June 19, 2015 – CSA Group has published a new standard that aims to and protect underground infrastructure such as pipelines, electrical and telecom cables.

CSA Z247-15 “Damage Prevention for the Protection of Underground Infrastructure” specifies the requirements for preventing damage when there is ground disturbance near existing, deactivated, abandoned in-place, or reserved for future use underground infrastructure. Z247 identifies the damage-prevention process and outlines its key elements, says CSA. This standard does not apply to infrastructure that is above-grade (e.g. overhead powerlines) or installed below-grade for private use on private land where the landowner is both the excavator and the infrastructure owner (that said, CSA says Z247 may still provide “valuable guidance”).