DAMAGE PREVENTION

1
DAMAGE PREVENTION

• Stopping underground
• facility damages before
• an incident or explosion.
• Establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  for damage prevention.

2
Objective

• Prevent excavators who do not have a mark-out
  request from excavating until the underground
  facilities are marked.

3
Verify the mark-out request

• The underground facilities should be marked in
  the area where the excavating is occurring with
  the appropriate paint, flags and or stakes
  according to the law (Underground facility
  Protection Act).

4
Verify valid mark-out request

• When excavation activity is observed
• Large construction equipment
• Post hole diggers
• Hand excavation including planting trees / shrubs
• Or any other type of excavation
• Observe if paint or colored flags are marking the
  underground facilities in the area of excavation
• If not, inquire with the excavator if they have a
  valid mark-out request and what their request
  number is.
• The request number is 9-digits long with the
  first two numbers representing the year (example
  050321010)
• If there are no marks the excavator does not
  have a mark-out request, have the excavator stop
  excavating.

5
No valid request

• Have the excavator stop excavating immediately.
• Notify the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
  OneCall Enforcement group, OSHA, or your local
  utility.
• BPU contact number 973.667.3204
• OSHA
• Essex, Hudson, Morris, Sussex [phone]
• Bergen, Passaic [phone]
• Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union, Warren
• [phone]
• Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May,
  Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean,
  Salem
• [phone]

6
Failing to have a mark-out request

• Can result in death, injuries, and / or property
  damage. The picture below was the result of an
  excavator failing to request that underground
  facilities be marked. Three people were killed.

7
Failing to have a mark-out for the work area

• You may find an excavator working beyond the area
  they requested to be marked. This can also result
  in death, injuries property damage.

8
You can prevent underground facility damages

• Your action to stop illegal excavations that
  endanger public safety can prevent serious
  incidents from occurring.

9
Protect the Public

• Establish damage prevention SOPs for police,
  building parking inspectors, fire department
• For additional information call NJ Board of
  Public Utilities One-Call Enforcement Group.
• For the law or a copy of the Underground Facility
  Protection Act
• NJSA 482-73 through NJSA 482-91
• NJAC142-1.1 through NJAC 142-6.4
• OSHA Federal Regulation 1926.651
• (go to (http//www.state.nj.us/bpu/wwwroot/servi
  ceeval/handbook.pdf )