's a human problem.
The conversation digs into why experienced workers take shortcuts (hint: it's wired into us), how leaders can influence behaviour without micromanaging, and why a single presentation, no matter how powerful achieves nothing without a plan for the day after.
Listen for:
12:04 Why do experienced workers keep taking shortcuts?
17:28 What does it actually mean to make a safety message sustainable?
21:19 How do you reach the person in the back row who doesn't want to be there?
37:53 What has a decade of speaking across North America taught you about people?
42:38 What separates leaders who build lasting safety culture from those who erode it?
Connect with Guests:
Wylie Davidson, Keynote Speaker | Workplace Culture Specialist
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What It Takes to Build a Safer Canada Underground
Send us Fan MailCanada's underground utility infrastructure sustains billions of dollars in damage every year... and the data needed to stop it keeps slipping through the cracks. Mike Sullivan is joined by …
Notes de l’épisode
Canada's underground utility infrastructure sustains billions of dollars in damage every year... and the data needed to stop it keeps slipping through the cracks.
Mike Sullivan is joined by CCGA Executive Director Todd Scott for a wide-ranging conversation about momentum, leadership, and the future of damage prevention in Canada.
They unpack the success of the Halifax event, why bringing the industry together in person still matters, how a new generation is stepping up across the board and committees, and why that leadership transition feels so encouraging.
The episode also digs into the hard realities behind DIRT reporting, the challenge of collecting useful national data, the need for stronger municipal engagement, and the growing role AI could play in mapping, quality assurance, and field safety.
At its core, this is a thoughtful and optimistic discussion about where the Canadian Common Ground Alliance is headed next and what it will take to build a smarter, stronger, more connected damage prevention community.
Listen for:
18:29 Why is voluntary DIRT reporting Canada's biggest damage prevention blind spot?
23:24 What does a 99% damage reduction in ALP locates tell us about the future of best practices?
33:48 How could AI transform notification centres and field locate quality and what has to come first?
38:18 What did the Sereno societal cost analysis reveal and why did the number drop so dramatically?
46:32 What is Todd Scott most looking forward to at the 2026 CCGA Symposium in Calgary?
Connect with Guests:
Todd Scott, Executive Director of Canadian Common Ground Alliance
Todd's LinkedIn | Todd's Email | CCGA LinkedIn | CCGA WebsiteFollow The Safety Moment via Utility Safety Partners
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Excavators Are Choosing Safety…and the Numbers Prove It
Send us Fan MailWhat if excavators could take control of their own locate process…and as a result, the number of utility strikes nearly vanished? That's not a hypothetical. It's what's happening …
Notes de l’épisode
What if excavators could take control of their own locate process…and as a result, the number of utility strikes nearly vanished? That's not a hypothetical. It's what's happening right now.
Mike Sullivan sits down with Ron Laidman and Iain Stables. Together, they unpack 18 months of real performance data showing that ALP adoption has grown by nearly 300% year-over-year, that more than 50,000 locate requests have flowed through the program with only three reported damages, and that the program's damage rate per thousand notifications is a fraction of the provincial average.
Perhaps most striking is the mechanism behind the safety gains: it's not a technical fix… it's the relationship between a dedicated locator embedded in the crew and the excavator who now has a stake in the outcome.
Listen for:
3:57 Why are ALP episodes by far the most downloaded on a podcast about safety?
8:19 What does a near-300% year-over-year adoption increase actually mean for a program in its infancy?
14:26 With only three reported damages across 50,000+ locate requests, what is the ALP damage rate compared to conventional locating?
31:23 Is the ALP's damage reduction driven by technology, training, or something far more human?
33:50 What does it actually take to become a registered Alternate Locate Service Provider in Alberta?
Connect with Guests:
Ron Laidman, Founder and Principal Advisor at Enertia
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Iain Stables, Manager, Damage Prevention at ATCO Gas and Pipelines
Email | Iain’s LinkedIn | Website
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How AI Can Improve Utility Safety
Send us Fan MailWhat if the biggest threat to underground safety is not technology, but our refusal to change?Mike Sullivan talks with long time damage prevention consultant and investor Jemmie Wang about why …
Notes de l’épisode
What if the biggest threat to underground safety is not technology, but our refusal to change?
Mike Sullivan talks with long time damage prevention consultant and investor Jemmie Wang about why the industry feels “safe enough” even as enormous hidden societal costs pile up from every cut fibre and broken line.
Together they explore how advances like affordable high accuracy GPS, smarter ticket management, online locate requests, deep AI mapping, and Alternate Locate Provider models are already proving they can slash damages, yet are still held back by rigid legislation, misaligned incentives, and risk averse culture.
They compare Canadian and US approaches, question whether current 811 structures actually serve the people who use them, and ask if slogans like “call before you dig” and “50 in 5” are distracting from the real work of changing the rules of the game.
The conversation circles back again and again to one challenge for boards, executives, locators, and contractors alike: finding the courage to embrace new tools, new models and more flexible laws before the next crisis forces their hand.
Listen For:
4:10 What damage prevention technologies have changed the game in the last decade
7:11 Why does the industry keep doing more of the same instead of embracing new tools
16:31 Should damage prevention rely on more legislation less legislation or something in between
30:10 Why is click before you dig safer and why is it still a hard sell in the United States
56:58 What can Alternate Locate Providers and an Uber style model do to transform locating and reduce damagesJemmie Wang
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How FNCA is Reshaping Utility Notification Across North America
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when an entire industry decides it’s time to build a new home from the ground up? Mike Sullivan sits down with Bruce Campbell, Mark Frost, and Roger Lipscomb—the visionary team …
Notes de l’épisode
What happens when an entire industry decides it’s time to build a new home from the ground up?
Mike Sullivan sits down with Bruce Campbell, Mark Frost, and Roger Lipscomb—the visionary team behind the Facility Notification Center Association (FNCA).
This passionate conversation traces the FNCA's superhero-style origin story, born from the ashes of older systems, into a modern, unified trade association serving 80% of North American notification centers.
From candid reflections on industry fragmentation to the power of collaborative leadership and servant-driven innovation, this episode dives deep into the necessity of FNCA, its mission, and its bright future.
It's a rich exploration of how facility notification centers are banding together—not just to adapt, but to lead.
Listen For:
6:10 What is the history behind North America’s One Call centers?
13:07 Why did One Calls of America and OCSI need to evolve?
29:36 What were the hurdles in transforming OCOA into the FNCA?
37:15 What goals are driving the FNCA’s strategic plan forward?
48:20 How is FNCA future-proofing for AI, volume spikes, and industry change?
Facility Notification Center Association (FNCA)
Connect with guest Mark Frost
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Bruce Campbell
Roger Lipscomb
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How a Cut Cable Caused $77 Million in Damage
Send us Fan MailWhat do two clipped fibre optic cables have in common with a $77 million disaster? More than you think.Mike Sullivan recounts a personal travel nightmare that snowballed into a hard-hitting …
Notes de l’épisode
What do two clipped fibre optic cables have in common with a $77 million disaster? More than you think.
Mike Sullivan recounts a personal travel nightmare that snowballed into a hard-hitting reflection on the staggering societal costs of utility damage.
What began as a delayed flight turned into an eye-opening experience involving 1,800 disrupted flights, 235,000 stranded passengers, and millions in lost productivity, business, and environmental damage—all traced back to a simple infrastructure mishap.
Mike breaks down the direct and indirect costs of such incidents, explores the gaps in utility protection and reporting laws, and emphasizes the critical importance of submitting locate requests.
Listen for:
1:05 How Did a Travel Delay Reveal a Bigger Safety Issue?
4:13 How Does Buried Utility Damage Impact Society at Large?
08:27 What Does $77 Million in Damage Look Like in Real Life?
17:29 Why Do Airlines Operate on Razor-Thin Profit Margins?
25:08 Can Repeat Offenders in Utility Damage Be Held Accountable?
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ALP’s 1st Year Success: Near ZERO Utility Damages
Send us Fan MailWhat if one simple change could slash utility damages to near zero? Mike Sullivan brings together a powerhouse panel from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to celebrate and dissect the …
Notes de l’épisode
What if one simple change could slash utility damages to near zero?
Mike Sullivan brings together a powerhouse panel from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to celebrate and dissect the incredible first year of the Alternate Locate Provider (ALP) program.
With only two reported damages out of over 30,000 ALP locates, this initiative is rewriting the rules of damage prevention.
Industry leaders—including Jamie Andersen, Iain Stables, Lance Norman, Wayne Jensen, and Ron Peterson share insights on how ALP is driving efficiency, improving safety, and changing the landscape of utility locating.
From enhanced collaboration to future scalability, this episode offers a blueprint for transforming infrastructure safety practices.
Listen For:
11:28 Why the ALP Had to Happen
16:15 Game-Changer for the Digging Community
20:44 Why This Could Go Global
53:34 Confronting the Controversy
59:21 The Future of ALP and Utility SafetyGuests:
WAYNE JENSEN
IAIN STABLES
Email | Iain’s LinkedIn | Website | ATCO LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
JAMIE ANDERSEN
LANCE NORMAN
LinkedIn | Website| Facebook | Instagram
RON PETERSON
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Safety Revolution Sparked by Bellingham Explosion
Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to turn unimaginable tragedy into a global movement for safety? Mike Sullivan sits down with Carl Weimer, former executive director and current advisor to the Pipeline Safety …
Notes de l’épisode
What does it take to turn unimaginable tragedy into a global movement for safety?
Mike Sullivan sits down with Carl Weimer, former executive director and current advisor to the Pipeline Safety Trust, to revisit the devastating 1999 pipeline explosion in Bellingham, Washington.
Carl shares his unlikely journey from environmental nonprofit leader to one of the most influential safety advocates in the pipeline industry.
Together, they explore the ripple effects of that tragic day, the formation of the Pipeline Safety Trust, the evolution of public engagement, and the ongoing challenges in pipeline safety across North America.
It’s a powerful conversation about accountability, transformation, and the lives behind the headlines.
Listen For:
2:03 - Unlikely Advocate
7:03 - The Day Bellingham Exploded
18:47 - $4 Million and a Mission
33:10 - Pushing Industry to Be Better
55:27 - Where Do We Go From Here?
Connect with guest Carl Weimer
LinkedIn | Pipeline Safety Trust
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Puppy Powered Purpose
Send us Fan MailEver wondered what it takes to raise a superhero on four legs? Mike Sullivan sits down with Miranda Turenne from BC and Alberta Guide Dogs to explore the incredible journey of raising, training …
Notes de l’épisode
Ever wondered what it takes to raise a superhero on four legs?
Mike Sullivan sits down with Miranda Turenne from BC and Alberta Guide Dogs to explore the incredible journey of raising, training, and placing life-changing service dogs with people who need them most.
From puppies to professional partners, these dogs transform the lives of those living with visual impairments, autism, or PTSD.
The conversation touches on the emotional, logistical, and deeply human side of this impactful work—plus, it all ties into Utility Safety Partners’ very first charity golf tournament benefiting this vital organization.
Listen For:
3:09 What BC & Alberta Guide Dogs is really all about
7:41 Miranda’s unique role as service dog matchmaker
10:30 How dogs “choose” their careers (or not!)
20:53 What guide dogs really do for people with visual impairments
35:35 The heartbreak and fulfillment of saying goodbye to a service dog
Connect with guest Miranda Turenne, Manager, Fund Development at BC & Alberta Guide Dogs
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The CCGA Story
Send us Fan MailWhat do circus tents, telehealth numbers, and federal legislation have in common? They all played a surprising role in shaping Canada’s damage prevention landscape! In this episode of the Safety …
Notes de l’épisode
What do circus tents, telehealth numbers, and federal legislation have in common? They all played a surprising role in shaping Canada’s damage prevention landscape!
In this episode of the Safety Moment Podcast, host Mike Sullivan sits down with Todd Scott, the new Executive Director of the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA), for a lively and nostalgic journey through the CCGA’s origins, milestones, and future.
From its humble, patchwork beginnings across provinces to national pushes like the 811 campaign and Senate testimonies, Mike and Todd reflect on the hard-won lessons, political bumps, and evolving strategies that built the CCGA into Canada’s national voice for damage prevention. With a new strategic plan in motion, Todd shares his vision for uniting regional partners, strengthening governance, improving data reporting, and ensuring the CCGA stays relevant.
Listen For
2:51 How the regional alliances formed across Canada
12:12 Alberta One Call’s crucial support for CCGA growth
20:46 When the circus almost struck a lateral line
36:21 Railways push back: Political challenges emerge
1:08:01 Symposium spotlight: Halifax 2025 preview
Guest: Todd Scott, Executive Director CCGA
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How Canada’s Pipeline Experts Helped Colombia
Send us Fan MailWhat would you do if a colleague invited you to work in Colombia—armed guards, jungle airlifts, and all? In this episode of the Safety Moment Podcast, host Mike Sullivan sits down with longtime …
Notes de l’épisode
What would you do if a colleague invited you to work in Colombia—armed guards, jungle airlifts, and all?
In this episode of the Safety Moment Podcast, host Mike Sullivan sits down with longtime friend and fellow pipeline veteran Brad Burlock to recount their high-stakes, eye-opening journey working abroad on the Enbridge-operated Ocensa pipeline in Colombia.
From sudden evacuations and military escorts to learning humility in a foreign work culture, this conversation sheds light on what it's truly like for Canadians working overseas—especially in high-risk industries.
Listen For
7:31 From Saskatchewan to Colombia
11:11“Would You Go to Colombia?”
26:40 Explosion Alert Mid-Flight
33:37 Snakebite Kit and Jungle Soldiers
56:56 The Learjet Card: Just in Case You’re Kidnapped
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Diving into Ocean Exploration with SEAmagine
Send us Fan MailEver wonder what it's like to boldly go beneath the waves in your own personal submarine? Mike Sullivan reconnects with childhood friend and submersible pioneer Charles “Chuck” Kohnen, CEO …
Notes de l’épisode
Ever wonder what it's like to boldly go beneath the waves in your own personal submarine?
Mike Sullivan reconnects with childhood friend and submersible pioneer Charles “Chuck” Kohnen, CEO of SEAmagine.
Together, they dive deep—literally and figuratively—into Chuck’s journey of building state-of-the-art personal and scientific submarines in California.
Along the way, Charles shares stories of exploring uncharted ocean depths, discovering unknown species, and witnessing the tangible effects of climate change underwater.
Listen For:
0:15 Reuniting After 42 Years: From high school to submarines
5:23 Star Trek Dreams and Choosing Engineering Over Art
17:28 Accidental Shark Discovery and Scientific Fame
26:15 Who Buys a Personal Submarine? The Rise of Billionaire Buyers
31:30 Climate Change Below: 30°C Water at 100m Depth
39:04 Whale Shark Encounters and Nature’s Raw Power
45:04 OceanGate, Regulation, and Building Safe Subs
Connect with guest Charles Kohnen
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A Digital Shift in Utility Safety
Send us Fan MailSafety outreach with a digital twist — what’s changing and why it matters?Mike Sullivan sits down with Kassi Zaba, Manager of Stakeholder Relations, to uncover the evolution of utility safety …
Notes de l’épisode
Safety outreach with a digital twist — what’s changing and why it matters?
Mike Sullivan sits down with Kassi Zaba, Manager of Stakeholder Relations, to uncover the evolution of utility safety outreach in Alberta.
Together, they reflect on their shared 14-year journey, from fax machines and phone calls to a fully digitized “click-before-you-dig” system and the upcoming launch of the Look Up and Live app to promote overhead powerline safety.
They also discuss the growing role of digital marketing, public awareness campaigns, and even touch on the philosophical challenge of balancing public education with infrastructure security.
Listen For:
1:30 Meet Kassi Zaba: From phones to stakeholder relations
4:05 From faxes to clicks: Alberta OneCall’s digital leap
9:07 Mandating the “click before you dig” revolution
13:35 Geofencing & targeting gamers for utility safety
17:32 The rise of the Ambassador Program
31:54 Look Up and Live: A new safety tool is coming
36:57 Navigating the public awareness paradox
Connect with guest Kassi Zaba
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Lines in the Sky: The Overhead Risk You’re Overlooking
Send us Fan MailWhat if the next big thing in utility safety isn’t underground—but overhead? Mike Sullivan sits down with Nathan Coutu from ATCO Electric to spotlight the groundbreaking "Lookup and Live" …
Notes de l’épisode
What if the next big thing in utility safety isn’t underground—but overhead?
Mike Sullivan sits down with Nathan Coutu from ATCO Electric to spotlight the groundbreaking "Lookup and Live" application, a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing overhead power line contacts.
Nathan shares how this Alberta-wide, GIS-based mobile and web app helps users visualize and safely navigate around energized overhead lines—especially crucial for agricultural, construction, and utility workers.
Drawing inspiration from similar successes in Australia and Saskatchewan, he reveals the collaborative journey of Alberta utilities working together for public safety, the staggering contact statistics that prompted action, and the powerful simplicity of a solution that could save lives.
If you’ve ever thought "I knew the power line was there—I just didn’t see it this time," this episode could be a game-changer.
Listen For:
3:48 The Birth of “Lookup and Live” in Alberta
5:16 From “Where’s the Line” to a Province-Wide Collaboration
7:22 The Overhead Threat You Keep Ignoring
16:51 50% Fewer Incidents: What Australia Taught Us
24:52 The Push for Simplicity and Adoption
27:20 Breaking Through Data Sharing Barriers
Connect with guest Nathan Coutu
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Dig SAFE With BC’s Unique Safety Model
Send us Fan MailThink locating underground utilities is as simple as spray paint and flags? Think again.Mike Sullivan sits down with Jimmy Yip, Damage Prevention Manager at Fortis BC, to bust myths and unravel …
Notes de l’épisode
Think locating underground utilities is as simple as spray paint and flags? Think again.
Mike Sullivan sits down with Jimmy Yip, Damage Prevention Manager at Fortis BC, to bust myths and unravel the often-misunderstood process of locating and marking utilities in British Columbia.
They dive into the historical roots of BC's unique paper-based locate model, how regulations shape responses, and why empowering excavators with responsibility has reduced damages over the decades.
From comparing provincial damage rates to exploring the Alternate Locate Provider (ALP) program in Alberta, this conversation highlights how thoughtful process design and solid data can drive down incidents while keeping public safety top of mind.
Listen For:
3:13 Alberta's Alternate Locate Provider (ALP): A Game Changer
9:00 Why Paper Locates Work in BC
18:44 Comparing Damage Stats: BC vs Alberta
20:19 Decades of Data: Damage Trends Over Time
24:56 Why 65% of Damages Are From Not Calling
36:38 Power Dashboards: Transparent Data Sharing
Connect with guest Jimmy Yip
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The Call, the Click, and the Future of SAFETY
Send us Fan MailWhat do jazz drumming, data analytics, and underground safety have in common? Mike Sullivan catches up with longtime friend and damage prevention pioneer JD Maniscalco for a heartwarming …
Notes de l’épisode
What do jazz drumming, data analytics, and underground safety have in common?
Mike Sullivan catches up with longtime friend and damage prevention pioneer JD Maniscalco for a heartwarming, insightful, and often hilarious conversation.
JD—former President and CEO of Colorado 811 and co-creator of the DIRT (Damage Information Reporting Tool)—reflects on his career, the origins and evolution of DIRT, and the critical role data plays in improving safety across North America.
From late-night band gigs in Vegas to building revolutionary safety tools in his kitchen, JD shares his journey with wisdom and wit.
Along the way, Mike and JD swap music stories, talk tech, and dive into how predictive AI and local report cards could shape the future of damage prevention.
Listen For:
06:30 – The Birth of the Conference Band
13:13 – The Origin Story of DIRT
26:00 – Data Report Cards: Simplicity Meets Accountability
38:11 – Click vs Call: A Data-Driven Divide
51:17 – The Future of DIRT: AI and Predictive Safety
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