2020 Special Locate Issue
2020 Special Locate Issue Articles

As Long AS YOU’RE HERE…
As a private utility locator, my day differs from that of a contract locator. While they typically work from a laptop containing an ever-refilling queue
Pre-Excavation Checklist
Before EVERY Excavation IN THE OFFICE ☐ Review all drawings, plans, engineering blueprints for existing buried facilities ☐ Proposed excavation area has been marked in

Mapping the Underworld Initiative: A 25-Year Vision
Buried utilities are vital for the functioning of today’s cities as they provide gas, water, electricity, broadband and the removal of sewage and surface water.

One Call Spotlight: OHIO811
Each year, representatives from OHIO811 and their member utilities participate in dozens of trade shows and community events across the state of Ohio. They interact

Why Offer Online Education to Excavators
WE OFTEN HEAR about different learning styles and working to accommodate a diverse workforce, but it’s more difficult to know how to go about doing it.

Public Awareness – Special Locate 2020
JJ Harrison: Rodeo Clown, 811 Advocate 4 million people. 325,000 miles. 8 years. 1 JJ Harrison. ALWAYS THE CLASS CLOWN at heart with a passion for
Calendar of Events – Special Locate 2020
April 1-3 FUCC Spring Meeting (Ocala, FL) 3, 4 JJ Harrison – Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo (Kissimmee, FL) 5-9 NASTT No-Dig Show (Denver, CO)

Training For Your GPR System
Over the last 15 years, GPR systems have become easier to operate, with simplified menus and more capabilities in the field. Still, it is important

ORCGA DPT Certification Program
UTILITY LOCATING IDENTIFIES AND MARKS underground public and private utilities, including sewer and water, electric, oil and gas, telecommunications, fiber optics, and more. Locators provide detailed

New Excavation Damage Prevention Recommendations for Cross Bore Risk Reduction
The Cross Bore Safety Association (CBSA) and numerous participating organizations and individuals have combined efforts to assemble the most comprehensive collection of recommendations to date

Locator Safety Awareness and Appreciation Week
Utility locators are the backbone of the underground infrastructure industry. Making timely, accurate marks keeps the public safe, protects infrastructure, and allows every other sector

Solving Tracer Wire and Telecom Locating Issues
Many problems related to accuracy on tracer wire and telecom wire locate systems are directly related to a poor understanding of locating principles. To minimize
Lack of Adequate Enforcement Undermines Damage Prevention
Excavation contractors work tirelessly to perform exemplary work while providing a safe and effective work environment. Damage prevention is, and always has been, a big

The Buried Truth about Human Factors
In June of 1983 my life changed forever. I was 26 at the time. Like many 26-year-olds, my Sundays usually bled into my Mondays and

Industry News – Special Locate 2020
MISSISSIPPI Emergency Management Agency Provides Flood Plan (The Clarion-Ledger) – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has provided state residents with suggestions on how to handle a

The Value of Nulca
Nulca, the organization for utility locating professionals, recognizes the critical role the locating function plays in the underground damage prevention process, and that locators are

Late Locate Symposium
IN DECEMBER 2019, twenty-five industry leaders participated in a Late Locate Symposium to improve the timely delivery of locates within Ontario. The goal of the

ASSP Foundation Family Scholarship
MANY SAFETY professionals know that the Utilities Practice Specialty within the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) provides access to a network of safety and utilities

Damage Prevention Hero – Kim Kosky
Kim Kosky A Passionate Supporter of Employee, Excavator and Public Safety KIM KOSKY, DIRECTOR OF TRAINING AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, JOINED UTILIQUEST 19 YEARS AGO AND

Ask the DP Pro – Michael Twohig
Q How has our Underground Mapping Documentation Practices Improved over Time? A by Michael A. Twohig TODAY’S MODERN utility locating technology and procedures have come a

Social Media – Special Locate 2020
#UndergroundLocating #UndergroundLocating WHAT’S TRENDING Follow these companies on Facebook

Two Confined Space Standards: WHICH ONE IS FOR YOU?
Working in confined spaces may pose inherent dangers. OSHA regulations help ensure employers take effective steps to mitigate or eliminate these dangers. OSHA revised its

Using Research to Improve Damage Prevention in North Carolina
The damage prevention industry has always understood that data collection is critical. Data measures our progress and our challenges; data paves the way forward and

INDUSTRY NEWS Xtra – Special Locate 2020
PHMSA and TSA Update Pipeline Security Agreement (Transportation Today News) – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recently joined the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA)

A Year in the Life of a Liaison: The Journey to Get to 811
Part 1: The Early Years How does someone go from 25-plus years in the utility business to becoming the Western Education Liaison for North Carolina

SAFETY IN NUMBERS: Creating Improvement through a Focus on Key Damage Prevention Metrics Involving Buried Infrastructure
NEARLY 70 YEARS AGO, management theorist and author Peter Drucker coined the oft-quoted phrase, “What gets measured, gets managed.” The use of metrics plays a key

NEW GPR Congress
The last few months have been increasingly difficult for everyone worldwide as we work together to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. After safety concerns in California