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.

“My dad gave me some great advice that I’ve used as a locator, manager, and in training new hires coming on board. He said, ‘Just remember that when you put your paint on the ground, that paint becomes your signature, so sign it with pride.’

“I remember that as an excavator, I was on the end of a shovel digging across that 18-inch buffer zone. I remember how frustrating and time consuming it could be. When I started putting paint on the ground, I wanted to make sure I marked it right.” Bo continued. “And that’s one of the things I like about UtiliQuest. As a company, we believe in doing it right and getting better. We train our folks to be technically competent, safety conscious, and straight shooters.”

It is obvious when Bo is talking about locating underground facilities, he is talking about something he was born to do.

Roy Clark, Corporate Trainer for UtiliQuest, remarked about Bo, “He is different than a lot of directors. He will get out there with the investigator or locator and work side by side until the job is complete.” Clark continued, “Not too long ago, I came upon Bo on a damage investigation. He had a shovel in his hands, and was in the bottom of a pretty good sized hole he had dug, trying to see if our marks were dead on. It was hotter than blazes, and I asked him what he thought he was doing. He told me that he just had to know for himself that we got it right.”

I asked Bo, “With all you’ve got to do as Director, why do you still make time to get down in the dirt?” He grinned and said, “I guess the dirt is still in my blood. And besides that, if I gave one of my guys a shovel and told him to go dig up something while I was just standing there, I’d be afraid my dad would come by and chew me out.” He laughed and finished by saying, “I’ve just been taught that if somebody else is working around me, I need to be helping.”

Bo is quick to point out that even though he has responsibilities for the entire state and then some, he is fortunate to have a superior team of professionals that is as committed to keeping Mississippi a safer place to live and work. He deflects any attempt to give him credit for the excellent damage ratio or safe driving records achieved in Mississippi. He shrugs his shoulders and says, “Hey, it’s all about them. They make it happen every day. We not only look out for one another, but one of the things I’m most proud of is that we are developing relationships with those doing the work. We’ve learned over the years that if we develop a personal relationship with the excavating community, it always results in fewer damages, a safer environment, and all of us get to go home to our families every night.” He pauses for a moment as if to punctuate his final remarks and says, “If that doesn’t happen every night, nothing else will matter to his family, and if that doesn’t happen, I will feel like I failed everybody I know.”

UtiliQuest began providing facility locating services in Mississippi during the mid-1980′s and currently serves utilities throughout the entire state. UtiliQuest has long been a supporter of the damage prevention process in Mississippi and a strong supporter of Sam Johnson and Mississippi 811. When Sam Johnson and the 811 board determined to develop this publication to promote damage prevention through partnership and doing the right thing in Mississippi, Sam made a call to his longtime friend, Bud Satterfield, Senior Vice-President with UtiliQuest.

Bud and UtiliQuest agreed to partner with Mississippi 811 to get the message out to more than 15,000 users and members of the 811 system. But more than that, UtiliQuest employees are involved in damage prevention efforts across the state, attending DPCC meetings and actively involved in the Summit as well as the MDPC.
Yes, it has been a great fit for UtiliQuest and for Bo Womack. He is not only proud to be from Mississippi; he is proud to be in Mississippi, because there is no place like home. So when he talks about keeping Mississippi a safer place to live and work, he means it for more reasons than one.

The “Nine elements” of a stronger and more effective damage program as outlined in the legislation includes specific language as to creating “effective enforcement” and at the state level. The “effective enforcement” element and language is listed below:

“Enforcement of State damage prevention laws and regulations for all aspects of the damage prevention process, including public education, and the use of civil penalties for violations assessable by the appropriate State authority.”

The evaluation of a state’s damage prevention program could begin with a test of whether the state is presented through law as the statutory authority for review and resolution of related issues. Further, the stakeholders looking to improve the state’s damage prevention program could consider whether the state authority is enforcing the laws in a manner that is considered effective, addresses all aspects of the damage prevention program, and includes the assessment of civil penalties, as appropriate, for violations.

Some characteristics of good enforcement programs are noted in the CGA Best Practices and include:

Enforcement is applied consistently.

Enforcement is seen as fair and equable to all stakeholders.

The enforcement process is accountable to assure its credibility.

The enforcement program is transparent to all stakeholders.

Application of appropriate enforcement is based on the severity of the violations, the significance of events, past behavior of the at-fault parties, and their willingness to change behavior.

The use of remediation measures such as training, helping with public education, use of technology, funding R&D, etc. is considered in lieu of or to reduce fines.
Incentives are used to encourage compliance, such as the use of performance credits and education credits.

The legislative committee of the MDPC met over a period of several months to address this particular issue. Their charge was to put together a draft proposal that would incorporate the essence of the “effective enforcement” element, but in language that would be in the best interest of all stakeholders in Mississippi. It was recognized early on that arriving at consensus on such a volatile issue would be difficult, and for many reasons.

Most all associations involved in the process agreed that blatant disregard for the “dig law” was unacceptable. Most agreed that violations of the law needed to be addressed, and that education would be the first line of defense.

As expected, a major hurdle to overcome is the imposition of civil penalties or fines for continued violators of the state’s law. Most would agree that we need to be held accountable for our poor decisions, but that including the term “fines” would make it more difficult to pass, if not impossible.

As in any worthwhile project, there were three positions held in the process.

1. Good people wanting to work together and for including fines in the current language.
2. Good people wanting to work together and for excluding fines in the current language.
3. Good people wanting to work together and waiting to see what would happen.

As the deadline approaches for submitting the draft proposal, the committee has to make a difficult decision. The decision is not about which group is right. The decision is not about whether to include or exclude fines. The decision is simply how can we achieve consensus while crafting this critical piece of legislation that will help keep Mississippi a safer place to live and work. We need the legislation, and we need to submit legislation that we all can support.

It will involve keeping all stakeholders at the table and interested in working together for the common good of all Mississippi. It will require more listening than talking. It will be necessary to identify what the real obstacles are rather than what the perceived obstacles are.

And as the committee continues to work together in the upcoming weeks, progress will be made toward the development of this critical piece of legislation. It is far too important to give up, or just agree to disagree, or to let some federal representative decide how best to handle the violation.

Sure there are other issues to consider. Who will issue the citation? When civil penalties become part of the legislation, how much and who has jurisdiction? Who will develop the approved training in lieu of fines? And perhaps you have a question of your own that will help the committee put together a better piece of legislation.

Let us hear from you. There will be sessions at the upcoming Summit designed to keep you aware of the progress made to date. We hope to see you there.

by Jack Garrett, Director of Regulatory Services, DIG TESS

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.

Unlike traditional one-call operations, GulfSafe’s notification process is primarily web-based. Most notifications are requested through GulfSafe.com or by calling 1-888-910-4853 (GULF). Use of the service requesting notifications of activity is free, as all costs are paid by the owners of offshore facilities. Technical and user support is conducted online or by phone at 1-888-910-4853 (GULF).

One of the technical challenges was in building a system that was seamless between state and federal waters. Offshore operators wanted one system to function in all state waters as well as the Outer Continental Shelf. They also needed a system that could process near shore calls to 811 from state one-call centers along the coast and process those request into GulfSafe. This was accomplished by overlaying the GulfSafe database into Louisiana One Call and Mississippi 811 systems.

If someone calls 811 in those states for an offshore request, the local call center processes the request and forwards the information on to GulfSafe. This process will be expanded to Alabama and Florida as new member companies are added in those areas.

Locates in the Outer Continental Shelf are processed directly through GulfSafe. This procedure provides the seamless system that offshore operators desired, and it also provides the flexibility to integrate the 811 message into GulfSafe’s promotions. Typically the system is promoted as “Onshore 811, Offshore GulfSafe.com.”

One of the goals in the development of the system was to provide workers offshore the same safe working environment that we have come to expect onshore. Most workers wouldn’t think of putting a shovel in the ground without calling for locates, just for their own personal safety. Yet offshore, this attention to safety is overlooked. It’s made even more difficult by not being able to see through the water, and at depths that can give workers a false sense of security.

Pipeline companies are often left out of the loop. They may not be aware that work is being done in the vicinity of their line because a vessel operator may be using public maps to assume where subsea systems are located. This would be comparable to having onshore excavators do all their own locates instead of calling for locates. From the operators’ perspective this is not the ideal process.

GulfSafe currently serves four of the Minerals Management Service’s Planning areas for the Outer Continental Shelf; the Western Gulf of Mexico, Central Gulf of Mexico, Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and the Straits of Florida. Expansions into other planning areas are slated as wind and wave energy is developed on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.

As you might expect, offshore damages are extremely costly. With the final tab easily reaching into the millions of dollars, facility owners are finding GulfSafe is a cost-effective way to prevent damage to vital infrastructure. The cost for membership varies on the area of coverage or footprint of a utility company. For information regarding membership or further details contact jackgarrett@gulfsafe.com.

You can also learn more about GulfSafe by attending the Mississippi Summit in November. We hope to see you there.

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.”

Sam Johnson, President of Mississippi 811, adds, “Whether or not automated driving directions will be a function of GeoCall, the call center software, or some type of plug-in to our software has not been determined.” He continues, “But with the advances in mapping technology, it is certainly one of our priorities as an added value to our services.” He agrees with his GIS Manager that an absolute requirement for making that a reality is for the callers to provide GPS readings when they call before they dig.

There are immediate benefits of providing the GPS readings. It helps ensure that the right companies are notified and that the correct excavation site is located, resulting in a safer excavation. Certainly all the stakeholders benefit from that. Additionally, providing the readings helps the call center process the locate request quickly and efficiently.

Amanda points out, “There are many GPS options for our users, including dashboard, handheld, smart-phones, and PDAs. Some cell phone carriers are now providing GPS navigation that can be accessed through compatible cell phones.” She continues, “These cell phones do not have internal mapping software, but access the information wirelessly over a cellular network. The cost is typically $10 a month.”

When asked about any particular feature recommendations, she replied, “WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) enabled devices provide the best accuracy and are low cost units as well. WAAS is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving an average of up to five times better accuracy. It can give a position accuracy of better than three meters 95% of the time.”

The Mississippi 811 preferred GPS setup is as follows:

1. Set primary and secondary coordinate system to Lat/Lon DEG.DDDDD
2. Set primary and secondary map datum to WGS84
3. Set NMEA to V2.1GSA

I asked her, “What if I don’t know how to do that, then what?” She laughed and said, “Just buy youself a unit and give me a call. We’ll help you set it up and teach you how to use it.”

I thought to myself, “That’s a fair deal.” Mississippi 811 will set it up and teach me how to use it. Then by using it now, I can take advantage of some immediate benefits and move all of us closer to the day I don’t have to give driving directions.

Amanda can be reached at gis@ms811.org, or by calling 601-368-1150. Give her a call today.

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.

Our group added a new inspector this year. Neill Wood came on board and works out of the Central district. Neill lives in Port Gibson and has worked several years in the local distribution arena. We are excited to have him on our team.

Our Damage Prevention Committee (MDPC) has achieved significant progress since its inception in strengthening our one-call law. The latest addition of the positive response and the requiring of all facilities to be locatable can only help further better safety practices in the Magnolia state. The momentum gained will help keep Mississippi an even safer place to live and work.

As I write this, we have completed five of our six regional damage prevention meetings. The last meeting for this year will be held in Jackson, October 27, 2009. The purpose of the meetings is to encourage all stakeholders to share their perspectives and experiences. It is in the best interest of all who live and work in Mississippi to develop the best possible response to new federal legislation. I know that as we focus more and more on accountability, as defined in our law, people will come forward and encourage our committee to do whatever it takes to make Mississippi an even safer place.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite everyone interested in damage prevention to the Summit, Nov. 9-11, 2009, in Tunica. The MDPC, and especially the Summit Training Committee, have put together a world class event, and I look forward to seeing everyone attend. Our gas operators, as well as water and other operators, will receive continuing education hours for their attendance and completion of the workshops. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from one another in a setting designed to develop partnerships and consensus.

For the past couple of years, we have talked about and pursued the opportunity to have a training facility in Mississippi, especially geared to train gas operators with hands-on field instruction and also quality classroom time. Pipeline safety has worked closely with the Mississippi Natural Gas Association to make this become a reality.
We have also partnered with the state fire marshal’s office and the state fire academy to secure a place centrally located where this training can be conducted. The fire academy has graciously afforded us the land to build an outdoor training facility where various concepts can be utilized to qualify operators on required and important tasks which they perform daily as gas operators.

The academy is also in the process of building new classroom facilities that will be state of the art. Our group is very excited about this partnership with the state fire academy. We see this as an opportunity not only to train gas operators, but for the academy instructors to utilize the concept and the facilities to train firefighters and others in the safe handling of natural gas situations. Firefighters, police, and other emergency responders are usually first on the scene at these incidents. It is our desire to “break ground” on this early next year. If you have an interest in participating and/or helping, please contact me, and I will be happy to discuss our vision and progress with you.

I look forward to working with you in making Mississippi an even greater place to live and work.

Leadership, you, and working safely

by Dr. Larry Cole

Based on the response from the introductory article published in this magazine (some of you have requested training on this topic), we decided to write a series on this subject.

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.

In the words of Stephen Covey, “Let’s begin with the end in mind.” The leadership components listed in figure 1 denote positive leadership styles that have a positive impact upon the safety culture, which leads to an increased awareness of the importance of personal safety. The end result includes a safer working environment with reduced incidents, reportable accidents, and personal injury. Of course, all of this translates into profitability.

I know that not defining the leadership characteristics in figure 1 is not good journalism, but I’m asking you to be patient as you will learn about the leadership characteristics in future articles. For now, simply keep in mind that positive leadership produces positive safety results. Space limitation, however, does allow us to define the safety variables that are impacted by leadership behaviors.

Safety Climate. This is the degree that employees see managers (particularly senior level managers) place a strong emphasis or a priority on workplace health and safety.

I’ve seen instances in which managers believe they are promoting a safety climate, but employees do not share that perception. Obviously, that’s not a desired end result. Remember, the perception that others have of you can be more important than your perception of yourself.

Safety Participation. Participation is the degree to which the employee will do whatever is required to promote the company’s safety program. That is, they are mimicking upper level management.

Safety Compliance. Compliance is the degree to which employees adhere to using safety equipment and procedures because these are the company’s procedures. The important point is to understand that employees are adhering to safety to support the company’s initiative, not to protect their health and safety.

Safety Motivation. Motivation is the degree of effort the employee puts forth to maintain or improve their personal safety as opposed to doing what’s best for the company.

Our research shows there is a direct relationship between the first three safety variables with the degree that employee’s put forth an effort to maintain or improve their personal safety. Think of a flow chart, senior managers promote safety which leads to the employee’s willingness to promote the company’s safety program. Promoting the company’s safety program in turn leads to adhering to the company’s safety procedures. The net result is an increased awareness to maintain or improve personal safety.

The focus of future articles is to highlight the details of the leadership behaviors that positively impact these safety variables. A cautionary word: There will be one article devoted to leadership behaviors that produce a negative impact on safety. Still today, there is an effort to hire “safe people,” but leadership will impact whether these safe people put forth the necessary effort to work safely!

Keep reading!

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.

The Coordinators contact industry professionals through the DPCC meetings established across the state and through the various conferences and conventions that Mississippi 811 has supported over the years. He stated that often there was more than one conference going on across the state and at such times, the four split up so that Mississippi 811’s message could be presented to the maximum number of interested parties.

Additionally, the four Coordinators were actively involved in the pipeline safety presentations held throughout Mississippi. Their involvement was to ensure that all in attendance was familiar with the current law and to offer assistance to all stakeholders.

The Coordinators were also responsible for conducting more than 85 safety/training meetings. These meetings are available for any group in the state. To have one of the Damage Prevention Coordinators conduct a safety session for your group, just give them a call.

Helping one another is what it is all about. Give them a call and set up a training session with your organization.

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.

With just one exception, OSHA requires the use of protective systems in all trenches and excavations that are deeper than five feet. The one exception involves trenches or excavations dug in stable rock. In those situations, it is “legal” to work without protective systems. But be aware – stable rock is a very rare type of soil.
If the trench or excavation is less than five feet deep, a protective system may still be required if there is a potential for a cave-in. (Note: In some areas, state laws may require use of protective systems for trenches and excavations that are deeper that four feet. Always check with your state regulations).

There are five options for providing a protective system:

OPTION 1 – SLOPING AND BENCHING

This procedure calls for, first, classifying the soil, and then referring to the charts and illustrations in the OSHA Standard to determine the correct angle of bank.

Type Soil Angle of Bank
Stable Rock – Vertical wall
Type A Soil – ¾ to 1 (H to V), or 53 degrees
Type B Soil – 1 to 1 (H to V), or 45 degrees
Type C Soil – 1 ½ to 1 (H to V), or 34 degrees

OPTION 2 – TIMBER SHORING

This is a system of wooden walers, cross braces, and uprights, that support the walls of a trench or excavation. The OSHA Standard specifies the sizes of timbers, based upon the various types of soil, the depth of the trench or excavation, and the type of timber used to build the structure (oak or Douglas fir). As a practical matter, few contractors or utilities use timber shoring. There are a number of reasons, including limited availability of timber, the need for skilled carpenters to build the system, the time required to build, safety issues, and the easy availability of other, more cost effective, systems.

OPTION 3 – ALUMINUM HYDRAULIC SHORING

These systems have replaced a lot of timber shoring. Developed in California in the late 1950s, there are two types of hydraulic shoring: vertical shores and horizontal walers. Both employ aluminum rails and hydraulic cylinders that apply pressure to the walls of a trench, creating an “arching effect” that prevents the walls from collapsing.

OPTION 4 – TRENCH SHIELDS

These are aluminum or steel structures designed to protect workers by withstanding the forces imposed by a cave-in. Regardless of the material they are made of, the principles are the same.

OPTION 5 – SITE-SPECIFIC ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

Occasionally the charts in the OSHA Standard for sloping and benching, or timber shoring, as well as manufactured systems such as aluminum hydraulic shoring or trench shields, will not work. There may be job-site conditions that exist or other factors that prevent the use of such systems. In these situations, a registered professional engineer must design a system specifically for the job. The engineer has to be registered in the state where the system will be used, and will have to “stamp” the design. There are additional requirements, as well, all of which are covered in the OSHA Standard.

To summarize, by having a properly trained and authorized “Competent Person” on site, following the General Requirements section of the OSHA Standard, carefully classifying the soil, and utilizing protective systems, we can all work safely in trenches and excavations.

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth and final article in this series that discusses specific steps that contractors and utilities can take to help ensure the safety of their personnel. Obviously, this is an overview of the subject. It is impossible to properly cover the topic in just four relatively short articles. Contractors and utilities involved in underground work will need additional training to ensure worker safety.

David V. Dow is co-founder and Vice-President of TrenchSafety and Supply, Inc. Learn more about his company at www.trenchsafety.com.

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 can help prevent a tragedy: If you strike an underground power line while digging, you could seriously injure yourself, and those around you, and knock out electric service to homes and businesses in the area.

The danger is real: On average, 325 people die, and 4,400 are injured each year because of electrical hazards, according to data published by the National Safety Council. Electricity ranks sixth among all causes of occupational fatalities. The leading cause of fatal electrical incidents while on the job is contact with power lines, both above and below ground.

By calling Mississippi 811 before digging, the electric utility serving your work site will be alerted of your intentions. Utility personnel will determine whether an underground power line or other electrical facilities exist at your work site and, if so, dispatch a representative to mark their location. This is a service that Mississippi’s consumer-owned electric power associations are happy to provide to help protect you and your workers, foremost, but also to prevent power outages and avoid costly damage to underground electrical facilities.

Electric power associations urge you to devote a few minutes to electrical safety before digging by dialing 811 at least two days before the work is scheduled to occur. For more information, visit www.ms811.org.

With challenges like a declining economy or more stringent regulations before us, many have resigned themselves to the idea that things can’t or won’t change. Their explanations are perfectly rational and persuasive to all who will accept the status quo or the majority opinions of those who know their limits and have resigned themselves to second best.

Yet such individuals or organizations are being passed everyday by those with far less ability who haven’t learned what can’t be done. We agree with these difference makers that the diversity of needs and ideas of all stakeholders is critical for the creation of a partnership strong enough to make for effective and beneficial change.

Changes in legislation aren’t likely to happen until we are able to embrace change in our own attitudes or perspectives. Instead of saying “that will never happen,” we are going to have to answer the question, “How would I get this done, if I really wanted to do it?”

In 2010, the MDPC will face perhaps its biggest challenge on behalf of all stakeholders in Mississippi. Both mission and vision statements will be put to the test. Are we really willing to be held accountable, and are we willing to create a positive environment so as to benefit one another? It is one thing to create a vision statement. It is another matter entirely to live it.

Henry Ford was once quoted to say, “Whether a man thinks he can or he can’t do a thing, he is right.” We can allow the current frustrations, failures, and disappointments create insurmountable obstacles for us or we can choose to make these same challenges be the cement that binds us all together to accomplish our common goal. You don’t really know who you are, or what you can accomplish until you understand this vital point about the power of positive thinking.

To date, the MDPC has been immensely successful in bringing the different perspectives along, utilizing the varied experiences of stakeholders to create the foundation for a stronger and more effective damage prevention program. As the group continues looking for fair and effective response to the federal legislation enacted, your input will be even more critical to the process.

We trust that we will be able to convey to you just how vitally important you are to our efforts to keep Mississippi a safer place to live and work, and for one very good reason … You are!