Knowing how to locate underground utilities is important for the safety of everyone involved – construction workers and residents in the area. If digging commences without knowing the approximate location of any underground utilities, it can cause damage to water and sewer lines, gas, electric, and communications systems, causing service disruptions, resulting in expensive repairs, and leading to serious injuries.

Utilities are Buried Everywhere

There are more than 20 million miles of underground utilities spanning the United States. Reports indicate about 38.6 million people will start digging before they know where the underground utilities are located, and they will cause injuries and damage. You should always have underground utilities properly marked before starting to dig. 

Properly Locating Underground Utilities

By properly locating underground utilities, or by calling 811 to have utilities marked, you can decrease the chances of damaging underground utilities when you dig to less than 1 percent. While sometimes searching for underground utilities seems like guesswork, it has become advanced technological perfection in recent years.

Electromagnetic locating is effective in finding underground utilities. These devices are omnidirectional. They are antennas wrapped around a sphere that lets the user have a complete 360-degree view of what lies under the ground.

Before the new equipment was invented, underground utilities had to be located perpendicular to a line and swing back and forth to find the path. Now the line can be approached from any direction and it can still discover the utilities. Knowing the exact location of underground utilities is especially important when gas lines are involved because an explosion could result.

Integrating the Devices with Updated Equipment

Omnidirectional antennas have been integrated with new apps for mobile devices that include GPS. This will let the user apply digital paint on a satellite map, so they will have future references. That way, on any return visits to the site the user, can pull up the map and then see where the utilities are located so they will know exactly where to start.

Thanks to advanced technology, the mobile app can be integrated with geographic information systems (GIS) to allow the user to add data while making a layered visual that provides multiple data sets. You can then create a complete, useful image of what is underground, so you will know how to proceed with future projects.

There are an increasing number of homes and new businesses being built around the country, with projects in every state providing new builds or renovating existing structures or repurposing larger developments. However, that construction does not end at the project site, and all this activity means that there is an increase in utility needs and digger derrick operators as well. Couple that with the steady upgrading of utility supply and you find that in every state, utility work is in high demand.

There are a number of skills that are essential for utility work of any kind, but one of the most common is for digger derrick operators. Digger derricks are some of the most versatile heavy equipment in use today, not just in utility work, but in all construction. With a history dating back over 70 years, these machines have adapted to the changes in utility work as the years have passed, until today we have a machine that can dig holes and turn in screw anchors, lift and set poles and transformers, and provide a lift platform for linemen when needed. It is at the core of almost all utility work, and because the machine is, so is the digger derrick operator.

At ATS we provide a comprehensive, accessible training solution that not only gives you the skills to operate a digger derrick accurately, safely, and effectively in any situation but the on-site awareness and confidence to build a successful, lucrative career. Our digger derrick course covers all aspects of operation and includes both classroom-based education as well as practical, hands-on experience with the machines in our dedicated sites. This ensures our students are prepared for the reality of site work, something employers are looking for and appreciate.

With a curriculum that includes all aspects of operation, from the detailed safety-focused operation, including the components of the machine itself, an inspection of all equipment and site evaluation, through to all aspects of the machine operations for its various functions, identifying and dealing with underground hazards, safely pulling poles and operating around overhead utility hazards. From setting the machine up, to stowing the digger derrick components for transport and everything in between is covered in this comprehensive course.

At the end of the course, students are ready to successfully pass both written and practical digger derrick exams administered by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). This is a nationally recognized award that employers are looking for, putting students in the best position to launch a successful career in an industry that values their skills. With ATS to guide you, that career could be yours sooner than you think.

As with all aspects of construction work, when digging safely it is important to make sure the whole process is as safe as possible for everyone concerned and to do that we must understand the risks that we take on when digging. Risks from equipment are obvious, and on-site safety procedures take care of that aspect of the dig, but there is another area of risk when digging, and that is that we don’t always know what is underneath us in any location.

Today the country is crisscrossed with underground pipelines, most of them are part of our utility systems, and each presents a danger of its own. From electrical power lines and lighting cables to gas and oil pipes, sewers and drain lines, and even petroleum and gas lines in some situations, all present real danger to operators, those on the site, and the general public should they be damaged.

It is not just danger of course, while the immediate issues of cutting a power line for the operator are clear, there is also the problem for possibly thousands of people it can affect, something else to be avoided too. But, without starting digging, the question is, how do you know what you will find once your digging starts?

The good news is that there is a nationwide initiative to combat this, known as “call before you dig”, in fact, it is a legal requirement to call the service before digging. While a national service, each state runs its own version, accessing it involves dialing a state code plus 811, and you can quickly find the state code for your site online. Contractors should call 2 to 10 days before work starts, giving the location and details. Outline the area of the dig in white paint to show the utility company the affected area. The call center will pass the information to the appropriate utility companies, who will mark lines in that area for you.

Markings follow a standard color code as follows:

• Red – Electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables
• Orange – Telecommunication, alarm or signal lines, cables, or conduit
• Yellow – Natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or other gaseous or flammable material
• Green – Sewers and drain lines
• Blue – Portable (drinkable) water
• Purple – Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines
• White – Proposed excavation limits or route

Once the lines have been marked, you must then confirm with the service that the lines have been accurately located. How you confirm does vary little from state to state, so check with your local center for the exact process.

You can call for a remark should the loss of marking be unavoidable during the project, part of a contractor’s legal requirement is to maintain the marks throughout the project’s life, and with the lines carefully marked, the dig can continue safely, avoiding problems and reducing risks.