Dial before you dig: the Cornwall warning before you break ground

That spade going into the ground for a new patio, a fence post or a pond looks harmless enough. What you cannot see is what runs underneath it. Somewhere below your feet there may be a live gas pipe, and every day across the country those pipes get struck by people who had no idea they were there.

Wales & West Utilities, the company that runs the gas network across Wales and the south west of England, is asking anyone about to break ground to make one check first. The campaign has a simple name. Dial before you dig.

Why a small job can turn serious

Hitting a buried gas pipe is not a minor inconvenience. It can be catastrophic. It can cause serious injury to you and to anyone around you, and the danger is not limited to the person holding the tools.

There is a financial sting too. The costs of repair, fines and fees can be huge. Your project stalls while the damage is put right, and if you are doing the work for someone else, your reputation takes the hit along with your wallet.

The people most at risk are the ones who assume a job is too small to bother checking. A fence, a bit of decking, a new border. Depth is deceptive, and a pipe can sit much closer to the surface than you would expect.

How to check what’s below

Before any digging starts, no matter how minor, you can look up what is buried beneath your project. Wales & West Utilities runs a free mapping service that shows where its gas pipes run, so you can plan around them rather than into them.

If you would rather talk it through, or you want advice on a specific site, the company’s Plant Protection team takes calls on 029 2027 8912. You can also email them at [email protected].

The check costs nothing. A strike can cost you a great deal, and in the worst case far more than money.