Lifespan of a Locate and Relocate Changes

Sher Kirk – Operations Director – Utility Safety Partners

On May 30, the Consortium Members (asset owners who share contracts for a single locate service provider) advised the following:

• Consortium locates are now valid for 60 days.
• Excavators are responsible for preserving locate marks throughout the 60 days.
• If a relocate is required before the 60-day expiration date is required, a relocate request must be placed through USP, and the excavator must hire either the locator that completed the original locate or an ALP registered locator to complete the relocate.

The locator responding to the original request can answer questions about the new process.

Given these changes, we are republishing the article below from 2022, as a reminder that preserving locate marks is a Best Practice.

BEST PRACTICE SPOTLIGHT – Preservation of Markings (originally published July 2022)

One of the updated practices in the 2022 version of the Best Practices in Section 4 – Excavation is:

4-16: Marking Preservation Practice Statement: 

The excavator, where practical, should protect and preserve locate markings, or other designations of underground facilities, until no longer required for proper and safe excavation. The excavator should stop excavating and request re-marks where the original locate markings are no longer visible, but work continues around the facility.

Practice Description: 

Protecting and preserving the locate marks to prevent possible damages and delays caused by relocates is a shared responsibility. The excavator is responsible for reasonably protecting and preserving facility location markings until no longer required for proper and safe excavation. The facility owner and locator are responsible to support the excavator by providing suitable marking and to refresh the marks if they are no longer legible. 

Excavator’s Responsibilities: 

1. As part of the locate request, describe the type and extent of proposed excavation so that facility owners and locators can determine the proper means of marking based on terrain, site conditions and the type and extent of the proposed excavation. 

2. Plan work in proper phases to avoid unnecessary locating or destroying of facility location markings caused by excavation activity, vehicle traffic, etc. 

3. Use white paint or other methods to manage and identify the location of the original marks. 

Where practical, record and document all actions taken to preserve the markings and offsets prior to excavation.

(Source: Canadian Common Ground Alliance Best Practices Version 4.0 – March 2022)

Original locate documentation should include offsets relative to fixed objects. This assists the excavator in maintaining markings for the duration of the excavation activities or for the valid lifespan of the locates established by the asset owner.

Excavators working on large projects should make efforts to divide the work area and date of locates to limit the number of relocate requests required. Good planning ensures the most current and accurate locates are available during the work and reduces the burden of multiple relocate requests that can cause locate delays and increased costs to both excavators and asset owners.

Visit the Canadian Common Ground Alliance to download the most current version of the National Best Practices and review it with your team at your next safety meeting. Damage Prevention is a shared responsibility.