Put the power in their hands

Give the guys on the ground leadership roles in looking at how to avoid strikes. Listen and act on their issues and ideas. They are the ones in the hot seat and can make a big difference.

Don’t throw technical solutions at people problems 

Most service strikes tend to be caused by behavioral rather than technical issues. Behaviors are harder to change, but that’s where we need to focus our efforts.

Make sure drawings are updated

Tie permits drawing updates – if a service has been found, then don’t issue a permit to work until the drawing has been updated.

Measure misses, not just strikes

Keep track of the services you miss, as well as the ones you hit. It’s a good way of showing your investment in avoiding strikes is making a difference.

Make training practical

Train your people in the field, use role-play and use real examples of service strikes.

Create a zero-tolerance culture

Don’t let people think it’s ‘normal’ to hit a couple of minor services when they’re digging. The only acceptable number of strikes is zero.

Give teams the information they need

It’s not just important to have the right level of advance information and surveys, but also to present it in a way that is easy to understand. Using tablets on-site can enable teams to switch off layers of information so they can ‘see’ the services clearly.

If you have any other tips for avoiding service strikes, please share them in the comments below.