Simple Tactics To Help You Eliminate Utility Damages
You have just won the bid of the year. You know this project could take your business to the next level and you cannot wait to get started. After months of planning, you finally get to start your project…
You call for utility locates, trusting all of the utilities in your dig area are going to be painted in the correct spots and within the tolerance zone. Sure, as an underground construction professional, you’ve run into a few unmarked cable lines but nothing serious.
You wait the specified time period for the utility locators to mark the dig area and show up on site. One day goes by and the area isn’t marked. Two days go by, and still nothing is marked. When the third day arrives, you call everyone you can to get the locate completed.
Finally, the utility locator shows up on site in a panic. Paint is falling out of her truck and she seems to be having a horrible day. She completes the locate and you immediately get to work.
You put your backhoes in the ground and POP! You just hit a high pressure gas main! Gas is spewing from the hole and you flee the area in fear. Now it will take at least a week for the repair and all of a sudden you are behind schedule. This could have killed someone…
This is easy to imagine for a lot of us.
Here are some easy things you can do to eliminate utility damages once and for all.
Give Them Time: Give the utility locator more than 3 days to complete your dig ticket. Utility locking is a tough job. They’re in one of the only professions where there is no cap to the amount of work that needs to be performed on any given day. Cut them some slack and give them some time.
Break It Up: Break your locate ticket into chunks. Some states make you do this, but for others, a construction company can call in locate tickets for miles and miles. If you break the ticket into chunks, the locate tech can concentrate on where the work actually needs to be done.
Be Specific: Don’t call in Right of Way to Right of Way tickets in less you need to. Like the prior tip, some states don’t allow this — while others do. If you only request for the area where you’re digging, you’ll allow the locate tech to concentrate on only the most important area.
Walk The Area: Walk the area and document all of the utility locate marks. Use a camera or smartphone to simplify the process. Be sure to look out for any signs of unmarked utilities. You want to be sure the entire dig area has been marked.
Communicate: Don’t be afraid to communicate with the locate company if something is mismarked or unmarked. Call 811 to document and make note of the issue(s).
Follow these five tips for easier projects and you’ll reap the benefits (and profits) over time.
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