
BC 1 CALL
VAFFC strives to ensure that people who live and work in proximity to the System do so in a safe manner. VAFFC has employed several measures to aid in the prevention of individuals from causing damage to the pipeline which could potentially lead to injury, death, or environmental contamination.
To support the goal of safety and zero incidents, the Operator (SGS Canada Inc.) has registered with the provincial BC 1 Call organization. The BC 1 Call organization’s ticket management system provides a standard approach to respond to, monitor, prioritize, and report on pipeline locate and prescribed area activity requests through partnership with BC 1 Call centers across the operational area.
BC 1 Call holds the Operator accountable for the safety of all area activity requests. An ‘external contractor’ is responsible for receiving all requests, processing and forwarding Authorization requests to the Operator and Administrator for approval, executing all locates, and communicating all required records as needed. The Operator is to communicate regularly with the external contractor and review ticket metrics annually, or more frequently as needed, to confirm BC 1 Call requests are being properly addressed.
Details on BC 1 Call locating requests and Prescribed Area activity requests (i.e., ground disturbance, crossings, and encroachments) are available at Home – BC 1 Call.
BC 1 Call toll-free number is 1-800-474-6886.
Prescribed Area

Right of Way

Locates
Persons intending to construct facilities across, on, along, or under the System or engage in an activity that would cause a ground disturbance within the System’s prescribed area shall be required to submit a locate request through the BC 1 Call Center or directly with the Operator.
Upon receipt of a locate request, the Operator or designee shall, within three (3) working days or any longer period agreed upon between the Operator and the requesting party [3]:
- Inform the requesting party, in writing, of Operator safety practices to be followed while working in the vicinity of the System and, in case of a ground disturbance, within the prescribed area
- Mark the location of the Pipeline in the vicinity of the proposed facility or the Prescribed Area in accordance with SGS Canada procedures
- Provide information to the person that clearly explains the significance of the markings
Emergency locate requests may be made by third parties, with the aim that the Operator or designee will attempt to perform these locates within one (1) hour of receiving the locate for urban areas of the System and within two (2) hours for rural areas [11]. These timeframes are not guaranteed, and some emergency locates may take longer.
All System locates shall be performed by personnel trained and qualified in locating underground facilities. Training and qualification shall follow Operator or designee qualification requirements.
Request a Locate TicketBC 1 Call
Details on BC 1 Call locating requests and prescribed area activity requests (i.e., ground disturbance, crossings, and encroachments) are available at
Call 1-800-474-6886