WorldWide Drilling Resource

15 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® AUGUST 2015 Revealing Underground Utility Myths Adapted from Information from the AEM and Common Ground Alliance August 11, is National 811 Day; a day to remind people to call 811 before digging. Each year, roughly 38.6 million people dig without having underground utility lines marked, which is scary when you consider there are more than 20 million miles of underground utilities in the United States. Recently, the AEM (Association of Equipment Manufacturers) released a list of the top ten underground utility myths. Take the time to share this information with your coworkers, employees, and customers. Myth 1 - Depths of utilities can be assumed. This myth can be deadly! The depths of utilities cannot be assumed, and they must be exposed to verify loca- tion and depth. Remember, locator depths are approximate. Myth 2 - It will never happen tome. Contractors, operators, and homeowners often think this way, but utility strikes happen every day. In fact, every six min- utes a utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without calling 811 first. Myth 3 - Exposing to the depth of the utility is good enough. Exposing just to the depth of the utility is not only a bad practice, it may violate OSHA (Occupat ional Safety and Heal th Administration) regulations. It is impor- tant to verify no utilities are hiding beneath the existing utilities and always expose to the depth of the intended bore path. Visually examine the drill head as it pass- es the utility, and again during each pass of the reamer. Reamers can shift in the bore during pullback and strike a utility which appeared to have plenty of clear- ance. Myth 4 - Just drill deeper to avoid existing utilities. This way of thinking can cause troubles for years to come. Remember, locators become less accu- rate once a utility line reaches a depth of ten feet, making it difficult to locate and expose those lines for future projects. Myth 5 - Sewer lines don’t need to be, or cannot be located. There are actually several methods used to locate sewage lines, including ground penetrating radar. If a sewer line is breached during a utility installation, the line will become clogged and a plumber will have to clear the clog. If it was an electric line, the plumber could be electrocuted, and if it’s a gas line, gas will travel to the home/business and eventually ignite. Myth 6 - No locate marks = no utilities. Of course if there are no location marks, it could simply mean the locator hasn’t arrived to your site yet. Verify the utilities have been marked. Unfortunately, not all utility lines are recorded by the utility companies, or located by the locating service. Examine the area for evidence of underground activ- ity such as repaired pavement, utility boxes, and conduit coming out of the ground. Myth 7 - My responsibility for damage prevention ends when I call 811. It is important to remember 811 doesn’t actually provide locator services, they simply coordinate with the utilities and their contracted lo-cating services. It is the responsibility of the excavator to verify the locates have been done and are correct. Myth 8 - Exposing utilities (potholing) is included as part of the contract price for the drilling. Never assume potholing is included. Most experts suggest sep- arating potholing from drilling in project quotes. Myth 9 - We have to accept whatever the caller gives us. When a contractor calls the 811 center, or the utility, both parties should be detailed with the information they are providing. This is an important part of receiving accurate and safe locates. Myth 10 - Electric strike systems can predict an electric strike. In some cases, the system may activate when in the area of an energized line, but don’t rely on it to detect the strike before it happens. It is always better to assume an electric strike has happened if the strike alarm sounds. Keep safety on the minds of your crew and customers! +9 &8 ,&6"4/23 *,'*&,% "4&2 &,, /.6&.4*/.", ".% &6&23& *2$5,"4*/. 2*,, *0& 15*0-&.4 +9 &8 ,&6"4/23 2& 3&% /2,%7*%& ! 2&8 2&8-$'"%%&. $/- ,&6"4/23 /"% 4&34 $&24*'*$"4&3 "6"*,"#,& * $ "% * $ ( # * $ "% * " # % ! ! $% " ! ! # " ' $ # ) " ! ) " "# ) % # ) ! "# & )"6& &,&6"4/23 /' ",, 3*:&3 490&3 ".% 7&*()43 ".% $". #5*,% 4/ ".9 30&$*", "00,*$"4*/.3 ) ' & # ) $ ( "# ) $" % % !# ) " ## & " % # ) $# ) ' # &7 3&% 15*0-&.4 6"*,"#,& 777 2&8-$'"%%&. $/- 811 sponsored Victor Espinoza and American Pharoah in both the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes leading his historic Triple Crown victory.