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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, smarter ticket management, online locate requests, deep AI mapping, and Alternate Locate Provider models are already proving they can slash damages, yet are still held back by rigid legislation, misaligned incentives, and risk averse culture.

They compare Canadian and US approaches, question whether current 811 structures actually serve the people who use them, and ask if slogans like “call before you dig” and “50 in 5” are distracting from the real work of changing the rules of the game. 

The conversation circles back again and again to one challenge for boards, executives, locators, and contractors alike: finding the courage to embrace new tools, new models and more flexible laws before the next crisis forces their hand.

Listen For:

4:10 What damage prevention technologies have changed the game in the last decade
7:11 Why does the industry keep doing more of the same instead of embracing new tools
16:31 Should damage prevention rely on more legislation less legislation or something in between
30:10 Why is click before you dig safer and why is it still a hard sell in the United States
56:58 What can Alternate Locate Providers and an Uber style model do to transform locating and reduce damages 

Jemmie Wang
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