Unmarked Gas Main Forces Change of Plans - A Good Catch

Electric Conduit Construction underground crews are trained to avoid damaging foreign utilities when installing underground infrastructure by open cut or horizontal directional drilling methods.

On a recent project, per the drawings, the opencut trench was set to terminate at a point where a splice box was to be installed. ECC crews always pothole the beginning and end and at 25’ intervals along the line of lay. Any foreign utilities must be visually identified, measured, and hand dug to avoid damage. This practice has helped ECC avoid utility damage and win awards for Contractor of the Year for Utility Damage Prevention.

In this case it turned into a good catch. An unmarked two-inch gas main was in the path of the trench and in the way of the proposed splice box. Fortunately, for our crews. Their diligence and adherence to procedure avoided what could have been an unbelievably bad day.

In the end the job had to be completed. With approval from our customer the splice box was relocated and installed without incident. ECC is particularly good at working safely and adapting to conditions on the ground. A big thank you goes out to our crew. Thank you for following our Utility Damage Prevention Plan, thank you for avoiding complacency. Tomorrow is your gift for working safely today.

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