About Us...

Own Your Safety™ was created to address a critical gap in ground disturbance safety—helping workers, contractors, and organizations confidently manage excavation risks and prevent underground utility damage.

Our programs and consulting services are designed to meet the diverse challenges of public and private utility work across Canada and the United States.

Safety is the Foundation of Everything We Do!

Our Mission

At Own Your Safety™, our mission is to deliver industry-leading safety training and consulting solutions for those involved in excavation and utility infrastructure work.

We empower clients to take ownership of their safety by offering specialized education, expert analysis, and investigative services—ensuring that every worker and company know what’s underground before they dig.

KNOW Before You Dig! ™

Grant Piraine, C.E.T., DPT – Damage Prevention Technologist and Founder of Own Your Safety

Grant Piraine C.E.T., DPT, ULT

Founder & President, Own Your Safety Inc. and Own Your Safety, LLC

Grant Piraine is one of North America’s most recognized experts in utility infrastructure safety, excavation risk management, and utility damage investigations. With over 35 years of industry experience, Grant has dedicated his career to preventing underground utility strikes, improving excavation safety, and educating professionals across Canada and the United States.

As the author and instructor behind the Know Before You Dig™ Training Program, Grant created the first North American curriculum designed to help workers and managers confidently identify and verify public and private utilities before breaking ground. He has also developed comprehensive training for Utility Locate Technicians (ULT), incorporating real-world utility mapping techniques, risk analysis, and regional best practices.

Grant has personally:

Founded and operated private utility locate firms in both Canada and the U.S.
Consulted on hundreds of damage investigations, offering expert analysis, locate reviews, and forensic support in legal and insurance disputes.
Delivered expert witness testimony and authored industry guidelines for locating near sewer infrastructure, underground tanks, and unlocatable facilities.
Led field and classroom-based training for locate technicians, engineers, and excavation teams.

A passionate advocate for damage prevention, Grant launched the Green Hand Program to mentor new workers entering the industry and has been a guest lecturer at over a dozen colleges and universities.

He is the recipient of the Jim Douglas Award of Excellence in Damage Prevention (ORCGA, 2018) and an active contributor to professional alliances across North America. His work has shaped best practices for excavation safety, utility locate risk management, and underground infrastructure awareness.

Grant continues to publish safety insights, legal commentary, and best practice guides through his Know Before You Dig™ blog and training manuals used by utility professionals and safety trainers throughout North America.

Our Services

KNOW Before you dig training

Our Know Before You Dig training program provides essential utility infrastructure awareness for workers involved in ground disturbance projects. This course equips participants with the knowledge to identify risks, interpret locates, and follow best practices when working near buried infrastructure. Covering public and private locates, excavation safety, and emergency response, this training ensures workers understand their responsibilities and can confidently prevent utility damages before breaking ground.

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consulting services

We provide specialized consulting services for claims adjusters, insurance providers, legal teams, and Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) professionals dealing with utility damage incidents. We offer expert analysis, risk assessments, and forensic investigations to help determine liability, regulatory compliance, and best practices. Our consulting services support litigation, compliance audits, insurance claims, and safety program development.

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DAMAGE investigationS

We provide expert utility damage investigation services to excavators, utility companies, insurers, and legal teams. Our investigations include detailed forensic analysis of locate reports, excavation methods, and regulatory compliance to determine root cause, liability, and contributing factors. These findings support insurance claims, legal disputes, and expert witness testimony, ensuring a clear and defensible understanding of the incident.

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