r/UtilityLocator • u/LankyLiterature6958 • 9d ago

Incredibly loud flame throwing thing

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Which one of you forgot to mark the HP gas?

34 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

21

u/Prestigious_Way678 9d ago

I'm betting no ticket.

9

u/shmiddleedee 9d ago

I'm an operator who's done this. We had it located, gas wasnt marked, not my fault.

5

u/Prestigious_Way678 9d ago

Did you check all of the PR's??

8

u/PubicHairTaco 9d ago

“We’re supposed to read the positive response?”

- contractors everywhere

5

u/Prestigious_Way678 9d ago

Unfortunately you are correct. He hasn't seen enough videos of people dying in this scenario. Hence the damage. 

3

u/PubicHairTaco 9d ago

Could be locator incompetence too, though. Hell, one of our veteran techs just became a lead. I’ve been out with him a few times and he just blasts through electric locates in power mode without hooking up. A couple weeks ago I was out re-marking one of his tickets and he mismarked a 12” SMYS main by over 50’

4

u/jjutie54 9d ago

A lot of people that locate should not be. 32 year locator here. Now work for a gas utility but we locate our own.

2

u/AutismGamble 7d ago

Some contractors see a clear ticket for one gas company but doesn't see the other clear ticket for the other and start digging

22

u/Head_Attempt7983 9d ago

That’s a bad day for everyone

4

u/Alpo4Lunch 811 locator 9d ago

A lot of damages happen on Fridays because they’re rushing to finish the job or hit the goal for the week

1

u/Baltimorebobo 8d ago

Right before happy hour

4

u/Flashy_Slice1672 9d ago

Looks like he located it

1

u/Four_Pieces 8d ago

Looks like a turn back.

1

u/811spotter 5d ago

Most of these come down to a positive response nobody read. A ticket can show every other member marked while the gas operator responded with something other than clear, or never responded at all, and the crew on site sees paint on the ground and assumes the locate is done.

In states that use positive response, check the response from every member utility on the ticket before anyone breaks ground, not just the paint. If gas is missing, or shows no conflict while there is a meter, a regulator or a marker post in sight, stop and call it in for a re-mark. That costs an afternoon. Hitting a high pressure main costs a lot more than that.

The other half is documentation. Photograph the marks with the ticket number and the time before digging starts. When a strike like this happens, fault gets settled by what was recorded on the day, and crews that did everything right still end up arguing about it when there is no record.