The APIA award selection committee chose the Dial Before You Dig automated response system because “it not only improves the safety of pipeline industry employees and the public in general, but will clearly change behavioural patterns by reducing monotonous activity by people, and therefore, complacency or unforseen errors”.

APIA’s immediate past President Ashley Kellett announced the award, saying “[The system] frees up internal staff from the laborious task of generating the maps and responses, allowing them to focus on what they were employed to do, which is to protect the pipeline from encroachments, spending time in the field with the enquirer and thereby improve the safety of the operating pipeline.”

Mipela GIS developed the X-Info Dial Before You Dig automated response system over a period of five years, improving on the system already employed by Powerlink. The X-Info system has been operating on APA’s 440 km Roma to Brisbane Pipeline and the 840 km Carpentaria Gas Pipeline since November 2002.

How the automated response works

Enquiries from the Dial Before You Dig call centre are sent to APA via email. These emails contain a geographic markup language object file that is processed against the system’s database, which automatically receives and processes the file. A written response in PDF format is generated, as is an overview map, either as a detailed strip map or of larger area coverage if required.

The information provided also generates a response ready to be sent directly to the enquirer via email, fax or letter. This response clearly outlines excavation activities that will encroach on the APA asset, and what action needs to be taken if any. The response is then archived for future reference. The complete process requires little or no human intervention.

All-round benefits

APA General Manager for Transmission Edwin de Prinse says that there are many benefits to the safety system. Firstly, the enquirer receives a response in a timely manner, which ensures that unnecessary accidents do not occur from impatient workers waiting for a response.

The immediate nature of the responses benefits the enquirer, as previous queries would take up to a day to process manually, meaning all queries were responded to within 48 hours.

APA also eliminates any chance of ambiguity as the automated output is consistent.

Finally, the system allows for the ability to analyse the various types of activities happening around APA’s underground assets across time and in a particular geographical location on the company’s web mapping system.

In addition to this, Mipela GIS provides numerous enhancements through a quarterly upgrade of the system software.

Mr de Prinse says that users of the Dial Before You Dig system are generally very positive in their feedback, and have been impressed with the quality of the company’s timely response.

Public confidence

With enquiries being processed in a matter of seconds and at no cost to the public, unaffected works can proceed soon after the initial enquiry is submitted, and affected works are emailed directly to the person responsible within APA for immediate action.

The enquirer also receives a map showing where the asset is located in relation to their proposed works. This allows them to visually verify their location as a further safety check.

APA believes that the system’s usefulness to the public has exceeded all expectations and is proven consistently, given the number of enquiries that the company processes on a daily basis.

“The safety benefits of turning around enquiries efficiently, consistently and without the need for human interpretation are massive. The benefits we’ve received since implementing the X-Info Dial Before You Dig automated response system have exceeded our expectations.

“The system is simple to use, easy to maintain and more importantly the results are tangible and easy for others in the company to recognise,” Mr de Prinse says.

Future developments

The system continues to be developed for greater improvements to its accuracy, with such options as a direct messaging service to mobile phones and improved satellite technology being considered. Employing this system consistently across all of the APA-owned and managed pipelines is also being considered.

APA has already implemented a nationwide aerial patrol program, a nationally consistent permits-to-work process and a nationally common GIS system known as Transis on most of its 12,000 km pipeline system. The company says that a nationally consistent Dial Before You Dig process would further complement these national systems.