Page 8 - Louisiana811

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data to help prevent damages in Louisiana. Check out the pdf version on our website under Resource Center for details. We have been educating
on key reasons for damages during stakeholder meetings to help prevent future occurrences. The Louisiana Dig Law Advisory Committee has also been working thoroughly to get us working safely together. That group has been meeting for many months and a new dig law amendment has recently come into effect.
House Bill 292 has been approved and signed by the Governor now becoming Act No. 344. This amendment to the “Dig Law” went into effect on August 1, 2023.
To summarize, this amendment states/ clarifies the following:
• Reemphasizes that the marking of an operator’s facility or utility shall be provided for excavation or demolition purposes only.
• Clarifies the requirement that excavation or demolition activities shall begin not more than 120 hours (5 days) past the mark-by-time.
• Stresses the requirement for excavators/demolishers to use white paint, flags, or stakes to mark the proposed route or area of excavation/ demolition for tickets called in to the center. This is not required when entering a locate request online. (Considered “virtual white lining”).
• Requires potholing to determine
the actual location of such facilities or utilities 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. For forestry excavation operations that 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, the forestry excavator and the utility or facility owner or operator shall cooperate to determine the actual location of such facilities or utilities.
A copy of this Act can be viewed at
louisiana811.com.
These dig law amendments, if abided by the excavator, should help prevent
damages and keep the 811 system operating more efficiently. 28% of our nation’s underground utility damages come from failing to pothole or maintain clearance. That’s the highest percentage of reasons for our nation’s utility damages. Now that potholing is a Louisiana law, we should see damages decrease if this law is complied with.
Many pipeline operators have
concerns and questions about forestry and logging excavation/demolition requirements. The above amendment should clarify forestry and logging requirements. We highly encourage loggers to effectively communicate
and cooperate with local utility and pipeline operators. For any questions or complaints, reach out to the Department of Natural Resources at pipelineinspectors@la.gov or 833-726- 0410 to discuss with the enforcement agency. Be on the lookout for the next magazine issue to address some logging concerns in an article by one of our member pipeline operators.
We are starting to prepare for
our upcoming Louisiana Damage Prevention Summit! This is one of
the best conferences our industry provides to our local stakeholders.
We are excited to discuss important issues to get us working better
together in LA. We want to hear your concerns throughout the state. If you have agenda ideas that can enhance damage prevention in Louisiana,
please reach out to me to get involved with our Damage Prevention Summit planning committee. Registration for the conference is now open at www. louisiana.damagepreventionsummit. com. You’ll see more information in our next magazine issue, but save the date for January 23-25, 2024 at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel in Baton Rouge.
The way I see it is we are here to help facilitate our industry stakeholders. When something is not working efficiently, we are all ears to try to improve for the betterment of all. We want to know what is working and not working for you out in the field. We can always strive to improve. It all comes back to communication being our industry’s most vital tool for success. When our industry stakeholders communicate on their projects, the risk of damages drops significantly.
The way I
it By Cole Vanderlick Manager - Damage Prevention
Louisiana 811
The way I see it, so many of you are working diligently to do your job to the best of your ability. Various stakeholders receive our magazine that associate with 811. We have the utmost respect
for you and strive to be a helpful resource for you. We are more than just a notification center for underground utilities and facilities; we also think
of ourselves as a damage prevention organization. We can help you navigate through the unknown by facilitating communication between the right stakeholders to get the job done safely and timely. We must trust each other and be there for each other. Complying with Louisiana dig laws is a smart
way to make matters much simpler for everyone involved.
The last issue, I wrote about utilizing CGA’s (Common Ground Alliance)
6 • Louisiana 811 2023, Issue 3