Page 12 - Louisiana

The Conflict
DAMTheACGonEfliPctRo DAMTAheGCEonP DAMAGEIN flic DAMAGEINV By Roger Cox
President
MACTS Now, Inc.
uch talk surrounds the
done their job. Their process seems to organization to come up with a whiz-
topic of damage prevention
have someone in the company perform
bang plan to start making it happen.
across the nation today.
an investigation, take photos, determine
For example, have you paid attention
While there are pockets
who is responsible and turn it over to
to a damage investigation program?
of improvement in some cases, there
claims.
I’ve attended many such classes in
appears to be stalemate nationwide
What would happen if we could turn
my almost 50 years in the industry
on reducing damages. Actually, there
that damage investigation into damage
and for the most part they haven’t
seems to be an upward trend in damage
prevention by refocusing on the
changed much since day one. Damage
to underground utility lines.
purpose of the investigation itself? If
or accident investigations have been
It is a fair question to ask why this is
the purpose was still to determine what
carried out for decades and the purpose
the case. The answer falls along the
happened and what we could do to
of them was to determine why it
lines of “the disadvantages of preventing
prevent the recurrence, both liability
happened and what can be done to
damages outweigh the advantages of
and collections would be a by-product
prevent similar incidents.
preventing damages,” so the motivation
of an effective damage investigation.
However, most of the utility damage
to change behaviors to prevent damages
A product of an effective damage
investigation classes I’ve attended
has not been clearly established.
investigation is to develop a relationship
focus on liability and claims. There is
Here are a couple of things I’ve learned
with stakeholders. That relationship
nothing wrong with that focus, but it
about underground utility damage
is strengthened by conversations
seems to be a limited viewpoint. As a
prevention. Slogans are easier to
based on what the investigation
practical matter, I believe the highest
come up with than preventing damage.
uncovers. When we discuss the facts
and best use of a claims department in
Identifying what people ought to do
uncovered by the investigation, it
our industry is to collect for damages to
is easier than getting them to do it.
becomes the springboard for higher
their utility lines.
If we know that preventing damage
expectations brought about by personal
When discussing collections with claims
is about building relationships and
communication, rather than just an
personnel, when they can collect for
clearer communication, we don’t need
invoice.
damage, they rightly feel like they’ve
to wait for new technology or some
10 • Louisiana 811 2024, Issue 4
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