ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Utility Underground Codes?.

The only time I ever called them they missed a gas line. Unfortunately the backhoe didn't.
I did save a big fine by making the call tho.
Even if they had marked it they would have been wrong since it was only about 6" down.

Marc has found the Nebraska diggers site before I even saw this topic.
Calling the one call system only makes sense.
The service is free they just need 48 hrs notice, is legally required (or you pay for any damage and may get a fine) and makes a job a bit safer.
The only cost is when you have private utilities and or power/phone across a customers property ( eg parking lot lites) and need a private locate. It's still a lot cheaper than hitting a live line and then having to fix it or pay some one to fix it. Especally when hitting some thing is going to mess up your scheduled work.


One company around here did not get a locate and hit a gas line. The Natural gas followed the line into a building under construction that was 95% complete. The building exploded when the water heater turned on. That company got to replace the building and also pay the costs for one h*** of a lawsuit.

nesparky,

We had a good one in our area, a few years back, they were upgrading a service, the neighbor works construction, and told the electrician he should get it marked before he drives a rod, the electrician told him to mind his business, he has been doing this for years without a problem, and he knows where the gas is comming into the house, ten minutes later only a foundation was left.

A house just down the street from me, is gone because the owner decided to replace his steps to the porch, so he rented a small loader, and tried to remove the steps, took one bite in the ground and moved the gas line, the house filled with gas, and before the fire trucks arrived it was gone.



[This message has been edited by LK (edited 03-03-2005).]

Coincidently, I spoke today with a representative from the Ohio Utility Protection Service (OUPS). One interesting factoid was that during the busy digging season, they handle 4000 locating calls a day!

Here is a link to the excavator manual for the Ohio Utility Protection Service, the "one call" organization in Ohio. The last page has the current color scheme used in Ohio.
http://www.oups.org/docs/Excavator%20Manual.pdf

Although by Ohio law, technically not all of the colors in the above manual are required (go figure).
The required colors are:
Red... Electric
Orange... Communications
Blue..... Water
Green.... Sewer
Yellow.... Gas/Oil
White.... Proposed Excavation

Here is a link to the Ohio law on identifying underground utilities: http://www.oups.org/thelaw.asp

There is also another interesting site on this subject that is a nationwide effort in the US to standardize all underground utility work. The organization promoting this is called the Common Ground Alliance. Here is a link to their website: http://www.commongroundalliance.com/

[This message has been edited by safetygem (edited 03-04-2005).]

Reclamed water is purple here in So Cal.

These gas line things (blowing up a building)seem strange to me. The standard practice in Md (where I cut mine) was to bring the line out of the ground before it entered the building so gas following the line would vent before it got inside. They had the regulator on the side of the house and low pressure went inside. I had all this explained while the gang was there fixing the line we hit.
I had lots of WGL people there since they were as shocked as we were that we hit a line. It wasn't on their engineering drawings.

"These gas line things (blowing up a building)seem strange to me."

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Another building bites the dust, PETCO here in Middletown,NJ is gone, they were digging in the parking lot, NOT MARKED, as i post they are still trying to rescue pets trapped in the remains, employees 10 injured, 2 in critical condition, at time of this post.

We have low pressure in our house, with regulator outside, but it did not help from our house filling up with gas, when a main high pressure line 2 blocks away broke, the gas finds it's way in, any gas company employee that tells you there is no danger involved, should be taken to the wood shead.

In this area you will find high pressure lines, running along the side of homes, if this line is ruptured is may be only minutes for the house to fill with gas.

The large pipeline companies, run a half day safety program for contractors, a large number of contractors from every field attend these programs.




[This message has been edited by LK (edited 03-04-2005).]

Here is where you can find more information on dig accidents, this is the PETCO Explosion, http://newscenter.ninn.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9100

I guess I don't understand the path the gas takes to get in the house. It is outside, the house is supposed to be somewhat air tight and the subterranean walls should be sealed. How do you get any significant amount of gas through the walls?