Page 7 - Tennessee 811 Magazine 2021 Issue 1
P. 7

Mark what gives him the most satisfaction in his job. He says, “One of the most satisfying things for me
is knowing that I marked something accurately.” As a former locator, I can confirm that when locating something you cannot see, the best way to gain confidence is to see that facility exposed directly under the marks you just put down.
When talking about working with contractors and best practices for large projects, Mark brings up
a very common response to how he handles these types of locates. “I use their contact info on the locate. It could save you a lot of headache and time.” Excavators, let me take this opportunity to remind you that when calling in your locate requests you should be sure the contact info on the ticket is someone that is familiar with the job and can answer questions the utility locator may have in completing your request. This is very important when trying to get your job located completely and accurately. The locators rely heavily on this contact information. Mark hit on another common thing locators see in their daily work: over-calling tickets. He says, “A lot of times people will call in and say ‘locate entire property’ when they really don’t need all of that. Sometimes people don’t understand that an entire property could be a 500-acre farm.” By calling in
an entire property when you are only working in a small area on the property, you could turn a five- minute locate into an hour or more as the locator works diligently to verify everything on the property. I asked Mark what final tips he has for contractors calling in their tickets. Know what he suggested? You guessed it! Mark emphatically says, “Put out white paint. It makes it so much easier.”
I like to get advice for new locators from experienced guys like Mark. Here’s what else he suggests:
• Don’t rush through a locate – take your time.
• Unbond when you can to isolate your target utility.
• Make sure you ask questions if you are unsure about something.
As of January 1, 2021, Mark has completed 28,898 locates with minimal damages. With those kinds of numbers, you may wonder if he ever has any free time. Mark says he enjoys duck hunting and also has a family farm where he recently started breeding Goldendoodles. He’s also married and has a 15-year- old daughter who is involved with the local 4-H.
As our time together came to a close, I asked Mark to share his biggest achievement in locating. Before he could answer, Cole was quick to jump in and offer an attaboy or two. He said, “We don’t have any past due tickets. Mark stays on top of his tasks and continues to gain confidence in his own locating abilities.”
From all of us at Tennessee 811, thank you Mark for your dedication to damage prevention and for being an example in the industry.
Want to recognize a locator who goes above and beyond? Email jkouba@tennessee811.com
Frequently Asked Questions
By Kathy Quartermaine, Damage Prevention Liaison Tennessee811
Question
My ticket is due, but the utility did not mark anything in the field – can I start my excavation?
Answer
Utilities are required by Tennessee State Law to close out their tickets in our Positive Response System (PRS). Unless you check PRS you won’t know if the facility is clear or just wasn’t marked yet. You can quickly and easily check responses to your ticket from your smartphone through our free mobile app, which is available for both Android and Apple devices. Search “TN811” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, download it onto your phone, and you’re ready to go. Open the app, click “Find Tickets”, then enter your ticket number or use the advanced search. Your ticket will come up and it will list all utilities notified as well as their time-stamped response.
If you are on your computer, you can go to our Ticket Portal
and check there. You can get there fast through our website at www.tn811.com. On the ribbon menu click on “Quick Links” then “Ticket Search”. Once you’re in the portal, just click “Find Tickets” and then type in your ticket number or used the advanced search options.
Once all utilities have responded “located” or “clear”, your ticket is considered valid. You heard that right! Once all utilities have responded with one of those two answers, you have a valid ticket even if the normal waiting period of three working days (72 hours excluding weekends and holidays) has not elapsed.
If a utility has not yet responded, there will be no response by the company name. If your ticket’s due date has come and there is a blank by any of the utilities in PRS, you are required by law to call in a second notice before starting your work. Our Locate Request Agents will advise you to wait until everyone has had a chance
to respond, but there is no additional length of time that you are required to wait. Always use reasonable care when digging, but especially if you observe clear evidence of unmarked facilities in the area. Examples of reasonable care would be hand digging, potholing, vacuum excavation, or hydro excavation.
If you have a question about the dig law, safe digging, or TN811 policy, send an email to kathy.quartermaine@tennessee811.com. Even if it isn’t answered in the magazine, we’ll make sure you get an answer.
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