Tool 6 of 7 · BC & Alberta

Roles & training

“Who’s the GD supervisor?” is the first question an operator’s rep asks on site. See what every role on a dig is responsible for, what the law actually says about training, and check whether a GD 201 ticket is still good for the work.

Checked against BC, Alberta and federal law on September 25, 2026. See every source

Where is the work?

Duties change with the province.

Part 1

Who does what on a dig

Ground disturbance supervisor

The person on site who plans the dig, checks the locates and permissions, and directs the crew. Sometimes called the GD inspector or GD rep.

Training Industry expects Ground Disturbance 201 (Level II) for this role. BC law requires supervisors to be knowledgeable about the OHS rules for the work (and the prime contractor to be qualified); Alberta requires the employer's supervisor to be competent.

Know the OHS rules that apply to the work you supervise
Verify the locate package: every owner responded, marks match the sheets, no signs of unmarked lines
Run the tailgate meeting: marks, zones, spotter, strike plan
Stop the work if a line isn't where it was marked, or marks are lost
Before backfill: gas lines — support and backfill to the Regulation, tell the gas company if more than 3 m was exposed, and don't backfill damaged wrapping until they authorize it; BC pipelines — as the written permission requires
Federal pipelines: give 24 hours' notice before backfilling over the pipe

No law names GD 201. Supervisors must be knowledgeable about the OHS rules for the work they supervise, the prime contractor must be qualified, and employers must provide the training and supervision the work needs. GD 201 (the BCCGA standard) is how industry shows it, and pipeline operators write it into crossing permissions.

Alberta

One rule names the level: a pipeline licensee’s representative must be certified in supervisory level ground disturbance. Otherwise, work that may endanger a worker must be done by a competent worker — or under the direct supervision of one — and supervisors must be competent. The GD 201 standard is maintained by Utility Safety Partners.

Part 2

Is this ticket good for the job?

What does the certificate say?

Date issued

Where’s the work?

What will they do?

Result

Enter the date on your certificate

GD 201 certificates run for 3 years from the date issued.

The 3-year term comes from the GD 201 standard’s owner and endorsed providers, not from legislation. Operators and prime contractors can set their own rules — check the contract.

Online · self-paced

Ground Disturbance 201

BC or Alberta regulations built in. Hold one province already? Add the other with a short module.

In person · Fort St. John

Classroom GD 201 & GD Supervisor

For crews who’d rather learn in a room with an instructor, or companies booking a private session.

General guidance only. This tool supports, and does not replace, your own competent assessment, the current BC OHS Regulation or Alberta OHS Code, your locate, the facility owner’s requirements and your employer’s procedures. You are responsible for your dig; where anything here differs from the law or an owner’s written instructions, they govern.

Read the full notice

You are responsible for your dig. Before any work begins, whoever uses this toolkit must consult, confirm and understand every law, regulation, permit, consent, crossing agreement, locate and facility owner requirement that applies to their site and their work.

This toolkit is general information to help you find those requirements. It is not a locate, not legal advice, not an engineering design and not a substitute for competent supervision. Do not rely on it to decide whether, where, when or how to dig.

Laws change, owners set stricter conditions, and every site is different. Where anything in this toolkit differs from the law, a regulator, a locate sheet or a facility owner's instructions, they govern — not this toolkit.

It explains the rules; it is not the rules, a locate, or an engineer. It’s built from BC’s BC OHS Regulation (Part 20) and pipeline crossing rules, Alberta’s OHS Code (Part 32) and Pipeline Rules, the federal Canadian Energy Regulator damage prevention regulations, and the published guidance of regulators and one-call centres. Where we say Law, legislation requires it. Where we say Guidance, it’s a regulator’s or industry body’s advice. The facility owner’s written instructions and the law govern. This toolkit is Alpha Training Solutions’ own work and is not made or endorsed by any regulator or one-call centre.

These materials contain information that has been derived from information originally made available by the Province of British Columbia at: http://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca and this information is being used in accordance with the King's Printer Licence – British Columbia available at: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/standards/Licence.html. They have not, however, been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of, the Province of British Columbia and THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL VERSION.

Alberta legislation © Alberta King's Printer (OHS Code 2021, OHS Act 2020, Pipeline Rules 2023, Pipeline Act and Historical Resources Act 2000), reproduced from the consolidations at kings-printer.alberta.ca. Not the official version.

Federal law reproduced from the Justice Laws Website (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca), current to September 3, 2026. This is not an official version.