LSBUD and Government Strengthen Collaboration To Support Safer Digging

The agreement brings together two complementary services that play different but equally important roles in protecting the UK’s underground infrastructure.

The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), established by Government and operated by Ordnance Survey, provides a national register of underground asset data. LSBUD, meanwhile, is a dedicated safe digging platform, helping organisations plan works safely through enquiry management, risk assessment, communication workflows and work management functionality.

Rather than overlapping, the two services deliver distinct capabilities. The MoU recognises that NUAR is not intended to replace or replicate LSBUD’s established service and confirms a shared commitment to ensuring the two platforms work together effectively for the benefit of the industry.

The agreement acknowledges LSBUD’s extensive expertise in safe digging, its existing relationships with asset owners and excavators, and its role in supporting safe excavation activity across the UK. By integrating best-of-breed asset data and best-of-breed safe digging workflows, the partnership aims to help users make better-informed decisions, reduce utility strikes and improve safety outcomes.

LSBUD is already working with Ordnance Survey, which operates NUAR on behalf of Government, to explore opportunities for interoperability between the two systems. The objective is to ensure users can benefit from authoritative infrastructure data alongside the practical workflows and communication tools needed to plan and execute works safely.

The partnership was first announced at LSBUD’s National Damage Prevention Day and was formally highlighted during National Safe Digging Week, the theme this year was ‘The Power of Collaboration’.

Richard Broome, Managing Director of LSBUD, said:

“We welcome this agreement and look forward to working alongside Ordnance Survey and the Government. This is an important step forward for the industry because it recognises the value that both services bring.

“NUAR and LSBUD are fundamentally different platforms with different purposes. NUAR provides a national underground asset register, while LSBUD provides the safe digging workflows, communication and risk management capabilities that help people plan works safely. Together, they create a stronger proposition for the industry than either could achieve alone.”

He continued:

“For us, this has never been about competition; it is about safety. By focusing on collaboration, integration and making the best use of data, we can help reduce asset strikes, protect critical infrastructure and keep people safe.

“The theme of this year’s National Safe Digging Week, ‘The Power of Collaboration’, perfectly reflected what we are trying to achieve. We are excited to work alongside Ordnance Survey and DSIT to deliver meaningful benefits for the safe digging community.”