Underground Construction - April 2022 - 20

INSIDEINFRASTRUCTURE
Eben Wyman | Wyman Associates
Industry Study Takes Hard Look
at 811 Process, Facility Locating
EDITOR'S NOTE
Eben Wyman is a veteran advocate
for key underground utility and
pipeline associations. He points out
that maintaining an effective advocacy
program is fundamental to the
success of any organization interested
in the happenings of the federal
government. He can be contacted at
eben@wymanassociates.net.
Responsible stakeholders involved in underground facility
damage prevention know and promote the process as a shared
responsibility among all stakeholders involved. Excavation contractors
have long pointed out the increasing challenges related
to responsibilities held by operators to locate and accurately mark
their facilities prior to excavation activities according to state law.
Problems with facility locating on the rise
Many of these challenges were highlighted in a handful of states
only a few years ago, when certain facility operators were cited
for not responding to or being blatantly late in responding to
tens of thousands of locates. After local road projects were delayed
because of lags in locating and marking of underground facilities,
local media attention highlighted the problems that professional
excavators have been complaining about for decades.
At a time when excavation construction is at an all-time high,
and much more is on the horizon after landmark infrastructure
legislation enacted in 2021, protecting underground infrastructure
during excavation activity is more important than ever.
One major concern that has become clear is that many of
the decisions made on what gets located and when, are based
on costs and economic considerations, not solely on safety and
compliance with the law. Ironically, many of the costs associated
with excavation damage end up being covered by the operators
themselves, and in many cases, passed on to the ratepayers
and other consumers.
Unfortunately, outside of anecdotal evidence, industries
involved in excavation construction have not had the data requested
by state and local governments to take these positions
seriously - until now.
20 APRIL 2022 | UCONonline.com
New study looks at economic factors
In November 2021, five associations representing construction
contractors released a new industry study providing an in-depth
examination of 811 operations in every state and Washington
D.C. The study shows that damage costs and the increased risk
to public safety could be substantially reduced if many states
adopt more effective practices and procedures already in use in
other parts of the country.
The study, " 811 Emergency, " was commissioned by the
Infrastructure Protection Coalition (IPC) made up of associations
representing broadband, electric, natural gas, pipeline,
transportation, water and sewer, and other industries that design,
construct, maintain or locate subsurface infrastructure,
with both union and non-union workforces. These are regular
users and stakeholders of the 811 system who want to see it run
safely and efficiently.
811 Emergency was conducted using a thorough review of
records, regulations, laws and enforcement actions across the
country. Upon release of the study, several leaders of these associations
made the case for this investigation.
" Ultimately, ratepayers are picking up the tab for this
waste and bearing the public safety risk, " said Tim Wagner,
a coalition member, and president and CEO of the Power &
Communication Contractors Association (PCCA). " Some
states have figured out how to work this system safely and efficiently,
and there's no reason others cannot do the same. "
Underlying reasons contributing to extensive waste
The review found waste and cost overruns largely were caused
by four main reasons:
* Over-notification by excavation contractors that leads
to utilities and third-party locators needlessly sent out
to locate lines for construction projects that end up not
happening
* Poor instructions and faulty maps given to locators, causing
wasted time or additional work
* Locate marks destroyed by construction and then needing
to be reinstalled
* Contractor wait times when location efforts exceed the
legal notice period
This over-notification can be attributed to the fact that contractors
don't know what will get located and when. So, in order
to ensure their crews are not shut down when facilities aren't located
on time, they call in an overabundance of locate requests.
http://www.UCONonline.com
Underground Construction - April 2022

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