Preventing damage to underground utilities when digging

1
Preventing damage to underground utilities when
digging

• 9 March 2006
• Afke van Rijn
• Deputy director Telecom market

2

• TOPICS
• Current situation
• Problems/Bottlenecks
• Goal of this particular Act
• Content of the Act
• Current state of affairs

3
Current situation

• Dutch situation in general
• Current system of self-regulation (KLIC)
• Policy document (November 2004)
• New Act

4
Problems/Bottlenecks

• No obligation to report digging/to provide data
• Lack of quality of the information
  asked/information not on time
• Digging must be done with the utmost care
• Unclear who, in practice, is accountable for what

5
Goal of this particular Act

• Prevention of damage to underground utilities
  when digging.
• To guarantee public interests as security of
  supply of utilities and safety for environment
• Means legal obligation to
• exchange information
• obligation to dig with care

6
Responsibilities

• Excavator responsibilities- Notification-
  Digging with care
• Owners or operators responsibilities- Providing
  correct and timely information
• The information process

7
Digging with care

• Just acting according to the Law
• is not enough. Prearrangements necessary about
  what digging with care is.
• But also
• Communication to the parties involved
• Measures by third parties

8
Government bodies involved

• Dutch Land Registry Office (Kadaster)
• Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands(Agentschap
  Telecom)

9
Current state of affairs

• February 2006 Act sent to Parliament
• Before summer 2006 debate Lower Chamber
• After summer 2006 debate Upper Chamber

• The Act will not take effect at the same time as
  the electronic information system
• Act a.s.a.p. after approval Upper Chamber
• Electronic system according to plan in 2009

10
Summary

• With the new law there will be
• Obligations with regard to exchange of
  information for excavators and owners/operators
• Obligations to dig carefully
• More clarity regarding the individual
  responsibilities of parties involved
• But to achieve desired change in behaviour
• Agreement between parties involved with regard to
  digging safely
• Communication
• Actions by others (for instance insurers)
• All parts needed to achieve goal (less incidents)

11

• Further questions or remarks concerning this
  subject?
• Please e-mail us at
• Grondroerdersregeling_at_minez.nl