Page 63 - CCGA Best Practices Version English

4-20: Unidentified Facilities

Practice Statement: The excavator notifies the owner directly or through
the notification service if an inaccurately marked or unidentified underground
facility is found. Following this notification, the excavator may continue work
if the excavation can be performed without damaging the facility.
Practice Description: When an excavator finds an inaccurately marked
or unidentified facility, excavation stops in the vicinity of the facility and
notification takes place. If excavation continues, the excavator plans the
excavation to avoid damage and interference with other facilities and
protects facilities from damage.

4-21: Exposed Facility Protection

Practice Statement: Excavators support and protect exposed underground
facilities from damage and those methods comply with the requirements set
by the infrastructure owners.

Practice Description: Protection of exposed underground facilities is as
important as preventing damage. Protecting exposed underground facilities
helps to ensure that the utility is not damaged and as the same time protect
employees working in the vicinity of the exposed facility. Exposed facilities
can shift, separate, or be damaged when they are no longer supported or
protected by the soil around them. Excavators support or brace facilities and
protect them from moving or shifting. This can be accomplished in different
ways, for example, by shoring the facility from below or by providing
adequate support. Workers are also instructed not to climb on, strike, or
attempt to move facilities while exposed.

4-22: Relocate Request

Practice Statement: The excavator calls the Provincial Notification Service
to request a relocate ticket based on the validity period of the locate. The
locate validity period is critical to all parties in protecting underground
facilities. The locate validity period is determined by the facility owner and is
noted on the locate sheet. The facility owner will clearly identify the length
and conditions of the validity period of the locate, unless otherwise specified
by provincial or federal law. If the excavation is not completed according to
the validity period and corresponding conditions, the excavator must call the
notification service for a relocate. One utility should be identified per locate
sheet to avoid congestion and address variable locate validity periods.

Practice Description: Requesting a locate or refreshing the locate ticket
recognizes that markings are temporary and provides notification to facility
owners of ongoing excavation when a job is requested to started or has not
been completed as planned. Any excavation that covers a large area and
will progress from one area to the next over a period of time is broken into

Canadian Common Ground Alliance
Best Practices Version 3.0 – October 2018
57