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Know what's underground for safe trail construction and maintenance Attend the CGA Excavation Safety Conference in Phoenix March 13-15, 2006: see www.UndergroundFocusEvents.com. To view or download a free excavation safety guide go to www.excavationsafetyguide.com. You can also check out the Dig Safely web site at www.digsafely.com. By Scott Landes
Safe Trail Construction & Maintenance Anytime you disturb the earth both your safety and the integrity of the nations buried infrastructure are at risk. Building and maintaining trails often involves grading and installing sign posts. Both of these tasks can lead to accidental damage to buried pipelines and cables resulting in a possible disaster, if you do not follow safe digging practices, including calling the local One-Call Center before you begin work. Trails run through both urban and remote areas. And so do cables and pipelines. It is NEVER safe to assume that there will not be able cables of pipelines in the area, or that these facilities will be buried deeper than you will be grading or digging. Some cables and pipes have been in the ground for decades and the amount of over may have changed significantly from erosion, grading, or other activities. Plus, there is no guarantee how deep they were originally buried. In fact, it is also against the law to grade or install a post without calling the local One-Call Center and waiting the prescribed time before beginning.
The backhoe operator on the equipment in this photo told me that "there are no utilities out here," like I was nuts for asking. In fact, there was a buried electric cable marked by red paint and a flag less than 20 feet from where he was sitting on the backhoe! On another section of the trail being built the trail was directly over a gas pipeline. All of the marks had been destroyed during the grading process so the local gas company made it very clear to the grader that there was a gas line nearby by putting a marker post directly in the trail. In 2003 a trail builder hit a petroleum pipeline in Tulsa. It is easy to dig safely and buried facility owners are happy to help you stay safe. Following these simple procedures will ensure your safety and prevent you from ending up in court. The Basic Safety Steps Before Digging Laws vary from state to state, so be sure you know the laws in the state where you will be excavating. If you dig you are responsible to know the law! The following are the basic steps that will help you dig safely. You can also check out the Dig Safely web site at www.digsafely.com. 1. Identify the area you plan to dig on a map, include GPS coordinates if available. 2. Outline the area in which you plan to dig with white paint, especially if you are installing a post. This will save time for the locator and let you get to work sooner. 3. Call the One-Call Center in the area to notify them of your planed excavation. Provide very specific information on the location & timetable of your proposed dig. 4. Call all buried facility owners in the area, which do not belong to the One-Call Center. (the One Call Center should give you a list of all members who will be notified) 5. Wait the required length of time before beginning your job. If you start your excavation early you will be liable for damages & will probably be subject to fines, depending on the local law. 6. Respect the marks which identify the location of the buried facilities, and hand dig carefully when you are within the "hand dig" zone described in your local law. * Remember, these are only general guidelines. Consult all local laws before digging.
Safe Excavation is a shared responsibility. The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) was formed in 2000 to ensure public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services by promoting effective damage prevention practices. The CGA provides today's optimal forum where stakeholders can share information and perspectives and work together on all aspects of damage prevention issues. This allows the achievement of results that would otherwise be impossible. The CGA is working with industry stakeholders and regulators to produce stronger, more effective results through partnership, collaboration, and the pursuit of common goals in damage prevention. To learn more about the CGA go to their web site at www.commongroundalliance.com. You can also attend the CGA Excavation Safety Conference in Phoenix March 13-15, 2006. For more information on this conference go to www.UndergroundFocusEvents.com. To view or download a free excavation safety guide go to www.excavationsafetyguide.com Locate Requests: Details are Crucial 1. Excavation Site Accuracy Clearly defining the excavation site is critical when requesting a locate. One of the most common and dangerous mistakes made by excavators is when they are digging is when they identify their excavation location as within a village or city, when they are actually digging in the township. This situation often occurs because the mailing address includes the name of the nearest village or city. When an address is not posted it is important to make the site identifiable for locators by posting the lot number, and/or site description. It is the excavator's responsibility to determine the exact location of the excavation site prior to requesting a locate. Many Call-Centers are now able to use latitude & longitudes to generate locate tickets. 2. Non-One-Call Members In addition to calling your local One-Call Center you must also contact all non-member's, and request a locate. State laws vary on who is required to belong to the local One-Call Centers. No matter what the local laws are it is always a good habit to try and identify all buried facilities by looking for signs, markers, and above ground facilities like pedestals, hydrants, valve boxes, etc. 3. Locate Longevity Each state has different laws governing how long a locate ticket is good for. It is extremely important that you know the law in the state that you are working. Tickets can usually be extended, but the ticket extension request normally requires the same advance notice as the original locate request. Most state laws require excavators to call two to three business days in advance of any excavation. Check with you local One-Call Center for details. For you locate ticket to be valid, excavation must start within a specified period of time from the time the locate ticket was issued. The party issuing the ticket will know the law in that state. 4. Second Requests: Remark/Refresh Requests, Incomplete Marks, No-Shows Second requests for locates at the same location normally occur because a. The project was not completed prior to the ticket expiration. b. The initial marks were not legible, or were incomplete. c. There was a no-show by one or more facility owner. d. The marks need to be refreshed. A request to have the marks refreshed because they are no longer legible, does not normally extend the life of the locate ticket. You must specifically request a ticket extension or your ticket will expire on the original expiration date. Communication is an important part of safe excavation, so if you have any question regarding the marks call your One-Call Center or facility owner back. 5. Emergency Locates The exact definition of an emergency locate may vary, but they are typically only allowed if there is a situation constituting an imminent danger of life, health, or property, or a utility service outage, which requires immediate repair or action. 6. Joint Meet Requests A "Joint Meet" is scheduled when the extent of the work may be confusing or extends over a large geographic area, and it may be helpful to distribute maps, plans, and schedules. The "joint meet" also allows excavators to openly discuss the project and any special circumstances which may need to be dealt with. Joint meets are held at the excavation site, or as close a practical and they normally requires more advance notice than a standard locate request. If a job covers a large area, it is normally best to segment your job into reasonable sections. Identifying these sections on a map will help you work with locators, facility owners, and the One-Call Center. Call-Centers often needs very specific information about your excavation site in order to request joint meets, so be prepared before you call. 7. Design Locates 8. Tolerance Zone The tolerance zone is the area in which you must hand dig. It is a strip of land on both sides of the outer edge of the buried facility. It is important to understand the tolerance zones because some buried facilities are only a thin cable and others may be a 3-foot wide concrete encased duct system. The example below shows you two different situations in a state where the tolerance zone is 36", or 18" on either side of the outer edge of the buried facility. Tolerance zones vary by state, so be sure you know the local laws. Attend the CGA Excavation Safety Conference in Phoenix March 13-15, 2006: see www.UndergroundFocusEvents.com. To view or download a free excavation safety guide go to www.excavationsafetyguide.com. You can also check out the Dig Safely web site at www.digsafely.com. October 14, 2005
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