DAMAGE PREVENTION

DAMAGE PREVENTION

Stopping underground

facility damages before

an incident or explosion.

Establish Standard Operating Procedures (“SOPs”) for damage

prevention.

Objective: • Prevent excavators who do not have a

mark-out request from excavating until the underground facilities are marked.

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).

Red

Yellow

Orange

Blue

Green

White

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.

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 (973) 263-1003

• Bergen, Passaic (201) 288-1700

• Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union, Warren

(732) 750-3270

• Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem

(856) 757-5181

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.

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.

You can prevent underground facility damages

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

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 48:2-73 through NJSA 48:2-91

– NJAC14:2-1.1 through NJAC 14:2-6.4

– OSHA Federal Regulation 1926.651

(go to: (“http://www.state.nj.us/bpu/wwwroot/serviceeval/handbook.pdf” )