Requesting public utility locates is a well-structured process involving multiple parties who ensure the site is safe for excavation. However, private locates bring their own set of complexities, often without the same guidance or information for excavators. Many companies only become aware of these challenges after incidents occur, scrambling to understand why damages happened.
While private locates share some similarities with public locates, they introduce unique hurdles. These include limited information and increased risks of missing buried infrastructure, forcing many contractors to work blind. Without careful management, this gap in understanding can lead to preventable damage.
Across the industry, efforts to prevent underground utility damage have steadily increased, reducing excavation incidents. Processes and regulations for public locates are well-documented, while private locates remain less straightforward despite using similar techniques and equipment. Private locate contractors face a
public and private utility locate processes and the roles of key stakeholders.
Stakeholder Roles
Looking at the roles of major stakeholders reveals key differences between public and private locates:
Public Utility Owner: Owns, installs, and maintains buried facilities, playing a role in providing utility locates, promoting damage prevention, and ensuring service continuity.
Locate Service Provider: Works for or contracts with the utility owner to prevent damage by marking underground assets.
Excavator: Holds the responsibility to complete utility locates in line with local safety regulations.
Public Locates
Public utility locates are regulated, funded, and managed by the utility owners, who are legally responsible for locating assets within public lands and easements. These locates are coordinated by locate 811 call centers, which ensure utility owners are notified of excavation requests to safeguard workers and the public. If records are unclear, utility owners remain accountable and may use alternative methods to assist excavators in finding assets.
Typically, public utility owners are only responsible for assets up to the demarcation point—the point where utility service ends and private ownership begins. Beyond this point, asset protection falls to the property owner.
Private Locates
Although private locates use similar techniques, their structure and accountability differ significantly. Private locate contractors are often hired by third-party clients, such as excavators or consultants, rather than the asset owner. This arrangement frequently limits contractors’ access to critical information, such as asset records or site access, leaving them working blind and placing them in a challenging position. Without cooperation from asset owners, private contractors must “sleuth out” buried utilities with minimal data.
Ideally, asset owners would provide all available utility records and access to connection points. However, private locate contractors often have to rely on limited information, conducting their own investigations by examining mechanical rooms, utility spaces, and interviewing facility personnel.
This lack of support can sometimes lead third-party clients to request “clearance” without understanding what may actually lie beneath. Private contractors are contractually bound to deliver accurate results despite often limited data, increasing the risks and accountability associated with private locates and often leaving them working blind to essential information.
Summary
The public locate process has steadily improved, backed by industry awareness and regulations that help protect public utility assets from damage. In contrast, private locate contractors face a unique set of challenges, often performing locate services without support from asset owners and navigating complex contractual relationships with third parties. These operational conditions make private locating an intricate, high-stakes process, distinct from the standardized controls governing public locates.
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