Page 8 - LA811 issue 2

See
Irecently attended the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Conference, and am excited to share my biggest takeaway. CGA is a national 811 leader for all stakeholder groups. CGA obtains damage data
from their members, called DIRT (Damage Information Reporting Tool). Not all states have mandatory damage reporting, but some states do. Many stakeholders submit damage data to CGA, so DIRT is a helpful resource that shows nationwide trends.
clearance, etc.”, Louisiana Dig Law states, “§1749.16 (4) If an excavation
or demolition operation could result in damage to underground utilities
or facilities handling electricity, gas, natural gas, oil, petroleum products, or other flammable, toxic, or corrosive fluids or gases, pothole to determine the actual location of such facilities
or utilities.” While excavating
near markings, we must take extra precautions to avoid damage. The
above statement is law for the safety of all. Louisiana law also includes an 18” tolerance zone, stating “§1749.14 D. For the purpose of this Section, the specific location of the underground facilities is defined as an area not wider than the width of the underground facility or utility as marked plus eighteen inches on either side.” Being careful and doing our due diligence can really help resolve this damage issue.
It takes everyone doing their part to help prevent damages. If we each try our best and communicate through
our projects, we can come together to
be successful. Lastly with “Failure by locator to mark accurately or on-time”, let’s discuss how we can help be part
of the solution. Locators are extremely busy and short-handed, trying their best to manage the large dig ticket volume that they receive daily. Excavators can immensely help the 811 system run more efficiently by managing their tickets properly and not taking advantage of the system. Planning and doing their due diligence, submitting tickets when the law requires and managing ticket quantity, providing accurate location and contact information can go a long way in working with the industry to improve the entire process and prevent damages.
We can achieve our goals and prevent damages by working together and communicating. If we all do our part
to the best of our ability, we can achieve the “50 in 5” goal and make our industry safer. Please reach out to us at 811 when we can be a resource to help you work safely. We are here to be your valued teammate!
The way I
it
According to data from DIRT, three areas contribute to more than 76% of all damages.
- 25.7% = Failure to notify 811
- 28.3% = Failure to pothole, maintain clearance, etc.
-22.3% = Failure by locator to mark accurately or on-time
CGA initiated a “50 in 5” challenge aimed to address damages to our Nation’s critical assets head-on by bringing damage prevention advocates together around a targeted set of strategic, data-driven priorities. “50 in 5” is a goal to reduce damages by 50% within 5 years.
When we see “failure to notify 811”, the first thing that comes to a lot of our minds is that they must not have known about 811. What is very interesting is that one of the 811 centers in the United States conducted a survey that was sent to people that they had damage data due to “failure to notify 811”. Would you believe that the survey had 0 responses for “I had no knowledge of 811”? This must mean that they know about 811. Instead, most responses included “Was told by someone that they did not need to notify 811”, “Did not think we were digging deep enough”, “Needed to get the job done”, “I had called previously”. CGA created a new 811 tagline to try
to address these issues. “Safety is in your hands. Every dig. Every time.”, emphasizing the importance of doing the right thing with every project.
Regarding “Failure to pothole, maintain
By Cole Vanderlick Manager - Damage Prevention Louisiana 811
6 • Louisiana 811
2023, Issue 2