Major phone damage

[beyond help]

Below is an article on a duct package that was damaged. There were 6 pulp cables cut in half. Bad, bad damage.

PUBLISHED: Wednesday, June 4, 2008
NEW: No telephone service for some Roseville residents




By Gordie Wilczynski
Macomb Daily Staff Writer


@B:Roseville residents in various sections of the city will be without telephone service until at least this weekend.
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Roseville Deputy Police Chief James Berlin said Wednesday construction workers putting in a new water main on Martin Road at Pinehurst Road were using an auger and struck a fiber optic line on Monday.

"The area was either not marked or mismarked," said Berlin. "The phone company estimates that it will take 4 or 5 days to repair." Berlin said AT&T is patching some lines in an attempt to restore service sooner. But he said they cannot immediately repair all lines.

"Fortunately many people have cellular telephones," said Berlin. "We have had many complaints but if this would have occurred 20 years ago people would have been knocking down our front doors.":bang:

[Goldenboy]

I can't even imagine what six pulp cables cut would look like. I had a contractor hit a 900 pair pulp about 5 years ago and it took two days to repair. It was just 900 white and 900 purple wires. They had to tone each back from both ends to match up the right wires.

[beyond help]

I can't even imagine what six pulp cables cut would look like. I had a contractor hit a 900 pair pulp about 5 years ago and it took two days to repair. It was just 900 white and 900 purple wires. They had to tone each back from both ends to match up the right wires.

112/1200's, 4/2400's

[yahoo]

pulp ........makes me want to shed a tear.......i don't even want to conversate about it ....locater ....who ever you are out there.....just try to be better.....:(

[beyond help]

Quick Update.... Damage estimates are up to around 500k; Still not going to be fixed until early next week.

[Goldenboy]

Quick Update.... Damage estimates are up to around 500k; Still not going to be fixed until early next week.

I think the insurance may have to be used on this one.

It still amazes me that something we locate daily can cost half a million to fix. Just think at an average of about $12 per locate it will take almost 42,000 locates to pay for this one damage.

[USIC1]

Notice how even the big locate companys have no history and are still just fly-by-nighters...Maybe a decade in existence at best...

Always have to reorganize to shed the insurance costs after so many claims- vehicles/facilities damages/workers comp for beating up the labor force/lawsuits etc etc... The rates get astronomical Im sure...


And its still just a bottom feeder business...The end of the food chain for the facility owners who have the option to throw the contract locate companys under the bus at there whim to assuredly keep there numbers right where they want em....

[beyond help]

Notice how even the big locate companys have no history and are still just fly-by-nighters...Maybe a decade in existence at best...

Always have to reorganize to shed the insurance costs after so many claims- vehicles/facilities damages/workers comp for beating up the labor force/lawsuits etc etc... The rates get astronomical Im sure...


And its still just a bottom feeder business...The end of the food chain for the facility owners who have the option to throw the contract locate companys under the bus at there whim to assuredly keep there numbers right where they want em....

To add insult to injury, some numbnuts decided to agree to pay at&t 1000 dollars for any at fault drop damage as part of our new contract. So after 10 AF damages, its $1000 for each one after.

[underground quester]

Quick Update.... Damage estimates are up to around 500k; Still not going to be fixed until early next week.

500 grand. Man, someone is not sleeping well these nights!
That would make me want to puke!!!

[beyond help]

500 grand. Man, someone is not sleeping well these nights!
That would make me want to puke!!!
It did. :bang:

[UULC]

Beyond, are guilty? Give us the low down. The root cause. Are you still employed?

:this::tease::bang::hammer::o

[beyond help]

Beyond, are guilty? Give us the low down. The root cause. Are you still employed?

:this::tease::bang::hammer::o

Wasn't me. It was a 2 yr locator, on a project. Contractor jumped around. Locator thought they had past that intersection. I believe there was 5 or 6 duct runs on that particular corner. Contractor bored a watermain right thru the middle of it. All Pulp (2-1200's, 4-2400's).:crying:

[UULC]

So the locate at fault? Is he still employed?

:crying:

:ylsuper:

[Wingfoot]

Wasn't me. It was a 2 yr locator, on a project. Contractor jumped around. Locator thought they had past that intersection..:crying:
This could have happened to any one of us locators.

I know plenty of locators that paint, cash in the project ticket(s) & run; never to return. I, for one, am not built that way. Communication! Communication! Communication! I give all my excavators accurate paint, possible surprises (abandoned cables & mains, other excavators arriving, etc.), known depths and my work cell phone number. Contact made daily by the locator to the on site project foreman would have prevented this cut.

[beyond help]

So the locate at fault? Is he still employed?

:crying:

:ylsuper:


Yes and no.

[TBONE]

This could have happened to any one of us locators.

I know plenty of locators that paint, cash in the project ticket(s) & run; never to return. I, for one, am not built that way. Communication! Communication! Communication! I give all my excavators accurate paint, possible surprises (abandoned cables & mains, other excavators arriving, etc.), known depths and my work cell phone number. Contact made daily by the locator to the on site project foreman would have prevented this cut.

Right on Communication and Documentation :rules: this is a very heafty damage for someone have to tote on thier record:cry:

[UULC]

If they are not employed any more, then I'm sure they would not tell their furture employer.

:good:

:applause:

[locomike]

i worked a 17 mile project for a day and a halfand i go up to the contractor and ask him where u need a locate today this dude says oh, here, there, and over i asked him how the hell am i suppose to paint 17 miles in 48 hours he said not my problem i cut it yall bought it.

[Wingfoot]

i worked a 17 mile project for a day and a halfand i go up to the contractor and ask him where u need a locate today this dude says oh, here, there, and over i asked him how the hell am i suppose to paint 17 miles in 48 hours he said not my problem i cut it yall bought it.
locomike - Dude - When you get an answer like that, you are talking to the Project Manager; the wrong guy to be asking questions. Project Managers only know deadlines and how to be assholes.......... The right guy to talk to is the job sight foreman. My first question at all project meets is always, "Who will be the Field Foreman and what is his cell number?"

[TheCableVine]

i worked a 17 mile project for a day and a halfand i go up to the contractor and ask him where u need a locate today this dude says oh, here, there, and over i asked him how the hell am i suppose to paint 17 miles in 48 hours he said not my problem i cut it yall bought it.
If I get someone like that I officially notify him that the locate is incomplete and then let him know that if he damages anything it is his fault for digging without marks. I also let him know the areas that are located so he can't say he thought it was located.

[underground quester]

If I get someone like that I officially notify him that the locate is incomplete and then let him know that if he damages anything it is his fault for digging without marks. I also let him know the areas that are located so he can't say he thought it was located.

You are exactly right Steve. I also put as much as I can in writing and have them sign the ticket. I have only had one contractor in three years refuse to sign.

I also put same comments on subsequent pages of drawings because I was finding the guys doing the digging were only being given the pages with the drawings, not the original page 1 contract.

I had a hit that I thought SUCKED big time so since then I feel it is my place to protect myself and my employer from unfair hits. :good:

[Mr Blunderbuss]

i worked a 17 mile project for a day and a halfand i go up to the contractor and ask him where u need a locate today this dude says oh, here, there, and over i asked him how the hell am i suppose to paint 17 miles in 48 hours he said not my problem i cut it yall bought it.


The next step should be to your supervisor. If he doesn't get satisfaction, then you go to the affected utility. They won't be happy to hear about a contractor that has such an attitude. This is what we did up by us.

[sprayandpray]

The next step should be to your supervisor. If he doesn't get satisfaction, then you go to the affected utility. They won't be happy to hear about a contractor that has such an attitude. This is what we did up by us.

If you know who the contractor is working for, contact them and advise them of the situation with a hint that since they have been notified of a possible damage, they can also be held liable. It's worked for me every time - especially when it involves the Cities.:rules::scold:

[duke]

So the locate at fault? Is he still employed?

:crying:

:ylsuper:

Contrary to previous posting, he IS still employed.

[beyond help]

Contrary to previous posting, he IS still employed.
I just found out he was also.

[UULC]

Is there something I am Missing. Was he at fault? Can anyone add anymore info?

[LadyLeatherneck]

Well, once again I am not at a loss for words. Why are locating companies not listed with the state and local governments as public service companies. If they were they would get the same benefits as police, fire, etc. This is a perfect example of why they should be. This damage, along with a recent damage that cut 911 capabilities for about 3 days, proves my point. What these locators do is protect the facilities that the public depends on, not to mention the lives of those who may come in contact with live power, and we all know what that could mean. Maybe it's time we made major changes in the way these companies are perceived by not only those in house, those in government, but also the contractors and the general public. Just a thought.

[beyond help]

Is there something I am Missing. Was he at fault? Can anyone add anymore info?It was an at fault, and he is still employed. Damage amounts keep changing anywhere from 150k-500k. Possible that the contractor may be held partially responsible due to their prints showing the run. It's all a cluster

[Goldenboy]

Is there something I am Missing. Was he at fault? Can anyone add anymore info?

We all have to remember that we are all human, mistakes happen. When the damage is so big it just is brought to the attention of everyone. We all have or do work with crews because of the time restraints put on us. I know we're told to check in with the crews and get meet sheets. Well we all know additional crews are added or taken away all the time so I can see how easy it would be to have a big damage on a job where multiple crews are working.

I'm guessing the locator that did have the damage feels horrible. We all know that feeling deep in your gut you get when you realize something was missed. I don't care how good of a locator you are, if you do multiple utilities something is bound to be missed at one time or another.

[locator_smbk]

Also, when your company is understaffed or your supervisor doesn't send anyone to help when you have 86 open tickets, all due within 24 hours, and yet when someone else gets 5 or 6 tickets behind, you have to stop what you are doing to go help them, things like that do happen as well...

I have been so pressed for time at some point or another, where I basically wind up meeting each contractor on the job site and locating the job in front of them.

My last damage was an electric primary that was NOT on the prints and would not locate when hooked up to the transformer across the street (where it was fed from), and it would not locate on passive, and yet it was hot. Yes, I was in a rush to complete the job (an entire subdivison for phone install with 2 tickets, and a total of 86 lots). I did the entire job is about 2 hours and still got charged with the damage, even though there was no evidence of the primary even existing. The power company's contractor even got in trouble, since this hit caused the entire neighborhood to go dark, since the fuse was premanently closed at the feed at the beginning.

Oh well.....Things happen when either you choose to rush or are forced to rush through locates....

[yahoo]

well i m not waiting on sam houston no more to come and help me win my battle....i look over my work take a deep breathe and try to focus.......one ticket at a time....every things else will work itself out....more ot for me......hhaahhahheheheeh

[scap]

around the 1st or so, or maybe a bit before, there was a 130,000.00 damage in Downtown Baton Rouge. AT&T is still out there repairing it, or just now wrapping it up. It's been almost 2 weeks. All under more than a couple ft of concrete.

It was major pulp, no pics, wish I had em. 130,000.00 was the current estimate and they hadn't completed the repair when I heard that.

It was actually the reason one of our top guys hit the bricks.

[USIC1]

Ive been wacked twice now a 50pr last week and a tv trunk today(with the help of a fellow locator that also missed the trunk)...After 2 years or more of no cuts...

Maybe I will be hitting the bricks soon myself ....To be honest TG!!!

Never did want to make this my final career...

I feel no self esteem in what I do these days...I have done this line of work long enough to prove I could do it...At this point its just daily agravation...

I have an ass load of tickets that requires significant time but because they are not due until Tuesday I am restricted from working Saturday to stay ahead...Or in my mind taking the time to be just a little safer...

I also want a job that if I work hard Im not OFTEN walking away scratching my head hoping I did it well enough and did nt miss something...

Maybe I need a vacation???

[yahoo]

you better go ahead and throw the towell in on your powersweep mode.......hope things work out for you next week......we all have a bad week dude.....yours finally caught up with you.......hang in there dude......

[sprayandpray]

well i m not waiting on sam houston no more to come and help me win my battle....i look over my work take a deep breathe and try to focus.......one ticket at a time....every things else will work itself out....more ot for me......hhaahhahheheheeh

Has Davy shown up yet?

[yahoo]

davy was a real character .........he was already there...hahahhahahh

[Wingfoot]

Ive been whacked twice now a 50pr last week and a tv trunk today... After 2 years or more of no cuts...

I feel no self esteem in what I do these days...I have done this line of work long enough to prove I could do it...At this point its just daily aggravation...

Maybe I need a vacation???
Last week was tough on me too!

TV fiber - Accurately marked - Fresh paint and flags.

AT&T conduit package - Accurately marked - Old paint & flags.

4 separate TV trunks on a road project - Accurately marked - Old paint & flags.

Maybe we both need a vacation???

[LadyLeatherneck]

We all need a vacation. I propose, instead of biker week at the beach, we have locator week at the beach. The month of August looks good for me!

[Wingfoot]

That's right, Biker Week in Sturgis, S.D. is this weekend.