Page 52 - CCGA Best Practices Version English

Practice Description - When locating and marking the underground
plant of the facility owner, the locator shall indicate the demarcation point
of the facility being located on the locate sheet. This symbol (as above)
shall be placed on top of, or as near as reasonable to, the actual physical
demarcation point of the facility being located. The demarcation point is the
limit of utility owned facilities. The excavator should be aware that customer
or privately owned facilities may exist beyond this point. The symbol and
definition should be clearly shown in the legend on the locate sheet.

3-19: Alternate Locate Agreements

Practice Statement: Alternate Locate Agreements (ALA’s) may be
used providing the Facility owner and Excavator agree on the terms and
conditions.

Practice Description: Alternate Locate Agreements (ALA’s) are contractual
agreements between a Facility owner and an Excavator that allows
the Excavator to proceed with their excavation work without receiving
a traditional field locate. The Facility owner determines the terms and
conditions of the ALA, including the depth, location, method of excavation
and/or type of excavation. The intent of an ALA is to ensure underground
facilities are protected from damage by limiting the scope of work to the
point that a field locate is not required, thus reducing demand on existing
locate providers and eliminating wait times and administration for Excavators.
The details of such an agreement must be stated in writing and available
on the project for review upon request of the regulator, or Facility owner’s
representative. Such an agreement must be communicated in writing as
well to the JHSC or Health & Safety representative on the project where
applicable. It is the responsibility of the Excavator to ensure that all
Facility owners are requested to locate and mark their service. It is also
the Excavator’s responsibility to ensure that an ALA, where applicable and
implemented, will not impede any safe operations regarding the other utilities
not covered by that ALA and that the Health and Safety of the workers and
Public Safety are safeguarded at all times. It is the Excavator’s duty to ensure
that the excavation work is carried out in compliance with the legislative
requirements and in accordance with the ALA as stipulated between the
Excavator and the Facility owner in question when and where applicable. It
is the Facility owner’s duty to ensure that the ALA terms and conditions will
provide a level of safety equivalent to the standard locate process.

3-20: Marking of Newly Installed Facilities
Practice Statement: Markings are placed immediately after construction to
identify the location of newly installed facilities.

Practice Description: Newly installed facilities are often at risk as Locators
and Excavators may not be aware of the recent installation, especially if
the installation has taken place immediately before or after the completion

Canadian Common Ground Alliance
Best Practices Version 3.0 – October 2018
47