Does it exist?
We think it does... in fact it happens all the time! There are eleven simple steps to the best practices excavation:
- The excavator visits the site, and marks out every place he or she may be excavating with white paint, flags, or stakes.
- The excavator fills out all the information about the excavation on a One-Call Center Location Request Information Sheet, then calls in the location request to the One-Call Center or completes a location request online.
- The One-Call Center Customer Service Representative takes the information, and gives the excavator a File Reference Number and a list of members (facility operators) notified. The excavator writes these down on the Location Request Information Sheet for later reference.
- The excavator then notifies any nonmember facility operators (nonmember facility operators are not contacted by the One-Call Center).
- Each member facility operator either marks out their facilities at the work area, or determines the work area is clear, and then responds to the Automated Positive Response (APR) System.
- The excavator verifies that he or she has received responses from all utilities through the Automated Positive Response (APR) System and takes photos of the markings for documentation.
- The excavator begins work on the scheduled work date and time, if all the facility operators have responsed, taking care to find and preserve any markings the locators have made.
- Before beginning any excavation or demolition, the excavator identifies the tolerance zone and any place the work area crosses a gas or liquid petroleum line ("cross section areas"). When digging near a buried facility, the excavator observes the tolerance zone around that facility.
- Before excavating or demolishing in a tolerance zone or any cross section areas, the excavator verifies the location of underground facilities by hand-dug test holes.
- If exposing a facility, the excavator provides proper support and protection for it so the facility will not be damaged.
- When the excavation is complete, the excavator provides proper backfill for any facilities having been exposed, and removed all utility markings.