Page 7 - Arkansas 811 Magazine 2021 Issue 4

Iwant to share with you from an email I received a couple of weeks ago labeled “811 Emergency Report.”
It is a survey that recently came out and sponsored
by APCA (American Pipeline Contractors Assoc.),
DCS (Distribution Contractors Assoc.), NUCA (National Utility Contractor Assoc.), NULCA (National Utility Locator Contractors Assoc.) and PCCA) Power and Communication Contractors Assoc.). It was conducted by a group called the “Infrastructure Protection Coalition” (IPC).
I think you would agree with me that the associations listed above are more than reputable, which means the report deserves at least a second look. As I dug down into the weeds of some of the states that I’m most familiar with,
it was obvious that there were some misstatements made regarding an individual state(s), for example the size of a board or call ratio, etc. Having said that, the overall purpose of the report was intriguing.
Quoting from the National Report: “A handful of states – Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia – account for more than
20 percent of the national waste, a combined $13 billion, because of 811 policies that lack teeth and, in some cases, do not require mandatory reporting of damage to utility lines. This waste is on top of the $30 billion in annual damages to underground utilities, estimated by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) in 2019.
This 2021 study was commissioned by the Infrastructure Protection Coalition (IPC), a group of associations representing broadband, electric, natural gas, pipelines, transportation, sewer, and water industries who design, construct, maintain or locate these underground systems, with both union and non-union workforces. These are regular users and stakeholders of the 811 system who want to see them run safely and efficiently.
The reasons for the waste and cost overruns found in this study include utilities and third-party locators needlessly sent to locate lines for construction projects that then do not happen; poor instructions given to locators, causing wasted time or additional work; locate marks destroyed
by construction and then requiring reinstallation and contractor wait time when location efforts exceed the
legal notice period. These costs amount to an additional $61 billion in waste, inefficiency, and excess cost that is embedded in the system and largely invisible. It sits on top of the $30 billion in annual and out-of-pocket cost to the system calculated in 2019 by Common Ground Alliance (CGA).”
In addition to the national overview, there are state-specific reports that can be viewed as well. It appears that when the report references “the development and implementation of an 811 system that is safe and efficient,” they are talking about the entire enforcement process as opposed to focusing on just the state’s 811 center.
The report is a lot of data and certainly the above listed associations would not expect you to take their word about your state’s enforcement effectiveness. On the other hand, perhaps there is merit in at least considering the group’s recommendations which can be viewed at www.ipcweb.org.
Don’t make a dig mistake
As an excavator, you have projects to complete and deadlines to meet. But when it comes to working around buried utilities, there’s always time to dig safe. One wrong move can lead to a cut utility line and that means costly project delays, fines and the potential for serious injuries.
At CenterPoint Energy, we’re committed to being your safe digging partner. That’s why we offer no-cost excavation safety training. Our training covers state and federal regulations, identification of underground facilities and excavation safety best practices, all so you can finish your work safely and on time.
To schedule your training session, email PublicAwareness@CenterPointEnergy.com.