A. Understanding System
1. Design of the plant
2. Checking type of available utility
3. Utility marking codes
4. Legends and scale of record/prints
5. Handling and obtaining records, updating procedures of each utility
6. Identifying Plant records based on field observations, including corrections
7. Identifying and interpreting locate area plant records
B. Understanding Construction Standards & Practices of all Utilities
1. Past and Present Installation methods for each utility
2. Differentiate between types of excavation: trenching, boring, tree planting
3. Differentiate between types of excavation equipment: direction drill, backhoe
4. Differentiate between depths/widths/ accuracy
5. Enhancing technologies that might be used
6. Local standards for digging, One-Call Laws of the state
C. Equipment Training & Techniques (Field and Classroom)
1. Transmitter/Receiver operations
2. Proper connection to plant for locate
3. Frequency differences/ranges/use
4. Care, maintenance, & calibration of equipment
5. Types of locate: Passive, Active, conductive, inductive, locate by measurement
6. Applications of each
7. Use of sondes
8. Understanding ground conditions
9. APWA color codes and markings, paint, flagging, staking
10. Techniques for isolating pipe and cable
11. Grounding techniques
12. Understanding peak and null
13. Understanding ghost signals and other anomalies in the ground
D. Plant Recognition
1. Gas: Types of conduit are used for transmission
2. Electric: Types of conduit, lines, Primary, Secondary, Aerial, PIC
3. Phone: Recognizing different Pair cables, fiber, trunk/toll/feeder/aerial
4. CATV: Drop, .500 FDR, .625 FDRT, .825, Fiber
5. Water/SE: Types of conduit used
E. Plant Recognition Training
1. Hazards associated with different utilities including manhole/vaults, transformers,
unsupported exposed utilities etc.
2. Types of plant enclosures: pedestals, switch cabinets, cross boxes etc.
F. Theory of Locating
1. Electro-magnetic fields & radio frequency concepts
2. Understanding methods for achieving good return circuit
3. Understanding signal generation & applied results
4. Recognizing adequate return current levels and measurements
5. Identifying signal bleed-off and results
6. Best practices for various types of hookups
7. Understanding hookups and frequency for different types of conditions
8. Understanding null & peak characteristics
G. Daily Operations
1. Work Orders and Tickets
2. One-Call laws of the state
3. Procedures of damage investigation
4. Documenting a locate
5. Types of locates
6. Auditing and completing locate requests
H. Utility Owner/Excavator Relations
1. Understanding needs, roles, intentions of all parties
2. Understand work to be done
3. Educate all parties to the state laws and procedures
4. How to keep professional conduct/image at all times
5. Documenting communications
I. Safety Procedures and OSHA Regulations/State & Local Laws
J. Written and Field Testing
Both pre-testing and post-testing will be given. CEU credits earned with NC State University for each 10 hour period leading to qualification by instruction. Certificates are awarded to all participants scoring 95% on both parts, written and field evaluation. Annual re-qualifying exam must be scheduled to keep qualified as suggested by a variety of associations.
DISCLAIMER FOR RISK MANAGEMENT QUALIFYING PROGRAMS
This workshop focuses on some of the current practices used in the construction and maintenance of buried utilities and attempts to train/evaluate the skill of technicians thereby reducing damages to utilities upon excavation. Every effort has been made to present accurate information that is recognized by the industry.
Published minimum standards for construction and maintenance of buried utilities which may not be mandated by state or federal government act as the guidelines for developing RMP. Participants choosing to attend these workshops are doing so with the understanding that field training and theory taught in the classroom enhance the skills required to perform their job to the best of human capability, using the proper, calibrated equipment. It is therefore possible, that human and/or machine error may occur in the actual application of these standards in the field. Even typographical errors in the workshop material are possible. The requirements described in the written standard should be the ultimate source for reference as the participant attempts to engage in the safe practices of locating in the field.
Locate US, NC State University, and any other hired training organization that may be used for this workshop make no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy of the information presented verbally or in written form during the course of this workshop.
It is the responsibility of the participants to thoroughly read the standards for understanding. It is also the responsibility of the participants to obtain additional training in several other important areas that are part of the scope of work, such as excavation practices and the use of the One-Call Systems, that are not covered adequately in this workshop.