Following procedures pays off by avoiding a cross bore.
Complacency and Directional Drills Do Not Mix
Complacency is a leading contributor to many accidents. The problem with complacency is its non-discriminate nature. Any area touched by safety is touched by complacency. This applies to heavy equipment, shoring, welding and fabrication, electrical, material handling, and many others. An example of the dangers of complacency is illustrated in the following project.
A horizontal directional drill was scheduled for six blocks in a residential area. The right-of-way and line of lay was behind the homes following electrical lines. The sewer lines serving these homes connected to the main line in the street in front of the homes. There was therefore no need to make a video record of these sewer lines. Nor was there any need to pothole for sewer lines. That is until the foreman started opening manholes and discovered that the last six homes were connected to a sewer main at the rear of the home and directly in the path of the line of lay.
In this case our foreman followed Electric Conduit Construction’s Utility Damage Prevention Plan. He did not let complacency take hold. Each of those laterals were then video recorded to make sure a cross bore did not occur.
Rear easement lateral hits are difficult to access and repair. Just to access the repair can require moving fences, playground equipment and sheds. A sewer line repair is also disruptive for a family.
In this case complacency was defeated and ECC’s foreman made a good catch. By following ECC’s Utility Damage Prevention Plan, our foreman took advantage of experience gleaned from decades utility construction work and avoided the demon known as Complacency.