Damage Prevention Champion: Bo Womack

“I was born and raised right here in Mississippi,” Bo Womack, Director of Gulf States, UtiliQuest, said with unmistakable pride in his voice. “So for me, to be involved with the Mississippi Damage Prevention Committee is more than just a corporate responsibility.”

And when he says that, he is more than a little convincing. “There are too many damages in Mississippi. We’ve got to figure out how to work together to reduce them. Part of what we must do is educate the folks who don’t know to call, and encourage those who know to call, but don’t.

“I have a unique perspective because I worked with my dad as an excavator back in the early to mid- 90s. I’ll admit, I cut more than my share of underground utilities. That’s when I realized there had to be a better way,” Bo said. “I talked to my dad and told him I had a chance to go into the locating business. I wanted to know what he thought about it.

MDPC Update, Volume III, Issue IV

Since its inception, the MDPC has reached out to all stakeholders in the state to help make Mississippi a safer place to live and work. Achieving such a goal involved change. Changes in legislation would be easier at times than the changing of attitudes and perspectives necessary to achieve their goal, or to comply with federal legislation enacted in December 2006 and identified as the PIPES act.

Keeping the GulfSafe

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita swept through in 2005, issues with offshore pipelines and the need for a one-call system covering the Gulf of Mexico came to the forefront. GulfSafe was developed to address these concerns in the Gulf and began operation February 16, 2009.

Will I ever be able to stop giving driving directions?

It’s a fair question. Amanda Russell, GIS Manager for Mississippi 811, explains to those who have asked before, “The first step in making that happen is for the caller to provide GPS readings for the excavation sites. While we aren’t quite prepared to implement automated driving directions, it is a service that we are considering how best to implement.” She continues, “Because it is important to our callers, it is important to us.”

2009 creates exciting opportunities for damage prevention

It is hard to believe that we are already into October. Football games and cooler weather are a welcome sign to most of us. Additionally, this year has really produced and revealed some exciting opportunities in damage prevention and pipeline safety efforts.

Safety from the top down

There are three major components to a safe workplace environment: 1) safety procedures/standards, 2) the employee, and 3) the leadership behaviors. You will learn about the leadership behaviors that have a positive or negative impact upon safety regardless of the quality of the first two variables. Consequently, you will want to copy the “Doctor is In” article of the current issue that addresses personal change plus each subsequent article in this series. You will also want to share these with your workforce. In addition to the personal change dynamics, you would benefit from reading People-$mart Leaders: Maximize People, Performance, & Profits in which my son and I detail how to manage the energy associated with organizational change.

Damage prevention coordinators take the 811 message throughout the state

Perhaps you’ve wondered how the Mississippi 811 Damage Prevention Coordinators Bill Rutledge, Henry Greer, Jerry Kennemur, and Phil Davis fill their days.
Sam Johnson, Mississippi 811 President, recently reported to the board of directors that through the end of September 2009, more than 18,000 contacts had been made.

Trenching and excavation safety, part four

This is the fourth and final article covering the basics of trenching and excavation safety. To recap the previous articles:
Part 1 discussed the role of the “Competent Person” on the job site.
Part 2 presented the importance of following the “General Requirements” section of OSHA’s 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P – Excavations.
Part 3 covered the soil classification process.

Underground power lines: The danger beneath the backhoe

by Stan Rucker, VP of Safety and Loss Control with Electric Power Associations of Mississippi. Electric power associations build underground power lines to withstand most damage due to natural causes. But nothing can protect them from the direct impact of excavating equipment – except the operator’s awareness of electrical safety. Most important, electrical safety measures [...]

Publisher’s Perspective, Volume III, Issue IV

We are beginning our third year working with Mississippi 811 to promote damage prevention in Mississippi. The focus of this publication remains unchanged. We celebrate the victories of partnership, pointing out the possibilities – not just the problems. With challenges like a declining economy or more stringent regulations before us, many have resigned themselves to [...]