Call before you dig!

I started a new job recently as a Locate Technician for a company whose job it is to locate underground plant for the utility companies. Another aspect of the job is that the utility companies also outsource their damage investigation to us to help them determine the cause of damages, the extent of damage and the responsible parties involved.

The instructor in our class brought this in and shared it with us, so I thought I'd help John meet his PSA quota (that's Public Service Announcement for those of you who have had their prostate examined recently) for the month.

Everyone knows they should call for locates before they start any major projects, but a lot of people figure that if the only thing they're doing is putting in a new mailbox or digging a couple of fencepost holes, why bother? Worst case scenario is I could kill myself if I'm not careful, and hey, I'm a careful guy. Besides, it's my life!

The following pictures were taken by Damage Investigators when a rural - area farmer decided it wouldn't hurt anything to dig a few post holes without a locate.

He hit a high-pressure gas main.


This is his house. His wife and two kids were home at the time.

This is his neighbor's house (about a quarter-mile away). He was also home with his wife and two kids.

This is where he was standing when his auger hit the gas main. He was vaporized instantly.

These are the other surrounding utilities. Half the county was out of service for nearly a week.



So if you still want to dig without a locate, what the hell, it's your life - oh, wait...!