Unibar...... How many times can they screw up????

[Locateforlife]

Lets see......... a 500AL primary that the electric company has partially dug up that the locator insists goes the wrong way. HMMMMM I showed it going the right way in white. WE-Energies called him back to show him his screw up.
Another shows the gas main and service tee marked ok....... OH WAIT where is the end of the main that goes the other way 15' plus the required additional 10' at the end of the main.
How about the one that shows the gas valve circled? Oh that is a ticket for the GAS company for work on the service. But I guess Unibar doen't have to mark the service line, just show the curb valve.
Oh and the one with the primary an gas service? That is a new 3 phase transformer with a primary in and out in the same trench as the gas service, I was there when it was installed and saw it. So why is only 1 primary marked?

What is it going to take for WE-Energies to wake up and realize that these 'locators' do not know how to do the job right. The contractors have had enough, several have told me. The WE-Energies crews have had enough, several have told me.

I have tried to show these guys when I see the problems but they just don't listen. I pray everyday that noone gets killed because of these clowns.

[Paint'n & Flag'n]

Someone is parked on the wrong side of the road...dont let your boss see that picture.

I know of some electric locating procedures that stats to only mark with 1 mark when power is placed in the same trench, regardless if there is 2 primary's or 4 primary's and 10 secondary's...only 1 mark. Guess that WE-Energies policy requires you to mark however many are in the trench?

[headcipher]

If you only mark one mark for multiple conduits in the same trench, how do you keep from eating a damage when they pothole one conduit and hit the other feed under it? We are required to indicate multiple lines in the same trench. I have seen locators eat damages just as I described. If the contractor pot holes, finds what they think is the line and then bores underneath... well let's just say that the contractor will not be paying for it.

Most electric companies will consider commercial secondaries or primaries between the commercial transformer and the building to be private, and will not allow their locators to mark them. That may be one reason for the lack of the second line out of the transformer, I don't know the situation.

I know that on certian gas lines the only way I can mark them may be, because of the type of material used, a curb stop or on measurement at property.

I'm not making excuses, just looking at it from a perspective I've seen myself.

I've also seen things from your perspective too, and can understand the frustration of having locators in your area who make both the contractors and my job harder because they can't do half their job.

I gotta say I respect a guy who looks out for contractors and crews, and who isn't above showing them where something really is that the other guy missed. That's the attitude we need more of.

[Mke]

I feel your pain Locateforlife. I have watched both contract locators and in-house locators constantly "F" things up. I've watched the In-house crew for the power company "eye-ball" a 12.5kv primary. I watched as he walked up to the pole, looked accross the street at the switch gear, then paint the primary going straight accross the street. Looked great except the fact that it hugged the sidewalk all the way around the cul-de-sac, instead of crossing it.

I have even tried to help, I give my card out to anyone near our property, and let them know if there is any work near our facility that we are involved directly, or indirectly, but either way have an understanding on what is going on. I have yet to get a call from two of the contract locating firms. One of which, I have to actively get a hold of due to their constant mis-marking, or mis-understanding of the work area. One of our facilities covers 3200 acres. And the majority of that is under one address. So if you are not familiar with the area, you can spend days trying to figure out where you are supposed to locate.

I had a great picture of a Gas Valve that was Circled in Yellow paint, and a note on the pavement. The note read "PVC GAS SERVICE- NO TRACER WIRE" I opened the lid on the valve and there was a solid 10guage tracer wire coiled up in it......

I've gotten to the point where I don't complain about the simple things. If the locator has paint within 2' i'm happy. 1 mark or multiple marks it doesn't matter to me, as long as there is something to warn the excavator by it.

mke

[yahoo]

the good thing is the contract will come to an end and there will be the bidding process again! lets hope that everything works out till then!

[stormgrey]

the good thing is the contract will come to an end and there will be the bidding process again! lets hope that everything works out till then!

Yep, lets hope WE goes with cheap alternative......again

[locator]

If you compare how sm&p was doing the same amount of time after the contract was signed
We-energies should be happy with unibar at least they are getting the jobs done
There damage ratio is also probably better
At sm&p we were at less then ½ the proper staffing running 3-4 days late on tickets
With an abysmal damage ratio less than 1 in 1000 in some areas
All because management thought they could increase profits by not having employees
And don’t forget most of the idiots at unibar that can’t locate worked for sm&p last year

[Irish Wristwatch]

If you compare how sm&p was doing the same amount of time after the contract was signed
We-energies should be happy with unibar at least they are getting the jobs done
There damage ratio is also probably better
At sm&p we were at less then ½ the proper staffing running 3-4 days late on tickets
With an abysmal damage ratio less than 1 in 1000 in some areas
All because management thought they could increase profits by not having employees
And don't forget most of the idiots at unibar that cant' locate worked for sm&p last year

1/2 the staffing?, 3-4 days late??, 1:1000 in areas??? You must be one of those that were let go from smp and now working for unibar to say such nonsense.

[Doc Brown]

I gotta say I respect a guy who looks out for contractors and crews, and who isn't above showing them where something really is that the other guy missed. That's the attitude we need more of.

It's too bad other people "in the industry" don't see it the same way.