Inspector507
Super Member
Around Central Ohio, they mark everything with a 3' guarantee........18" each side of th mark. I'd like to be more sure than that. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Dig Safe
- Thread starter edt
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wroughtn_harv
Super Member
In Texas it's 1 800 DIG TESS and you should had oughta use it. I have it on my speed dial on the cell cause I won't dig near a property line without it.
Besides good sense it's the law.
I write a check every month to my liability insurance company and a fair share of that payment is because I have the clause in there about digging holes up to twelve feet deep.
I've never had a claim. But I'm just lucky.
I'd rather be lucky than good. Being good only takes work.
Besides good sense it's the law.
I write a check every month to my liability insurance company and a fair share of that payment is because I have the clause in there about digging holes up to twelve feet deep.
I've never had a claim. But I'm just lucky.
I'd rather be lucky than good. Being good only takes work.
Golfgar4
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2002
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- 4,342
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- Janesville, Wisconsin
- Tractor
- None -yet. Until then FunBuggy (EZ-Go) will have to do!
In Wisconsin, we use <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.diggershotline.com/index.html>Diggers Hotline</A>. As some of the other posts have mentioned, the allowable clearances are 18" on either side of the marked locates. But don't bet your life on those!
We've had a number of situations where the marked locates were 24" OR MORE off from the actual location of the "utility"/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. This, obviously, creates some problems when the backhoe slices right through the telephone cable, cable TV, or gas lines /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif.
Needless to say, when the damaged utility comes looking for someone to pay for the repairs, a whole lot of fingers start pointing in different directions. That's why our crews have started taking pictures of the locates in the areas where they will be working. It's a sad situation, but we automatically assume the locates are wrong before we start. If they're not wrong, great! No harm, no foul. If they are wrong, we've got the documentation to support us when we point our fingers at Diggers Hotline. And if the locates are correct, but our crews are wrong, then they get a visit from a VERY irritated Risk Manager! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
We've had a number of situations where the marked locates were 24" OR MORE off from the actual location of the "utility"/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. This, obviously, creates some problems when the backhoe slices right through the telephone cable, cable TV, or gas lines /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif.
Needless to say, when the damaged utility comes looking for someone to pay for the repairs, a whole lot of fingers start pointing in different directions. That's why our crews have started taking pictures of the locates in the areas where they will be working. It's a sad situation, but we automatically assume the locates are wrong before we start. If they're not wrong, great! No harm, no foul. If they are wrong, we've got the documentation to support us when we point our fingers at Diggers Hotline. And if the locates are correct, but our crews are wrong, then they get a visit from a VERY irritated Risk Manager! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Soundguy
Old Timer
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- Mar 11, 2002
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- Central florida
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- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
In central florida we use no-cutz.
They are not very friendly on the phone... slow, and about 75% accurate... Still though.... I dind't have to pay for the phone company to repair the lines that no-cutz forgot to mark...
Soundguy
They are not very friendly on the phone... slow, and about 75% accurate... Still though.... I dind't have to pay for the phone company to repair the lines that no-cutz forgot to mark...
Soundguy
Tom_Trees
Bronze Member
<font color=blue>In Wisconsin, we use Diggers Hotline. As some of the other posts have mentioned, the allowable clearances are 18" on either side of the marked locates. But don't bet your life on those!
We've had a number of situations where the marked locates were 24" OR MORE off from the actual location of the "utility". This, obviously, creates some problems when the backhoe slices right through the telephone cable, cable TV, or gas lines .</font color=blue>
In Indiana, the regulations state that any excavation within 36 inches of the marked line is to be done by hand. No-one seems to do it that way, but that's what the regs call for.
In my case, I've had to replace a mailbox about 5 times -- on the same side of the road as the gas line. I stay about 6 inches offset from the line and take advantage of the fact that gas lines are supposed to be at 30 inches depth when I pile-drive the post in 24 inches. It's worked so far /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
We've had a number of situations where the marked locates were 24" OR MORE off from the actual location of the "utility". This, obviously, creates some problems when the backhoe slices right through the telephone cable, cable TV, or gas lines .</font color=blue>
In Indiana, the regulations state that any excavation within 36 inches of the marked line is to be done by hand. No-one seems to do it that way, but that's what the regs call for.
In my case, I've had to replace a mailbox about 5 times -- on the same side of the road as the gas line. I stay about 6 inches offset from the line and take advantage of the fact that gas lines are supposed to be at 30 inches depth when I pile-drive the post in 24 inches. It's worked so far /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
Golfgar4
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2002
- Messages
- 4,342
- Location
- Janesville, Wisconsin
- Tractor
- None -yet. Until then FunBuggy (EZ-Go) will have to do!
<font color=blue>"I stay about 6 inches offset from the line and take advantage of the fact that gas lines are supposed to be at 30 inches depth when I pile-drive the post in 24 inches. It's worked so far."</font color=blue>
Yeah, our utilites are supposed to be at certain depths too. Guess what!? If they're where they're supposed to be 30% of the time, that's doing pretty good.
<font color=blue>"...the regulations state that any excavation within 36 inches of the marked line is to be done by hand."</font color=blue>
We also hand dig when we're inside the 36" measurement - but it doesn't help when the utility is outside those markings. Sometimes we wonder why we even bother getting the locates, since they seem to be wrong so frequently. We do have a new private locate company that's started working in the area, and from the few times they've been used, the results have been good. Maybe Diggers Hotline will get the message and start using them.
Yeah, our utilites are supposed to be at certain depths too. Guess what!? If they're where they're supposed to be 30% of the time, that's doing pretty good.
<font color=blue>"...the regulations state that any excavation within 36 inches of the marked line is to be done by hand."</font color=blue>
We also hand dig when we're inside the 36" measurement - but it doesn't help when the utility is outside those markings. Sometimes we wonder why we even bother getting the locates, since they seem to be wrong so frequently. We do have a new private locate company that's started working in the area, and from the few times they've been used, the results have been good. Maybe Diggers Hotline will get the message and start using them.
Tom_Trees
Bronze Member
<font color=blue>We also hand dig when we're inside the 36" measurement - but it doesn't help when the utility is outside those markings.</font color=blue>
Yeah -- about 20 years ago we lost a leased line to a facility in Texas. According to the AT&T tech, there was a 'major' cable cut south of Indianapolis. Seems a local telco puched a hole through the cable while setting poles. "So don't they know about this 800 number to call first?" I asked.
The tech just said it was embarrasing -- "our man was standing beside the auger and said if you put it here you'll miss everything'.
And that was back in the good ol' days, when it was ALL metal, not plastic with metal 'finder' wiring.
<font color=blue>Yeah, our utilites are supposed to be at certain depths too. Guess what!? If they're where they're supposed to be 30% of the time, that's doing pretty good. </font color=blue>
And that's why I alternate between the two locations I know are 'safe' -- but call the 800 number first, just to cover my backside/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
Tom
Yeah -- about 20 years ago we lost a leased line to a facility in Texas. According to the AT&T tech, there was a 'major' cable cut south of Indianapolis. Seems a local telco puched a hole through the cable while setting poles. "So don't they know about this 800 number to call first?" I asked.
The tech just said it was embarrasing -- "our man was standing beside the auger and said if you put it here you'll miss everything'.
And that was back in the good ol' days, when it was ALL metal, not plastic with metal 'finder' wiring.
<font color=blue>Yeah, our utilites are supposed to be at certain depths too. Guess what!? If they're where they're supposed to be 30% of the time, that's doing pretty good. </font color=blue>
And that's why I alternate between the two locations I know are 'safe' -- but call the 800 number first, just to cover my backside/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
Tom