Call Before You Use Your Heavy Equipment

There are many services that lay their equipment underground. Telephone, electricity, fiber optic cables, gas and water are just a few of those services.

There are call centers that you are advised to use prior to using any heavy equipment to check on the locations of these service lines – be sure to use them.

Having said that, I urge caution on the information they provide. Some service suppliers seem to use a strange set of bearings and can be ‘off’ up to ten feet from where they tell you their service lines run. Sever one of them and they will bill you for the damages. It is up to you to prove that their information was incorrect.

In the meantime, many people may have been without that service and you will be held up on the job whilst you wait for someone to come and repair the damage. This can take hours.

General rule of thumb, allow at least two feet either side of their figures. To be safe, you can almost double that distance. If you have to operate your heavy equipment close to any service lines, take it slowly and carefully and get out of your machine to make close visual inspections at regular intervals.

There is nothing worse than severing a service line, particularly if it is gas. Call the service locater numbers first and take caution.

This operator advice is provided courtesy of ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools – visit us for all your heavy equipment training needs.