1. Gas Utility Operations Best Practices Program
February 13-14, 2013
Gas Utility Operations Best Practices Program
2013 Quality Management Best Practices Roundtable
Le Meridien, Philadelphia, PA
Group Discussion Summary – Locating & Marking
Facilitator – Andrew Lu, Aaron Johnson

2.
Note: The survey responses are based on an informal survey and are for general information only. They are not intended to bind any company or state a company's official position. The information represents an unaudited compilation of information and could contain coding or processing errors. Anyone using this document should rely on his or her own independent judgment or, as appropriate, seek the advice of a competent professional. References to work practices, products or vendors do not imply an opinion or endorsement by AGA or a responding company. This publication is confidential and proprietary to AGA. AGA Full and Limited Members are granted a limited license to reproduce this publication for internal business purposes but not for regulatory or civil matters. This document is not intended to provide legal advice or opinions. As always, you should consult your legal counsel for advice based on the law and your company’s specific facts and circumstances. Copyright & Distribution: Copyright © 2013 American Gas Association. All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the American Gas Association. AGA Full, Limited and International Members are granted a limited license to reproduce this publication for internal business purposes but not for regulatory or civil matters.

3. How should the quality of work being performed be measured?
Quality of the damage prevention program probably encompasses additional items & metrics besides those attached to those associated with quality of the locating & marking (e.g., 811 awareness, maps & records accuracy, damage claims collections, etc.)
Timeliness and Accuracy across enterprise, but also by regions or divisions
Goal for timeliness is usually 100%, with provisions for Emergency Tickets (often excluded from data set) and for tickets which are unreasonably large in their scope
Timeliness and accuracy are both determined by the language in the state’s One Call statute
Exception reports are typically created for managers to indicate specific tickets which have had late staking

4. How should the quality of work being performed be measured? (cont’d)
Performance metric for Accuracy is tied to number of excavation damages due to mis-marks (or no markings)
Accuracy is ideally determined by an actual dig-up and exposure of the pipeline
Due to limited resources, accuracy is usually determined by an audit where a SME goes out with pipe locator to affirm the markings are indeed accurate. This should be done within two days so that the paints and flags are still visible.
Some utilities have a random approach to select those tickets to audit, while other utilities focus more on the tickets which require locating of higher risk pipelines (# of audits to perform should be based on volume of field locates being performed – Alagasco audits 1% of all field locates)
Companies often have procedures to manage abnormal condition reports, where a record does not match the field locate, or a pipe is “difficult to locate.” These reports should be addressed in a timely fashion.
Exception reports are created for managers to indicate specific tickets which have had late staking done

5. Describe the key components of an audit and training program
Number of audits can be adjusted based on previous performance of individual involved
There should be a correlation between audit results and number of excavation damages due to staking errors
Training ensures consistent approach to locating performed by employees/contractors. Also establishes link to company procedures and compliance.
Audits best performed by an independent department rather than using local supervision.
Companies have training centers which feature “hard to locate” pipelines

6. Describe the innovative technologies and procedures being implemented
Con Edison require contractor to use a video camera to record their markings in response for every ticket
Enbridge and ATCO Gas require contractor to provide detailed sketch of their markings to the excavator, and to retain a copy for own records
Some utilities require photo of all markings as evidence they were onsite and where they painted and flagged (Knoxville Utilities, Central Hudson G&E), some are having contractors/employees use an I-pad for digital photos.
Utilities in Ontario and Alberta use a consortium approach where a contractor is responsible for providing the locates for multiple utilities
For service lines that cannot be readily located, Citizens Energy Group, Alagasco, and Xcel Energy snake a tracer wire through outside riser (no blow technology)
Cameras used to find service taps

7. Describe the innovative technologies and procedures being implemented (cont’d)
Dominion East Ohio, Ameren, Xcel Energy, Atmos, and Integrys using acoustic pipe locator for pipes not readily locatable
Marker balls
Use of traditional cathodic survey tools (PCM) as primary locating methodology - Dominion
Enbridge is using GPS for installation of new facilities to ensure accuracy for locates
Alagasco and SWG have developed procedures to have gas services lines marked with medallions or permanent curb cuts for new subdivisions

8. Describe key management considerations accounting for differences between employees and contractors
Companies still using employees exclusively to perform staking for gas facilities include: PSE&G, PGW, UGI, DTE Energy MichCon, New Mexico Gas,
So Cal Gas, and PG&E.
PSE&G has experienced lower damage rates, possibly attributed to the institutional knowledge that their stakers possess. These are veteran employees who have an assigned area and know the system.
Utilities should have the ability to ask their locate contractor to remove any individuals who have a high rate of late or inaccurate locates.
Facility records must be provided to contract locators
Much more flexibility when using contractors due to seasonal fluctuations in one call tickets
When using contractors, the overtime and on-call issues are all outsourced
There may or may not be an incentive to perform additional inspections on contract locators relative to employees
Agreement that when inspecting locate accuracy for employees, that it is ideally performed by an independent department rather than using local supervision

9. Other Key Issues
Criteria used by companies to determine when they will have either monitoring of 3rd party excavation or stand-by for excavations around “critical pipelines” - - e.g., transmission pipelines or higher pressure distribution mains
Tracking of 1st Party and 2nd Party excavation damages
Exemptions from notification of One Call Center
Marking of sewer laterals
Identification of legacy cross-bores and prevention of cross-bores for new construction
Enforcement actions from PUC/PSC when mis-marks occur, causing a damage

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