LSBUD and UK Government Collaborate to Make Telecoms Street Works Safer

The LSBUD (Line Search Before You Dig) organisation, which provides an online asset search facility to UK civil engineering firms for underground pipes and cables, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government (DSIT), which is responsible for the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), to develop a collaboration framework for improving safe digging practices.

The government currently sees huge potential for NUAR’s mapping – operated by Ordnance Survey (OS) – to help improve the way that national infrastructure is planned, built and managed (e.g. future full fibre broadband and 5G/6G mobile networks). Previous claims suggested that the map could help to cut the amount of accidental damage that occurs to existing infrastructure (estimated by some studies to cost up to £2.4bn each year) and boost economic growth by “at least £400m” per year due to increased efficiency, fewer asset strikes and reduced disruptions.

However, the Government’s NUAR has long seemed to be in a degree of conflict with LSBUD, which has been doing something similar for quite a few years longer. But the new joint commitment could see both sides working more closely together for the betterment of safe digging, which goes beyond telecoms and also stretches into water, energy and sewage etc.

The MoU is said to recognise LSBUD’s safe dig workflow risk analysis, communication exchange and work management functionality, as well as its expertise and preexisting industry relationships. The MoU also stated that NUAR was “not intended to replace or replicate LSBUD’s established service“. Indeed, LSBUD is now working with Ordnance Survey, who operate NUAR on behalf of government.

Richard Broome, Managing Director of LSBUD, said:

“We welcome this agreement and are looking forward to working alongside Ordnance Survey and the Government. The understanding is a big relief for our safe digging community, and we have already taken great strides forward, setting up the first planned industry workshop.

For us, it’s not about competing with each other. It is about safety. It always has been, and it always will be. By focusing on data sharing, integration and collaboration, we can move the industry forward, and do so safely.

It is very apt that the theme of this year’s National Safe Digging Week’s is ‘The Power of Collaboration’. It echoes our thinking and our ambition to keep people safe while digging. We are thrilled to have OS and DSIT on board for this journey, and can’t wait to make a real, purposeful impact together.”

LSBUD’s free online search service currently allows any individual to check their works against over 170 asset owners’ utility assets. These assets include 2.5 million kilometres of underground and overhead pipelines and cables in the electricity, gas, high pressure fuel/oil, heating, water, and fibre optic networks. The service processes over 4 million enquiries per annum. The NUAR separately provides secure access to data from over 600 public and private sector asset owners.