There are many existing utilities that can be present on a jobsite, such as gas lines, water pipes, sewer systems, electrical cables, and telecom conduits. For those digging—like Tucker Paving installing utilities or completing Earthworks services, utilities on a jobsite present a very real danger. Accidentally hitting utilities like electrical or gas lines can lead to electrocution and explosions; additionally, hitting a utility will also delay work and cost money to repair. To reduce the danger and the delays on a jobsite, construction companies like Tucker Paving utilize the process of locates.

“Locates” is a term that refers to the process of locating and marking public and private utilities before construction begins. It is a process with many steps and double-checking, and many sharing the responsibility, because it is so important for the safety of those working on a jobsite. 

Processes and Responsibilities for Locates

On a Tucker Paving jobsite, we follow the following process for our locates:

  1. Project Managers call in the locates. 
  2. Project Managers to hand off the locate field responsibilities to Supt and Gen Supt. 
  3. The Field Superintendent coordinates the locate companies for a meeting on site if necessary.
  4. The Field Superintendent meets on site to discuss the locates.
  5. A Pipe crew, Field crew or someone is directed by the Superintendent to hand-locate and mark the spots.   Additional marking should be placed at this time with a stake or pipe when indicating the depth etc.
  6. Photos of the potholing and or utility identifications completed are to be taken by the foreman and or superintendent and included in the job report. Photos should include background that can identify the site or location of utilities or flags & marks.
  7. PM to Re-new the ticket every 30 days until the job is complete. 
  8. Machine operators are not to dig, without checking that there is a LOCATE ticket number for their site.
  9. The locate number is to be part of the Excavation Pre-Task questions. An Excavation Pre-task is part of all Right of Way or roadway work.
  10. Large green electrical boxes, Conduit attached to power poles, or backflow preventors are all indications there are underground utilities.
  11. Superintendents should walk the site perimeters and review drawings, before ground disturbance begins, to identify potential utility locations.  
  12. Paint, flags, cones, or other means can be used to mark where underground utilities are suspected to be.
  13. Equipment operators are one of the last lines of defense against striking a utility. It is ultimately the equipment operator’s responsibility to be sure locates have been done before beginning to dig.
  14. Responsibility falls on the Superintendent to verify that all procedures are followed once field work begins.

Tucker Paving has over three decades of serving Central Florida, offering underground utilities installation and maintenance, construction layout and as-builts, site clearing and demolition, asphalt and concrete installation and maintenance, hauling aggregate, and more! Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or use our contact form online.