Page 13 - Alabama

mmunities Really Need
By Roger Cox
The progress toward public safety and the protection of underground utilities we’re looking for is likely beyond the regulations we’ll enact. But until we embody the principles of mutual trust and respect and then learn to work together as a team, excavator, locator and utility owner/operator alike, we will need the rule of Dig Law to direct our efforts.
If 10 to 15 boring rigs show up in your town and all call in the maximum number of tickets allowed by your current law and the law states it must be located within 2 or 3 days, is that possible? Well, of course not! So,
in that case, who loses? And we
all know the answer is everybody. Citizens depending on professionals
to avoid disruptions to their water, wastewater, phone, gas or electricity will be impacted. The excavators
will be impacted as they’ll dig blind until someone stops the work... and somebody will. The locators will be frustrated because they already know they can’t stay up with the work and the pressure placed on them to do
the impossible often leads to locators finding other jobs, creating an even greater dilemma. The utility owner/ operators will be dealing with both irate customers and the cost of repairs.
Elected officials will feel the heat from all sides.
I don’t know if a single amendment to any Dig Law can solve the issue. And if there is one, it would take as long to get it passed as the broadband project will last.
What if there was a compelling reason for the excavators and locators to work together? What exactly would that look like? Here is just one example taken from the playbook of successful excavators from the past. It has often been called a pre-construction (pre- con) meeting. It begins and ends
with two-way communication. It always seemed easier when a meeting was called at a location that would accommodate multiple stakeholders. Typically, all utilities impacted in an area were contacted, 811 (one-call back in the day) to discuss the nuances of state law, and all subcontractors on the project were there. Here are some of the things that were shared. A drawing of the project and the phases that were to start. Expected start and projected end dates were shared. They would share with the stakeholders a list of
all contractors/subs that would be working and their contact information. If there is a problem, contact these
guys. One of the most important pieces of paper shared was this contact list. Each locator and utility personnel
also share their contact information. Everyone in the room knew the best everyone could do, it was going to be
a difficult project, but everyone in the room also knew he could count on the other stakeholders to be responsive. The general contractor accepted the role of mediator. If my locators had a problem, I could call him and if he had a problem, I would respond to his call. We were determined to make it work.
Without the threat of enforcement and working outside of the reach of the Dig Law, we were able to turn the impossible into “it can be done.”
Every day, people who say there is no way we’re going to be able to get this broadband project done in such a short time are being passed by people who didn’t know it couldn’t be done. They were willing to sit down at the table to find solutions that had been ignored or overlooked.
Admittedly, I’ve never worked on such a massive project, and I don’t know if getting all the stakeholders to work together is even possible.
I only know it is necessary!
President ACTS Now, Inc.
Photo from Carl Albert Research and Studies Center, University of Oklahoma
2024, Issue 2 Alabama 811 • 11