Q + A: DIGGING AROUND UTILITIES

 Digging near utilities requires careful consideration to ensure safety and prevent damage. Here are the list of questions we’ll be answering: How should you approach digging around utilities? How can you determine what lies below without digging? How accurate are utility markings? How deep can you go before calling 811? What are the potential consequences of digging without contacting 811? …

VHS | JUMPING A GAP

Ray Taylor from NZ produced this fantastic video on getting a locate signal to jump a gap. This video is informative for industry veterans and newcomers! Ray goes through quite a few different frequencies and shoes the difference between a 1cm gap and earthed gaps. For anyone involved in damage prevention and especially field workers this is a must watch …

VHS | 7 MYTHS ABOUT LOCATING

Savage Group LLC produced this informative video on dispelling myths about utility locating, it’s worth watching and sharing In their own words they, “There are a lot of myths out there about underground utility locating. In this video, we debunk the seven most common ones. If you’re planning to dig, it’s essential to know where your utilities are. Learn the …

IMPROVING YOUR DELIVERABLES

Locate companies are under immense pressure to reduce damages and meet targets with limited budgets. Improving what you provide customers with can help close gaps that One Call / 811 don’t cover, speed up projects and improve relationships. Utility locators can improve the deliverables they provide to customers in several ways: Timeliness: Providing timely deliverables is crucial for customer satisfaction. …

VHS | PERFORMING A QA REVIEW OF UTILITY LOCATES

multiVIEW did this great video of their QA process for utility locates. It’s worth a watch. In their own words they, “a technician can be seen using an electromagnetic locator to detect current in a tracer wire connected to the underground utility line to verify the accuracy of surface utility marks after a Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Quality Level ‘B’ …

WHY ONE CALL / 811 WON’T FIND ALL UTILITIES

Before you start a project that involves excavation or breaking ground—whether you’re a homeowner, contractor, landscaper, or even a large municipality—there is something you have to take into account: There are utilities buried below the ground surface that can cause conflicts, hamper progress, wreak financial havoc on your budget, and even cause physical (and, in the worst case, mortal) harm. …

USING AI TO FIX 811?

I asked ChatGPT, “What is one feature that could improve the current One Call / 811 system?”The response I got was pretty detailed so I thought it was worth sharing:”One feature that could improve the 811 system is the integration of real-time mapping and geospatial data. By integrating real-time data on the location and condition of underground utilities, the 811 …

VHS | CONTRACTOR REMARKS

811 Chicago Utility Locating produced this great video showing How a Contractor 811 Remark Request left me in Disbelief In their own words they, “delve into the details of the remark request and provide my thoughts and insights on the situation. ” Subscribe to their channel here: 811 Chicago Utility Locating on YouTube VHS (Video Highlight Series) is where we …

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUE

I was perusing through this comparative analysis of services provided by private locators on Science Direct and a few charts stood out to me so I wanted to share a few quickly, because I think SUE and our current one call system need to grow closer together. The study looks at how private locators provide their services and the difference …

REPORTING FROM THE CGA

I’m  in Orlando, Florida right now for this year’s CGA Conference and Expo. It’s great to be back amongst our peers and discuss damage prevention. I’ve been lucky to make some great friends within the industry and so this month’s NoDamage article is a little different as I’m not just giving my opinion or outlook; instead I’ve crowdsourced this content …