Clearing Obsticles

Unearthing Utilities

Learning to dig around utilities and other installations is a daunting task indeed, and is not for the unskilled, nervous, or timid; these are acquired skills that an operator gains through time, training, and just plain old gut wrenching experience. Even experienced operators will at some point in time, occasionally break a pipe because, its often impossible to locate them with any amount of precision. But learning to distinguish a pipe from a rock or other buried object is an acquired talent and that comes with much time and experience on the job. The sooner this talent is developed and honed to the masters degree, the less chances there will be of delays and repairs caused by utility accidents.

Way To Go

Once a pipe is successfully located the equipment operator's job is to trench and dig around it. With extreme caution, expose as much of the pipe as possible, using the machine to your full advantage, but carefully; and then use hand labor to complete the digging, until the pipe is clearly visible from the operator's position. Once past the pipe, proceed excavating the trench as usual, taking great care not to strike the pipe with the bucket or any part of the machine.

Broken Pipes or Lines

If a pipe happens to get broken in the process, the equipment operator will know it all most immediately from the happen-stance. If it is a water line, the water will make its presence known pretty quick, and in other circumstances the operator will be able to smell, see, or hear the gas escaping from a ruptured gas line. If any kind of electrical hazard or telephone cable becomes the problem and is severed in the process, the exposed wires will be visible, jutting from the sides or floor of the trench.

What to do?

Stay calm, and think what is your best action to take keeping all in concern (that is your work mates) or keeping those that may be in the immediate area in mind. First the appropriate action should take into account the type of line it is. Once it is determined, notify the workers and the utility companies officials, those of whoms responsibility it is to make the necessary repairs. There should also be in place a training program; what signals, sirens, or horns; how many blows of the horn and what they mean ( in the case where everyone else is not in ear shot) for example; Three, two second blast of the horn should indicate an emergency situation, and be certain everyone knows.

If it is a gas line, do not shut down the equipment before getting it clearof the area. Attempting to start up any spark producing or energizing equipment in a gas cloud could ignite the fumes. If a water main has been broken remove the equipment away from the flood plain. If service to residences is involved, there is usually a shutoff valve at the street. It would be advisable to locate these shutoff valves prior to digging, so quick action can be taken if a break occurs.

In all cases notify the effected utility companies immediately of what has happened, so repairs can be made as soon as possible, and work can be resumed.

Please continue with the comments, some have been so enriching and helpful. Have a good day!!

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Posted in Safety, Utilities, trench.

Tagged with accidents, aquired skills, broken pipes, equipment operator.

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By Keith Bray – February 8, 2010

Pre-Footing operations

Planning

The experienced equipment operator will arrive to the job site and consult with the supervisor to determine the scope of the work involved. What is expected? What are the tasking that has to be accomplished, excavation for footings, utility lines, sewers, basement, road, driveway, septic tanks, do stumps have to be pulled out of the ground,etc,. Next what needs are there in removing the spoils, will it be stockpiled, transferred, removed or loaded onto trucks? Will the land have to be cleared or graded? And will there be any demolition involved? You know these are typical assignments for the backhoe, grader, and bulldozer are called to do.

Fore Knowledge

Knowing the full scope of the job, the heavy equipment operator has to ascertain, interpret, and see the big picture of the different crafts and the stages of how the work should flow, anticipate whats ahead, have some idea in what order each stage of groundwork should be readied, and when, and how the work should move toward the accomplishment of each step and following task.

Depending on the phasing of the jobs, and tasking that are to be accomplished. The equipment driver has to formulate from those job tasks a step by step, logically, smooth and efficient game plan before he breaks ground. The where, what, when, why, and how starts here and when this stage of the plan is thought out. The operator will be able to start the dig, phase in each step and flow from one task to the next, unhampered.

Having it Together

Some important points to keep in mind when consulting about the job and job phases include but are not limited to, Utility locations, and potential problems that may arise due to the utility locations; where should materials be stockpiled, and will there be different bucket size requirements to perform certain task, and will there be any other relevant information that the backhoe for instance, is expected to perform.

No earth should be broken until all phases and sequences of the job is thoroughly thought out and planned in a logical order to avoid the operator from maneuvering himself into and unmaneuverable situation causing job delays

Gainfully Employed

The operator also has to coordinate his work with the other crafts on the site, this will mean staying in contact with the supervisor and assisting co-workers, performing such tasks as needed, in so doing, everyone can stay gainfully employed on the job.

Spoils

In addition to determining the digging sequence he will have to plan the location for stockpiling the soil, and how to go about transferring materials to and from a stockpile area if necessary. As the operator nears the completion stages of his work, he should have in mind how to wrap up the job. In considering the placement of spoils, what will eventually be done with the materials. If it is used for back-filling, it should be placed in an area that will facilitate back-filling when called for. Or, if it is to be trucked out, put the spoils in an area accessible to the loader and the truck with room to perform loading operations.