Utility Safety Partners

What Utility Safety Partners does

Utility Safety Partners is a Calgary-based, member-funded non-profit corporation that operates Alberta's designated One-Call notification centre for damage prevention around underground and overhead utilities. Formed on January 1, 2021 from the merger of Alberta One-Call, the Alberta Common Ground Alliance, and the Joint Utility Safety Team, it traces its operating history to 1984 and is governed by its member utilities across gas, electricity, water, telecommunications, and pipelines.

The organization delivers a web-based locate request platform that connects ground disturbers (contractors, homeowners, first responders, and agricultural workers) with registered asset owners who then mark buried infrastructure. Core products include the Online Locate Request System, the Click Before You Dig public awareness program, the GIS-based Look Up and Live map for overhead power line safety, and an Alternate Locate Provider option that allows approved third-party locators to perform marking. The Learning Centre adds educational resources, damage reporting tools, a Damages Heat Map, a professional certification program, and an annual scholarship. The platform runs on PelicanCorp software shared across the Before You Dig Partners (BYDP) network spanning British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through recurring membership fees paid by utility and asset owner organizations, while the locate request service itself is offered free to the public to maximize participation and safety outcomes. Operating expenses are modest given the 11-50 employee headcount, with current demand pressuring response times to 5-10 business days during peak season. Additional revenue and engagement come from the USP online store, industry recognition awards, and committee-driven stakeholder programs.

Name

Utility Safety Partners

Legal name

Utility Safety Partners Corporation

Website

https://utilitysafety.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Calgary-based non-profit operating Alberta's designated One-Call locate request service, connecting contractors, homeowners, and asset owners to prevent damage to underground and overhead utilities through a free notification platform funded by utility membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Damage Prevention and Locate Request Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Damage Prevention & One-Call/811 Programs (Third-Party Excavation Risk) (EUAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Response & Damage Repair (Third-Party Damage, Call-Outs) (EUAJAMAH), Emergency Line Work & Trouble Response (24/7 Dispatch) (EUAEAIAB), Energy, Utilities & Natural Resources Regulators (BPAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Damage prevention services
• Utility locates
• Underground utility safety
• Locate request notification
• Utility damage prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Utility and asset owner organizations pay membership fees to Utility Safety Partners to participate in the notification service and receive locate requests
2. Free Locate Request Service: The core locate request service is provided at no charge to homeowners, contractors, and the public to promote safety and prevent damage to underground infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Utility Safety Partners operates Alberta's mandated one-call notification service, enabling contractors and homeowners to submit locate requests online or by phone before any ground disturbance. Registered utility members receive these requests and respond by marking their buried facilities. The organization complements the notification service with the Click Before You Dig public safety campaign, the Look Up and Live GIS map for overhead power line awareness, an Alternate Locate Provider routing option, the Damage Prevention Professional Certification, and member resources accessed through the Member Portal.

Product overview

Utility Safety Partners offers a unified damage prevention platform consisting primarily of an online locate request system that connects ground disturbers (contractors, homeowners) with utility asset owners. The core offering includes the Click Before You Dig notification service, the Look Up and Live interactive map for overhead power line safety, and a Member Portal for coordinating locate responses. Additional modules include a Learning Centre with educational resources, Damage Prevention Professional Certification, and a Damages Heat Map. The platform operates under the unified 'Before You Dig Partners' (BYDP) brand across western Canada, with PelicanCorp providing the underlying software infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Locate Request System Web-based platform allowing contractors and homeowners across Alberta to submit locate requests before ground disturbance; the system automatically notifies all registered utility members whose assets may be affected by the dig site.
• Alternate Locate Provider (ALP) Service Routing option that allows users to choose an approved Alternate Locate Service Provider (ALSP) to perform facility locates for participating utility members instead of the default member response.
• Look Up and Live Map GIS-based interactive map that helps users identify overhead energy and utility line locations and plan safe work around them.
• Click Before You Dig Program Public safety awareness program that promotes free locate request submission to prevent contact with underground utilities during ground disturbance work.
• Damage Prevention Professional Certification Professional certification program for individuals working in damage prevention that recognizes expertise in utility safety practices.
• Member Portal Secure online area for utility asset owner members to access resources, manage locate requests, and coordinate damage prevention activities.
• Before You Dig Partners (BYDP) Unified Notification Software Unified utility notification software solution provided by PelicanCorp and used across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to deliver consistent One Call services under the Before You Dig Partners banner.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevention of injuries and fatalities from contact with underground and overhead utilities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alberta Common Ground Alliance (ABCGA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Former non-profit society of damage prevention stakeholders that unified with Alberta One-Call and Joint Utility Safety Team to form Utility Safety Partners on January 1, 2021.
• Joint Utility Safety Team (JUST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership between Alberta electric utilities and municipalities that created the 'Where's The Line?' campaign to address power line contacts. Unified with Alberta One-Call and ABCGA to form Utility Safety Partners.
• Before You Dig Partners (BYDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2017Western Canadian One Call Centres (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) unified under Before You Dig Partners to deliver 'One System / One Approach' for damage prevention across western Canada. The partnership aligned business rules and selected PelicanCorp as a common utility notification software provider.
• PelicanCorpcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2017Selected by Before You Dig Partners to provide a single utility notification software solution used across four provinces (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) for the unified one-call system.
• Business Rule Alignment Group (BRAG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2017Western Canadian One Call Centres created BRAG to investigate alignment of business rules. Achieved agreement and produced 'Business Rules for the Use of Western Canadian One Call Services' document.
• Alternate Locate Service Providers (ALSPs)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved third-party locate service providers that can be selected by users to perform locates for participating utility members through the ALP option.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• PelicanCorp: Australia-headquartered software vendor that provides the unified notification platform used by USP and the other three BYDP provinces. As the underlying technology layer, PelicanCorp shapes USP's product capabilities and roadmap through its OneCall software suite.

Direct peers

• Ontario One Call: Ontario's mandated one-call centre serving the largest construction and excavator base in Canada. Operates the same locate-request-plus-member-notification model as USP, but at significantly greater scale and geographic scope.
• BC One Call: British Columbia's one-call notification centre, co-member of Before You Dig Partners with USP. Operates the identical damage-prevention locate request model in an adjacent western Canadian province under a parallel regulatory mandate, sharing the PelicanCorp software platform.
• Saskatchewan One Call (Sask1stCall): Saskatchewan's one-call centre and BYDP partner with USP, providing the same free locate request and asset owner notification service under a provincial mandate. Closely aligned business rules and shared software make it a near-twin operating peer.
• Manitoba One Call: Manitoba's one-call notification service and the fourth BYDP member alongside USP. Provides the same homeowners/contractor locate request flow, asset owner registration, and damage-prevention coordination under a provincial mandate.
• Info-Excavation: Quebec's provincial one-call centre providing damage-prevention locate request services to homeowners, contractors, and asset owners. Operates the same not-for-profit notification model as USP in a different provincial jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• Common Ground Alliance: US-based damage-prevention industry association and DIRT data steward coordinating best practices, standards, and policy across US 811 centers. Operates one tier upstream of USP as an industry-body peer rather than a direct notification service competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/utility_safety
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrehV1JBgXS-wUCejeDCe8w
• Facebookfacebook.com/utilitysafetypartners
• Instagraminstagram.com/utilitysafetypartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utilitysafetypartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Utility Safety Partners