If the ground disturbance is to take place within a public road allowance, provincial highway right of way or utility right of way, the ground disturber may be required to obtain an excavation permit or written permission before disturbing the ground. If the ground disturbance is to install new facilities, line assignments may have to be obtained from eh authority having jurisdiction over the right of way prior to construction.

Whether the ground disturbance is to take place on public or private land, the Alberta Occupational health and Safety Code requires that all buried facilities potentially in conflict with the ground disturbance be identified and their horizontal alignments marked before the ground disturbance begins.

Sources of information on what buried facilities might be at the site of a proposed ground disturbance include:

• Alberta One-Call
• Signs or markers in the area,• Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board – high pressure pipeline records.
• Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Rural Utilities Branch – low pressure gas distribution pipeline records,
• Land Titles Office – certificates of title – to determine if a right of way, easement or caveat is registered against the property,
• Local landowners or occupants and • Visual evidence of cut lines, changes in vegetation, land depression or scarring, buildings or existing surface facilities.

The requirement to have the locations of all buried facilities marked applies to the entire digging community, not just contractors. Making arrangements to have locates done should be part of the job planning process.