Choosing to be a responsible driller by having proper procedures and – equally important – choosing to follow those procedures, is up to owners and operators. To help mitigate the risks of damaging an underground utility, procedures must include the following best practices, at a minimum. Plan the bore. Planning the work is critical and …
The old days of open cutting along roadways to install underground utilities are a thing of the distant past. Especially in developed urban areas, underground rights-of-way are already congested with fiber, gas, electric, water and sewer lines. This presents a challenge for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) projects to install new utilities and has led to …
The Best Excavation Method: Hydro, Air, or Both? Read More »
When California’s 2016 Dig Safe Act closed loopholes on hand tool use requirements in the tolerance zone, unintended safety consequences followed. Excavators found themselves choosing between protecting their workers or complying with the law. But new safety regulations proposed by lawmakers and implemented by the Dig Safe Board, aim to change that by allowing certain …
TAKEN FROM CGA BEST PRACTICES 16.0 Operator markings of facilities include the following: • The appropriate color for their facility type • Their company identifier (name, initials, or abbreviation) when other companies are using the same color • The total number of facilities and the width of each facility • A description of the facility …
Understanding the Marks: Locating and Marking Practices Read More »
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 essentially a limited resource. In order for those involved in damage prevention to better assure quality locates and more efficiently utilize the limited available locator resources, Nulca encourages parties to …
Taking the time to perform a visual inspection of your excavation site is a key step in preventing unexpected encounters with unmarked underground facilities. Prior to each departure, commercial airline pilots and their crew perform a detailed visual inspection of the aircraft inside and out. The pilot takes a walk around the outside of the aircraft …
Working outdoors presents a range of hazards for workers. From falling objects to temperatures that can be extremely hot or bitterly cold, it’s important to be prepared and equip workers with head-to-toe personal protective equipment (PPE) that can handle a wide range of situations, meets the highest safety standards and provides the maximum possible comfort …
Every year, tens of thousands of visitors travel great distances to look at ancient cave walls covered with markings that most of them can’t decipher. The visitors know these symbols and drawings were a form of communication; at one time, they meant something important enough to write down but they’re too primitive to be easily …
Excavating in our congested rights-of-way is difficult and fraught with peril on many fronts. Dealing with myriad hazards associated with utility construction requires a comprehensive overall safety program addressing everything from trench safety to confined space. Most safety precautions are straight forward and definitive in mitigating the dangers associated within any given circumstance. However, there …
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 white paint and/or flags ❏ Call 811 at least 2-3 business days before excavation (check your state One Call laws) ❏ Locate ticket number is posted at …
