Do you ever?

[stormgrey]

For saftey sake give a contractor a heads up about a "extra" shallow utility? I usually dont but for some reason was in a good mood and decided to help out, and glad I did after finding out the line fed a major medical complex in the area. Probably would have been hit, I know , not my fault but would have sucked for anyone on the "other end".

[TheCableVine]

If I'm aware of an unusally shallow line I'll call the contractor and give them a heads up.:happy:

[AULupstate]

No such thing as giving any kind of depth. Unless of course it is a cable t co-ax laying on the ground then that's different.

[underground quester]

As a courtesy, I will tell a contractor when I see an unusual depth on my receiver. Recently, I had traffic light cable showing 18", told contractor about it but do not tell them depths; just let them know it is UNUSUALLY shallow.

That may have saved a possible hit at a major intersection. Although, here, it is almost universal, that contractors pothole.

As a courtesy to homeowners, I will caution them when digging around a gas service line that it is VERY, VERY shallow AND that the service line is about the size of one of their fingers, so hitting one (P.E. gas service lines especially) could cause a leak.

H/Owners, I find, believe all utilities are deep and almost all are surprised to find some are REALLY shallow.

Never tell them depths, but, telling them it is really shallow gets the same message across without putting the company I work for at risk.

[yahoo]

i agree.........courtesy call goes along way ....it has helped me out more times than i can count...

[sprayandpray]

Why do that? Add some suspense and excitement to their lives - especially little old ladies putting in a flower bed!:eek: They think every line is an electric line anyway. And if you tell them it's shallow then they will start bitching to you likes it's your job tp lower the damn thing. No, it's better to let homeowners find things out on their own.

[TBONE]

Depends on the contractor and if I like them or not:scold:

[Goldenboy]

It all depends on the situation and the contractor. I'll never give an actual depth but if it's a crew that has helped me in the past I'll help them by warning them that the line "may be" very shallow. If it's a crew that has messed with me in the past I'll make sure it's marked exactly right and take tons of pictures and then wait for the damage page. :yahoo:

[underground quester]

It all depends on the situation and the contractor. I'll never give an actual depth but if it's a crew that has helped me in the past I'll help them by warning them that the line "may be" very shallow. If it's a crew that has messed with me in the past I'll make sure it's marked exactly right and take tons of pictures and then wait for the damage page. :yahoo:


Okaaay Goldenboy, remind me never to pee in your cereal...

I do hear you. Some of my contractors are pretty high on my PITA list, so I do not cut them too much slack.

Some, I will bend over backwards for. Friday, had a spare hour and a half first thing in the morning and a contractor REALLY, REALLY needed a favor. So, I had him get a ticket number from first call and completed it on the spot.

He walked over to his truck and came back with a really nice gortex jacket (with his logo on it of course) fire resistant with retro-reflective stripe on it. Best graft I have ever received.

Then we both went into a mutual thank you fest...

[TBONE]

I use to look out but after being stared in the face an bold faced lied to I just do my job and make them do thiers when it comes down to a damage noone but you will take up for you when it involves money

[locator_smbk]

Amen TBONE...your company sure as heck wont look out for you on any level....they just want to "burn" you....

[underground quester]

I use to look out but after being stared in the face an bold faced lied to I just do my job and make them do thiers when it comes down to a damage noone but you will take up for you when it involves money


TBONE

I can't argue with that logic. When a hit happens, S**T happens.
Everyone seems to duck for cover and the last one with Johnson out gets to pay the bill.

So many times I have seen our company have to eat the bill for reasons I do not understand. A little more root cause analysis and plain logic would be nice at times.

[Wingfoot]

Knowledge is power! I give depths to everyone and anyone. I have never been burned............

[RoadMap]

I will only give out depth to contractors who have helped me in the past. Mostly utility contractors.

[beyond help]

Knowledge is power! I give depths to everyone and anyone. I have never been burned............
I would possibly do it for a few; if I had equipment that had been recalibrated once in a while. I have yet to see any equipment that has been recalibrated in the past 5 years.

[underground quester]

The other day I did a locate for a contractor to dig in new gas mains near NEW "traffic" power feeds (for red/yellow/green lights at an intersection).

I did the locate and did not mention that I had found they were only 18" below ground. Well here in Alberta they are most often 5 feet deep and the last foot to 18" is sand as a heads up to anyone digging.

The contractor who installed it had placed the power WAY too shallow and not used the sand as a warning to future excavators.

The contractor installing the gas usually digs 3 feet deep so of course they hit the lines and took out the traffic lights.

I was called to the emergency and redid my locate (my marks were okay). After some finger pointing, the original contractor who installed the traffic light power (about two months ago) was found at fault.

Had I given them a heads up, would have saved a hit. Here is a situation where I might have wanted to say MAKE SURE YOU POTHOLE/hand expose. I AM FINDING SOMETHING UNUSUAL.

[sprayandpray]

[


[Had I given them a heads up, would have saved a hit. Here is a situation where I might have wanted to say MAKE SURE YOU POTHOLE/hand expose. I AM FINDING SOMETHING UNUSUAL.[/QUOTE]

If they didn't follow the law, ie: Do not use power equipment w/in 1.5 - 2 ft of the marks, why do you assume they would have listened to you? I don't think it's our job to baby-sit these contractors. I agree that we should help them whenever we can and educate them in a way that protects the facilities but I will never feel guilty about the dumb-ass mistakes they make constantly. Just my opinion.:rules::scold:

[underground quester]

[


[Had I given them a heads up, would have saved a hit. Here is a situation where I might have wanted to say MAKE SURE YOU POTHOLE/hand expose. I AM FINDING SOMETHING UNUSUAL.

If they didn't follow the law, ie: Do not use power equipment w/in 1.5 - 2 ft of the marks, why do you assume they would have listened to you? I don't think it's our job to baby-sit these contractors. I agree that we should help them whenever we can and educate them in a way that protects the facilities but I will never feel guilty about the dumb-ass mistakes they make constantly. Just my opinion.:rules::scold:[/QUOTE]


Yes, good point spray!

I guess the new contractors argument was hey, what the heck is this line doing at 18"? Having said that, clearly, they did not hand dig/pothole anyway to ensure they knew alignment and depths before they dug.

Good catch. A point I forgot about.

[locomike]

we are not allowed to tell depth. thats what we were told in one of many meetings

[LadyLeatherneck]

Had a contractor the other day call in an emergency. Was in someone else's area. Got there and saw marks everywhere. Contractor was on-site and was asked "What's the emergency?" Contractor, "How deep is this line?"

[yahoo]

uhhhhhh i just checked it and (actually it's 3 foot) i think it is maybe 6 inches..........call me back and let me know

[Goldenboy]

Had a contractor the other day call in an emergency. Was in someone else's area. Got there and saw marks everywhere. Contractor was on-site and was asked "What's the emergency?" Contractor, "How deep is this line?"

Just tell the contractor that after he exposes the line by hand he can use a tape measure and see exactly how deep it is.

[yahoo]

golden boy ...good one dude....ahhhahahhahahhhahh

[underground quester]

Who was it that said in a previous memo on the old forum

"kick the ground with your boot and tell them it is deeper that that"

[gypsygirl]

I know for a fact that my equipment depth reading isn't accurate on a regular basis. I was in a field locating electric for field tile repair. Depth stated it was 12' actually was about 5'. Then about 10' farther down the line it said it was 4' 8"... which was about right... then on the same line, a bit farther down... it was 2'... nope... it was about 3 1/2' ... so giving out depths is really not anyone's benefit especially if they have a backhoe in the area! My response to that is "It's somewhere between the bottom of my foot and the top of the line.":breakcomp::bonk:

[beyond help]

I just tell them it must not be deep enough if you have to ask.

[MidnightElectric]

The only contractor I ever give depth to is the city water dept. Their forman and I have "looked out for" each other several times, and they pothole it anyway. Although two weeks ago, had I known, I would have told the road crew that the 336ct fiber, that feeds an ENTIRE county, was only 8" (yes I said 8") deep. The dozer made one pass scraping off the sod and saw the interduct sticking up on his way back. :eek:

[Dave72]

I had a contractor who was jobbed with having to use a big dozer to remove overburden from along a pipe run at a hydro electric station.. the hill was like 30 deg slope and the comm cable was right in his work zone.. I saw that peak and null agreed, so my depth would be accurate.. but I told him flat out that theres no way Im gonna locate this cable every 6" on the whole run.. at any point the direct-buried cable might come up over a rock or something and be shallower.. our policy is 3ft either side of the paint you must hand or vac the cable to find it.

I dont get why some of these outfits dont bring in some cheap labourers to hand dig and not worry about the costs of a hit.

[geez70]

depends.... If they are actually digging with a shovel to find it, then I will.. I guess that would be only if they are on site. Otherwise I don't call them. They should be exposing it anyway.. I space the marks a little closer and take a bunch of pics..

[Goldenboy]

Here's a CATV trunk and feeder,Electric Primary and 144 strand fiber damage. The homeowner never called in a ticket. If they would have called in a ticket I could have warned them that the utility lines were only 6 inches deep. The homeowner had rented a skidster and was going to do some grading. Now I think they'll need to take out a loan to pay for the lines.

BTW the lines were buried at normal depth but when they graded this lot originally when the home was finished they took a bunch of dirt away which made them lower. They were'nt installed that shallow.

[beyond help]

Here's a CATV trunk and feeder,Electric Primary and 144 strand fiber damage. The homeowner never called in a ticket. If they would have called in a ticket I could have warned them that the utility lines were only 6 inches deep. The homeowner had rented a skidster and was going to do some grading. Now I think they'll need to take out a loan to pay for the lines.

BTW the lines were buried at normal depth but when they graded this lot originally when the home was finished they took a bunch of dirt away which made them lower. They were'nt installed that shallow. That sucks big time:escape: