Like the old saying goes, there are only two kinds of people when it comes to digging or doing excavation work. There are (1) those who have hit a line, and (2) those who are going to. I do not know anyone who has not hit a line unless they just started digging for the first time!
Dusty Roach
This is not a “how to” guide per se, but just the same, we can still cover some basics. This a “why to” guide. Texas811.org has a specific guide that goes into the complete process of digging. The guide is not nearly as entertaining as this article, so you can take that for what it’s worth. However, the Texas 811 document is a detailed guide of how to avoid any line strikes, miscues, or potential injury. Saving money and avoiding injury, damage, and litigation is key to survival in our industry. There are numerous procedures, maybe as many as there are known lines. However, to the degree that you can stay close to the guidelines’ advice, to that degree you will come closest to having a seamless process.
Taking the landscape on the whole, there is a maze to be reckoned with, as there are a plethora of lines in Texas. It is a daunting task to take all of them into account. Meanwhile, the procedures are clearly written. If the system were perfect, there would be no need to be concerned with potential and immediate danger along with high costs of repair or replacement. But the system is not perfect. Therefore, litigation aside, the costs can still be astronomical. A company may survive the first wave of expenses; however, it is improbable companies could survive numerous line strikes if these entail fatalities or catastrophic expenses in replacement or repair. Decisions to bypass procedures usually leads to outcomes that go straight bottom line. Any lack of compliance, or act of overconfidence, or any other step that shows a company has willingly bypassing the procedures will be costly. insurance costs and legal fees have ruined many companies and they find themselves unable to recover.
So, what kind of return do you get when you call Texas 811? You do get better odds that come from reducing risk and exposure by following best practices, as well as gaining insight as to what to expect while digging. Plus, you’ve shown good faith by adhering to those best practices.
As for the kinds of lines one must be on the lookout for, there are:
- electrical lines
- gas lines
- oil and gas (some contain H2S)
- Telecom lines
- Water and sewer
Fortunately, we know that any line strike or rupture does not have an effect on the environment, either. Just kidding. I was seeing if you were still with me. With today’s emphasis on the environment, such strikes will only become more cost prohibitive, because remediation will be involves. If you’re not sure what “remediation” is, just think of the word “remedy.” You will be obliged to provide a remedy. Remediation, then, is another cost component, and if you thought the procedures to dig were time consuming and costly, wait until you get it to remediation. You just cannot back up to it and kick some dirt on it, like dogs do when they make a mess.
We have established the need to follow proper protocol. That’s true even when we are talking about using just hand tools, an action which can pose just as much danger and risk loss of life and limb as well.
There was one company who was on a location and there was a rain downpour. A bulldozer was on location. It was decided that someone would use the dozer to create a drainage off of the flooded location. In the process, however, the dozer operator ruptured a natural gas line, flooding the location with natural gas. Further, the day was cold and the doghouse heater was on, so when the gas buildup reached the flame of the doghouse heater, the explosion lit up the location. The ground was saturated with water and oil which also caused contamination. So, something as innocent as scraping off a location less than 6” deep, without going through proper procedure, caused irreparable damage and injury.
Regardless of the latest and greatest maps of underground lines, there are numerous lines that are still unmarked. Usually, it is the older lines that are unmarked. But it’s not always the old ones. Never underestimate people’s penchant to bootleg by burying a new line that is unmarked, unmapped and unregistered. Not everyone favors doing things the proper way. It is the unknown that usually gets people hurt.
Last year Texas 811 issued in excess of 320,000 tickets submitted to locate underground lines. The cost to have them marked? Zero. Free. It is worth the time to utilize this service. Plan ahead and request the service at least two days before needing the service. There is a detailed pre-excavation checklist that will help you plan your digging/excavation. The better prepared you are, the less the likelihood of an incident. There is a tolerance zone margin of 18” when flagging off existing lines.
As with anything else in our industry, policies and procedures are numerous and complex. Circumventing any of these will eventually lead to a failure. Thos of us in the business, and especially in the boonies, have a propensity and proclivity to bypass safety measures. We did not even broach the topics of trenching, shoring, spoils, competency, testing, training and so forth. So, if you are planning to dig a little deeper, dig into the policies and procedures. The one thing we do not want to dig is more graves.
As usual, I do appreciate you for reading. I hope this is helpful to you on the “why.” I reiterate: utilize Texas 811.
“It’s not how many hits we make in baseball. It is how many times we reach home safely that counts for the win.” —Dusty
Dusty Roach is a safety professional based in Midland. He is also a public speaker on subjects of leadership and safety, and he maintains a personal website at dustyroach.com.