dp-PRO 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
No UPSIDE
A line locator is a fairly simple tool – a coil (or coils) in the receiver produces an electric charge when exposed to a moving
READER RESPONSE – Spring 2020
Article: Picture Perfect, Winter Issue 2019 I AGREE with the recommendations in the article and only offer the following supplemental suggestions: A small dry erase board
Think Global. Go Global. Be Global.
THIS PAST October, a team of missionaries began their travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador. For some, it may have been their first missionary experience, but for retired
A Leader’s Game of Telephone
Jack and Diane were leaders. Both believed they were good communicators and yet one was better understood than the other. It was Jack who shared
Utility Designation Overseas
THE PROSPECT of flying halfway around the world for a project involving utility designation might seem like an exciting but nearly impossible task. When the opportunity
The Fiber Optic Association (FOA)
The Fiber Optic Association (FOA) THE FIBER OPTIC Association (FOA) is the international professional society of fiber optics, chartered to promote professionalism in fiber optics through
Damage Prevention: Legislation or Collaboration?
FOR ALMOST four years of my life, bill S229 seemed to be all I lived and breathed! Working with Senator Grant Mitchell, MP Lloyd Longfield, Parliamentary
What’s Wrong with this Picture? – Spring 2020
WHAT DID YOU FIND WRONG? • Too many people in the small area. • Using a hoe when shovels would be more prudent. • The excavation has not
MISS DIG 811 Celebrates 50 years!
MISS DIG 811 was established in 1970 by five major Michigan utility companies as a pilot program in Oakland County to reduce damages to their underground
Updates on Minnesota’s One Call Law (MS216D)
AS THE SPEED of technology grows, so does the ability to easily submit locate requests. This, in combination with accessibility via mobile devices, results in the
2020 Locator Safety & Appreciation Week
ALWAYS OBSERVED on the last full week of April, this year Locator Safety & Appreciation Week is April 20-26… and it will sneak up on you
Public Awareness – Spring 2020
JULIE Nets Win with Chicago Wolves IMAGINE IF the idea of Calling 811 Before You Dig was engrained in the minds of the next generation of