The Safety Moment by Utility Safety Partners

Send us Fan Mail What if the people who keep gas lines, fibre, and power cables from being torn out of the ground have never had a profession to call their own?  Mike Sullivan talks with Coral Lukaniuk; Longtime architect of large‑scale strategic programs, engineer and facilitator with deep engagement experience, founder of coRoc Solutions, and Executive Director of the new Damage Prevention Profe...

Send us Fan Mail What if the next threat to buried infrastructure isn't an excavator's bucket….it's an algorithm that already knows where every line is buried?  Mike sits down with AI strategist, futurist, and bestselling author Peter Swain, who has led more than 1,400 technology projects with companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google, to confront a question the damage prevention...

Send us Fan Mail This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in May 2025. What if the next big thing in utility safety isn’t underground—but overhead?  Mike Sullivan sits down with Nathan Coutu from ATCO Electric to spotlight the groundbreaking "Lookup and Live" application, a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing overhead power line contacts.  Nathan shares how this Alberta-wide...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a pandemic coffee chat accidentally becomes one of the most respected podcasts in the energy industry?  Mike Sullivan sits down with James Cross, co-creator of Coffee with Jim and James, to unpack the origin story behind the show that connected an entire industry during COVID.    James shares how a simple Zoom conversation evolved into a powerful platform for col...

Send us Fan Mail Every day across North America, workers excavate near buried infrastructure that could kill them and most of the people who built the system protecting them can't explain how the whole thing fits together.  Mike Sullivan sits down with Scott Landes, a four-decade figure in North American damage prevention who co-founded Rhino Marking & Protection Systems and the Excavatio...

Send us Fan Mail This is a REPLAY of an episode first published in August 2024. How do you measure what didn’t happen?   In this episode, Mike sits down with Wayne Jensen to explore the fascinating concept of quantifying the absence of damage in the damage prevention industry.   They discuss the evolution of safety practices, the challenges of relying too heavily on regulations, and the importance...

Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful safety speaker is the one without a dramatic scar to explain?   Mike Sullivan sits down with Wylie Davidson, motivational speaker and safety culture specialist behind the Leaving a Safety Legacy program, to explore what it actually takes to make a safety message stick.  Wylie built his career not on a dramatic injury story or a near-miss, but on a fundame...

Send us Fan Mail Canada's underground utility infrastructure sustains billions of dollars in damage every year... and the data needed to stop it keeps slipping through the cracks.  Mike Sullivan is joined by CCGA Executive Director Todd Scott for a wide-ranging conversation about momentum, leadership, and the future of damage prevention in Canada.  They unpack the success of the Halifax event...

Send us Fan Mail What if excavators could take control of their own locate process…and as a result, the number of utility strikes nearly vanished? That's not a hypothetical. It's what's happening right now. Mike Sullivan sits down with Ron Laidman and Iain Stables. Together, they unpack 18 months of real performance data showing that ALP adoption has grown by nearly 300% year-over-y...

Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest threat to underground safety is not technology, but our refusal to change? Mike Sullivan talks with long time damage prevention consultant and investor Jemmie Wang about why the industry feels “safe enough” even as enormous hidden societal costs pile up from every cut fibre and broken line.  Together they explore how advances like affordable high accuracy GPS,...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when an entire industry decides it’s time to build a new home from the ground up?  Mike Sullivan sits down with Bruce Campbell, Mark Frost, and Roger Lipscomb—the visionary team behind the Facility Notification Center Association (FNCA).  This passionate conversation traces the FNCA's superhero-style origin story, born from the ashes of older systems, into a mode...

Send us Fan Mail What do two clipped fibre optic cables have in common with a $77 million disaster? More than you think. Mike Sullivan recounts a personal travel nightmare that snowballed into a hard-hitting reflection on the staggering societal costs of utility damage.  What began as a delayed flight turned into an eye-opening experience involving 1,800 disrupted flights, 235,000 stranded passeng...

Send us Fan Mail What if one simple change could slash utility damages to near zero?   Mike Sullivan brings together a powerhouse panel from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to celebrate and dissect the incredible first year of the Alternate Locate Provider (ALP) program.  With only two reported damages out of over 30,000 ALP locates, this initiative is rewriting the rules of damage prevention...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn unimaginable tragedy into a global movement for safety?  Mike Sullivan sits down with Carl Weimer, former executive director and current advisor to the Pipeline Safety Trust, to revisit the devastating 1999 pipeline explosion in Bellingham, Washington.  Carl shares his unlikely journey from environmental nonprofit leader to one of the most influential saf...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what it takes to raise a superhero on four legs?  Mike Sullivan sits down with Miranda Turenne from BC and Alberta Guide Dogs to explore the incredible journey of raising, training, and placing life-changing service dogs with people who need them most.  From puppies to professional partners, these dogs transform the lives of those living with visual impairments, auti...

Send us Fan Mail What do circus tents, telehealth numbers, and federal legislation have in common? They all played a surprising role in shaping Canada’s damage prevention landscape!   In this episode of the Safety Moment Podcast, host Mike Sullivan sits down with Todd Scott, the new Executive Director of the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA), for a lively and nostalgic journey through the CCG...

Send us Fan Mail What would you do if a colleague invited you to work in Colombia—armed guards, jungle airlifts, and all?   In this episode of the Safety Moment Podcast , host Mike Sullivan sits down with longtime friend and fellow pipeline veteran Brad Burlock to recount their high-stakes, eye-opening journey working abroad on the Enbridge-operated Ocensa pipeline in Colombia.   From sudden evacu...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder what it's like to boldly go beneath the waves in your own personal submarine?  Mike Sullivan reconnects with childhood friend and submersible pioneer Charles “Chuck” Kohnen, CEO of SEAmagine.  Together, they dive deep—literally and figuratively—into Chuck’s journey of building state-of-the-art personal and scientific submarines in California.  Along the way, Charl...

Send us Fan Mail Safety outreach with a digital twist — what’s changing and why it matters? Mike Sullivan sits down with Kassi Zaba, Manager of Stakeholder Relations, to uncover the evolution of utility safety outreach in Alberta.  Together, they reflect on their shared 14-year journey, from fax machines and phone calls to a fully digitized “click-before-you-dig” system and the upcoming launch of...

Send us Fan Mail What if the next big thing in utility safety isn’t underground—but overhead?  Mike Sullivan sits down with Nathan Coutu from ATCO Electric to spotlight the groundbreaking "Lookup and Live" application, a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing overhead power line contacts.  Nathan shares how this Alberta-wide, GIS-based mobile and web app helps users visualize and saf...

Send us Fan Mail Think locating underground utilities is as simple as spray paint and flags? Think again. Mike Sullivan sits down with Jimmy Yip, Damage Prevention Manager at Fortis BC, to bust myths and unravel the often-misunderstood process of locating and marking utilities in British Columbia.  They dive into the historical roots of BC's unique paper-based locate model, how regulations sh...

Send us Fan Mail What do jazz drumming, data analytics, and underground safety have in common?  Mike Sullivan catches up with longtime friend and damage prevention pioneer JD Maniscalco for a heartwarming, insightful, and often hilarious conversation.  JD—former President and CEO of Colorado 811 and co-creator of the DIRT (Damage Information Reporting Tool)—reflects on his career, the origins and...

Send us Fan Mail Are you ready for the ultimate safety conference with a hockey twist?  Mike Sullivan takes us behind the scenes of the upcoming Utility Safety Partners Safety Conference in Edmonton, featuring a unique hockey-themed event.  Mike highlights exciting sessions, committee meetings, and a chance to win a one-of-a-kind goalie mask, designed by a renowned artist. From engaging educationa...

Send us Fan Mail Pipelines are more than steel in the ground—they’re built on passion, resilience, and community.  Mike Sullivan chats with David Hermanson, host of Support Pipelines , about the realities of working in an industry that’s often misunderstood.  From career journeys and mentorship to shifting regulations and public perception, they explore the challenges and rewards of pipeline life....

Send us Fan Mail Is Alberta really the Wild West of utility damages, or is there more to the story?  Mike sits down with Josef Rosenberg, a longtime expert in damage prevention and the contact center manager for Utility Safety Partners. They dive into the Canadian Common Ground Alliance’s (CCGA) Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) report—what it is, how it's used, and why Alberta consist...