Across Canada, around 10,000 utility damages are reported every year, the equivalent of more than 40 incidents every workday. The cost of these damages is estimated at over $1 billion annually, spanning both direct costs like repairs and project delays, and indirect costs such as service disruptions, environmental impact, and lost productivity. Each strike isn’t just a safety issue; it’s a major business risk that modern land and asset management technology can help prevent.

The Cost of Gaps in Damage Prevention

A leading cause of utility damages comes down to inaccurate or incomplete facility records and maps. Even when teams follow the right process, if the underlying information is wrong, the risk of a strike remains high.

Traditional approaches such as scattered spreadsheets, outdated maps, and siloed communication, leave critical gaps. These gaps lead to miscommunication between project owners, contractors, and locators, and increase the likelihood that a crew in the field is working with inaccurate or missing data.

Bridging the Gap with Technology

Modern land and asset management platforms close those gaps by:

• Centralizing information: All facility, land, and permit data in one place, accessible to everyone who needs it.
• Improving accuracy: Real-time updates replace static maps and legacy records, reducing the chance of incorrect markings.
• Streamlining workflows: Automated requests, approvals, and notifications ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• Creating accountability: Digital audit trails track who did what and when, building trust across stakeholders.

With these tools in place, organizations move from reactive damage response to proactive risk prevention.

Beyond Compliance: A Culture of Prevention

Preventing damages isn’t only about checking a regulatory box, it’s about empowering stewardship of critical infrastructure. By equipping teams with accurate, accessible information in real time, technology doesn’t just prevent strikes, it builds a stronger culture of safety and responsibility across the entire value chain.

Moving Forward

With around 10,000 damages occurring annually, Canada’s infrastructure can’t afford to rely on outdated records and fragmented processes. By bridging the gap between land management and technology, we can reduce incidents, protect workers and communities, and save organizations from costly disruptions.

Ready to strengthen your organization’s approach to damage prevention? Start by asking: is your facility data accurate, connected, and accessible to the people who need it most? If the answer is anything less than yes, it’s time to explore how modern technology can close the gap.