The scary costs and impacts of underground utility strikes

With Halloween fast approaching, it got our team at John Mee Vac-Ex Hire thinking about what lurks beneath—ghouls, ghosts, zombies maybe? Not quite. What we’re referring to is even more terrifying to construction sectors than a monster mash—the vast amount of underground utilities and the scary consequences of damaging them.

With an estimated four million digging projects taking place every year across the UK and 4 million kilometres of pipes, electricity and telecom cables, and sewers*, the potential for utility strikes when excavating should always be a concern. Every time a utility strike occurs during excavation, it triggers a series of direct and indirect costs that will impact both the project and contractor in various ways. It’s important to emphasise that these costs can’t all be measured in terms of monetary value for them to have a negative impact, as we’ll go on to explain.

Read on, if you dare!

 

The cost to human life
Starting with what should always be the highest priority, the health and safety risk of workers and the general public should a strike occur. Every underground utility presents its own risk from electrocution and burns to gas inhalation or even launching debris from water pipe pressures. The injuries sustained from such incidents can prove fatal, be life-altering, or require long-term treatment. The cost to human life goes beyond the basics of ensuring PPE is worn; the consideration and mitigation of such risk should be embedded into everything you do.

 

Repairing damaged utilities
The immediate cost of a utility strike is typically the repair of the broken infrastructure. Each utility, such as water, gas, or electrical, is different, so the cost to rectify this can’t be ascertained until you know which utility is affected and the extent of the damage. One thing is for certain though: the cost of repair often far exceeds what you might expect due to the repair, testing, and compliance inspections required for each utility. Depending on which utility, you may have to factor in expensive materials, further excavation, specialist skills and equipment, and testing or inspection from third parties.

The clean-up operation
Once a damaged utility has been repaired, the area must be restored to its previous condition. Depending on the damaged utility, this could be quite the clean-up operation. This could involve rectifying flooding, gas or oil contamination, or removing large amounts of debris. Each scenario involves its own set of challenges that may require specialist equipment, trained or additional personnel, and third-party specialists. Once remediation efforts have been completed, the cleanup operation must be inspected, and confirmation is required of the outcome.

 

Project delays
Project delays can cause significant headaches as they tend to snowball and affect both the project at hand and the wider site, causing real-world complications. During the repair of utilities and the clean-up operation, personnel and equipment on-site may be idle, which generates additional costs with extended timelines.

 

Excavation equipment damage
Damage can occur to excavation machinery when a utility strike happens. The result of this is project downtime and additional costs for repairs or replacement of equipment. Funds that haven’t been forecast must be found immediately to remedy this to get the project moving again.

 

Penalties, fines, and legal action
When a service strike occurs, the likelihood of penalties, fines, or legal action is very high. Penalties and fines are often due to breaching Service Level Agreements (SLAs), time-limited permits, or missed and extended deadlines. Legal action may be taken by affected parties who may have a right to recoup their inconvenience and costs when utility damage affects public infrastructure, businesses, or neighbouring properties. Legal expenses can be eye watering when you factor in a legal teams fees, court proceedings, and settlements.

 

Administrative time
The administrative time needed to navigate and manage the consequences of a utility strike can’t be emphasised enough. Every area we’ve touched upon above requires significant resources to manage, and this alone can quickly eat away at the project’s profit margin.

 

Environmental Cost
For every utility strike, the environment and the planet as a whole are negatively affected, with the damage sometimes irreversible. This will typically in