We took a day off, but Utility Alert is here now… better late than never! Austin Energy Fortifies Electrical Infrastructure: A Dual Approach to Enhance Power Delivery: READ π A unified approach: technology trials simplified for industry 4.0 success: READ π Metronet Expands Public Safety Investment in Michigan: READ π Chesapeake Utilities breaks ground on safety training facility: READ π …
BUILDING A STRONG LOCATING TEAM
Retaining staff and building your locate division is a tricky endeavor. As utility locating continues to gain prominence in the construction and infrastructure sectors, the importance of assembling a skilled and dedicated team cannot be overstated. Whether you’re a seasoned industry veteran or a burgeoning startup, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for the success and growth of your …
STANDARDIZING DELIVERABLES
A Critical Imperative for Safety and Efficiency We’ve been onboarding a lot of new clients lately and part of my role is information gathering. During this time I take a look at their previous processes and paperwork. The huge variance in quality of reports is pretty alarming, and I thought it would be worth exploring the need for standardization in …
UA / ISSUE 82
OSHA Standard 1926.651(b)(1) states that the estimated location of utility installations, such as sewer, telephone, fuel, electric, water lines, or any other underground installations that reasonably may be expected to be encountered during excavation work, shall be determined prior to opening an excavation. Here’s the top stories from the week: GeoCal is helping to map assets under the ground …
VHS | AA DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SUE TECH
“What’s it like to work as a Subsurface Utility Engineering SUE Tech at Control Point Associates, Inc.? A SUE Tech provides a full range of utility engineering services including private utility locating, ground penetrating radar, concrete scanning, and vacuum excavation. We solve the mystery of what is happening underground.”RECENT POSTSFeb. 10, 2025UA / ISSUE 130Feb. 06, 2025MINIMIZING HUMAN ERRORFeb. 03, …
ROBOTS IN DAMAGE PREVENTION
If we’re going to meet the 50-in-5 target we’re going to need to continue to innovate in preventing damage to underground utilities. This week one of our team was at a Tesla store in LA and seen their robot Optimus and it triggered me to look at where we’re currently using robotics in damage prevention and what’s coming up next! …
UA / ISSUE 81
Lots of exciting stories this week – Exodigo’s adoption by the DOE might be the biggest one in terms of impact though! Exiciting to see mapping and AI get a push at the federal level. Here’s why undergrounding all utilities in San Francisco is nearly impossible READ π DOE’s Grid Overhaul Prioritizes Safety Using AI Maps of Underground Power …
MAKING THE CASE FOR LOCATOR CERTIFICATION
A Vital Step in Damage Prevention Last week I attended Mike Parilac’s impactful presentation at the Louisiana 811 Damage Prevention Summit, the importance of locator certification in the field of utility management became glaringly apparent. As an observer at the Utility Expo where Mike launched this initiative back in September, his passion for certification and its potential impact on damage …
PROACTIVE MEASURES
Safeguarding Utility Infrastructure The old adage “prevention is better than cure” succinctly captures the essence of proactive decision-making especially in damage prevention. Emphasizing the importance of foresight and precautionary measures, this saying underscores the value of averting problems before they arise rather than addressing them after the fact. This isn’t always possible in damage prevention but right now the American …
UA / ISSUE 80
“Nothing is of greater importance than the conservation of human life.” – Former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge Peoples Gas pipeline replacement could soon restart READ π Equipment Recommendation READ π NextGen: Placing a Locate Request – BYDP WATCH π An interview with Michael Egan READ π Why didn’t 811 mark everything? WATCH π Geospatial firm raises £600k to create ‘eye …