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To Everything There is a Season
Submitted by Catherine Carver, Locate US, 919.783.9017, [email protected]

No businessperson ever gained by doing the same old, same old, year after year. Technology evolves, systems improve, old ways become obsolete and people require refresher training. In today's business and labor climate, companies that train secure greater loyalty from the worker who feels valued. Having a positive mentality in personnel, leads to quality customers, yielding favorable profits. These are the companies that will survive through the economic instability.

You as the owners of the company, presidents, or managers set the theme that will carry through your entire work force. If you don't think training is important or that learning is beneficial, then you can bet your employees won't either. On the other hand, if you are hungry to learn, to improve and to challenge your own skills as a manager and leader, then it will be possible to pass on that enthusiasm.

Contract locate companies have always struggled to find their place with the utility owners on the excavation site. Contract locate companies submit bids and upon winning the contract, have at times claimed that they are in a 'partnerless' arrangement in their attempt to fulfill the contract. On the other side, facility owners have claimed that their contractor has employed less than a fully 'competent' person(s). Claims that only get worse when an incident involving a mislocate occurs.

Since the Common Ground Best Practices Study was completed and released in 1998, locating has taken on a new focus, and is in fact considered one of the major steps in the construction and maintenance of the buried infrastructure. Common Ground did two major things for the locate industry. First, it helped define the parameters of all parties involved on the construction site or in the process of planning, constructing, and maintaining systems underground. Locators and facility owners are in deed, a part of this process and, therefore, are a part of the construction arena. Secondly, the study forced all parties to create a perfect world scenario of an excellent 'day-on-the-job.'

This exercise was, in this writer's opinion, the most critical action, as it helped everyone from the planning and design desks to backfilling on the site derive a level of excellence, a mark, a goal for themselves and their companies to strive for. Knowing what your goal is, what standard a company is trying to achieve, and seeing where the employees' skills fall in relation to that goal, gives a new COMPETITIVE EDGE to contracted help.

In an environment where the prevailing mode of operation has been "low bid wins", companies are now contracting locate companies which have a documented plan of excellence, recording what is being done by the company to meet performance goals, and provide the hiring agent with a VALUE added company. Selecting a well trained "value-added company" to do contract locating is in the best interest of Damage Prevention, and SHOULD be forefront in the minds of companies doing the hiring of contracted workers.

There are companies who locate both with contracted help and in-house that are taking advantage of the trend to TRAIN and are doing so year after year. Many can tell you that their damage rate has either gone down or leveled off due to continued annual skill enhancement training sessions. These companies are providing training, both on the job and in classrooms without a Federal or even a State mandate, in most cases.

Training can be done in two ways, in-house or contracted out. In either case, it is to the advantage of the company to have the training being taught evaluated by a third-party consultant. The purpose of a third-party consultant takes the "fox away from the hen house." There is nothing to be gained by a third-party evaluator. They simply come in and test your employees on their knowledge. There are many configurations of a third-party evaluation and those specifics can be built to suit in most cases, but the one thing that does not change, is the standard base of knowledge, the hardcore scientific theory that must be understood and measured. The information for all locators and anyone else on the construction site must be consistent and accurate for the utility and the State in which the service is being done.

NULCA members are fortunate in that the association has developed Competency Standards of operation. The Standards make recommendations and improve upon previously published training standards so that you can see how close to the goal your company employees actually come. NULCA is supportive of companies striving to measure the skill of employees. The Association can assist through the use of these Competency Standards, for evaluating your employees or the training program you are currently using. Please take full advantage of the organization's programs and web site www.nulca.org. Best wishes for continued success with your company's endeavors, future growth and training operations.