Category:142 Missouri One Call System

Excavation Safety - Marking Utilities

Missouri One Call System, Inc. (MOCS), operates as a non-profit Missouri corporation per RSMo Chapter 319. They facilitate the location of underground utilities. Their statewide toll-free telephone number, 1-800-DIG-RITE (344-7483), operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MOCS, established in 1986, provides statewide services to utilities and excavators to comply with the law. This law applies to any person excavating in the state of Missouri.

MOCS was established to protect underground facilities and assist excavators and utilities in complying with Missouri's statute and OSHA Rules 1926.651. By using MOCS, worker safety, the general public's safety and the environment also are protected.

Specifics about the planned excavation are required when contacting MOCS by telephone or internet. Once this information is processed, a list of member utilities that will be notified of the excavation is provided. The locate request is then sent to all member utilities with facilities in the dig site area. After the utility has been notified of the planned excavation, they will mark the "approximate location" of their underground lines or advise that there are no facilities in the area. After it is determined that markings are required, the locate request is dispatched to a field locator who will locate underground utilities and mark the excavation site with paint, stakes or flags corresponding to the type of utility that may be encountered.. Members mark their facilities according to specific guidelines and color codes.

Legislatively, MoDOT became a member of Missouri One Call System January 1, 2009. MoDOT’s participation in Missouri One Call does not exclude anyone wanting to work on MoDOT right of way from obtaining a permit or completing the Notice of Intent to Perform Work Process. However, before excavation will take place on our right of way, no longer will two phone calls be necessary to locate the underground facilities. Notification of the excavation will be made only to Missouri One Call, not MoDOT.

Requesting a Locate

Any person making or beginning any excavation must notify MOCS at least three but not more than ten working days in advance, except in the case of an emergency. There are three ways to place a locate request:

1. Internet Ticketing (ITIC)

2. Calling

3. Fax

ITIC allows the locate request to be placed anytime, 24 hours a day. After processing the ticket, the requester will receive an email confirmation listing the utilities at the dig site and a ticket number. To use ITIC, the requester must register by calling the ITIC administrator at (573) 636-1550 or email at moitic@occinc.com.

Excavators may call MOCS 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-DIG-RITE or 811 and give the operator information allowing the utility locators to find and mark the dig site.

Faxing the information is also an allowable method. Of course, the faxed aggreement must be signed to be valid.

The Call Center will ask for the type of ticket being requested. There are seven types of tickets:

1. Routine, a regular locate request.

2. No Response, requested when one or more utilities failed to respond to the original locate request. Identify those who have not responded, if possible, by comparing the list of utilities on the original ticket.

3. Emergency, requested when a sudden, unexpected occurrence, presenting a clear and imminent danger demanding immediate action or to prevent or mitigate loss or damage to life, health, property or essential public services. “Unexpected occurrence” includes but is not limited to thunderstorms, high winds, ice or snow storms, fires, floods, earthquakes or other soil or geologic movements, riots, accidents, water or wastewater pipe breaks, vandalism or sabotage or any interruption in the generation, transmission or distribution of electricity or any damage to property or facilities that causes or could cause such an interruption.

4. Dig-up, when damage to facilities has occurred, MOCS must be notified. If damage involves pipeline or natural gas line, then 911 and the affected utility must also be notified.

5. Renewal, requested when previous marks are not visible and need to be remarked due to weather, construction or work not starting.

6. Preliminary Design, requested to determine what facilities are present when planning a project. Contact names and phone number will be supplied. No marking will be made.

7. Design, requested when planning a project and a ticket will be generated for markings at the site. Utilities are allowed 5 working days to respond and excavation cannot occur. Before excavating, a routine ticket must be requested.

A few things to remember when requesting a locate:

• Utilizing the Missouri One Call Locate Request Form will help ensure all the pertinent information is easily available.
• Be sure to mark the area of excavation with white paint or a white flag.
• Identify yourself as the "caller" and MoDOT as the "company".

Performing a Locate

Upon receipt of a locate request, MoDOT reviews the information on the ticket and either marks the approximate location of the underground utilities, request additional information or advise the excavator the area is “clear”. MoDOT has two working days to perform these actions.

If utilities need to be located, markings are required to identify the approximate location of the underground utilities. The approximate location is a strip of land not wider than the width of the underground facility plus 2 ft. on either side thereof. Markings are made with either red paint or flags for electrical facilities or orange paint or flags for communication facilities and done in accordance with the national standards developed by the Common Ground Alliance. Red and orange flags are available from the warehouse.

If the area of excavation cannot be determined from the description provided on the ticket, MoDOT may request the excavator to either:

• mark with a white line the proposed area of excavation,
• provide project plans, or
• meet at the site.

Either party may also request an on-site meeting to clarify markings, but must occur within two working days of the request for the meeting.

In some cases, MoDOT may be able to determine from the information on the ticket there are no underground utilities in the area that would be affected by the excavation. In these cases, MoDOT must notify the excavator and advise them they are “clear”.

If a “No Response” ticket is received, MoDOT is required to respond by marking or making contact with the excavator within two hours. If the “No Response” notification is made before 2 pm, the marking shall be completed that working day. If the “No Response” is made after 2 pm, the marking is to be completed no later than 10 am the next working day.

Each ticket MoDOT receives from Missouri One Call Concepts will cost $1.20. In addition, MoDOT pays an extra 16 cents per ticket for a ticket management system called National Ticket Management System (NTMS). All costs associated with performing locate requests (ticket cost, labor, equipment, expenses) are to be tracked and charged to job number WS1CALLS.

Requirements

Once a ticket is received, MoDOT has two working days to respond. The date of the call does not count. The two working days shall begin at 12 midnight following the receipt of the request by the notification center. “Working days” do not include weekends and holidays. If a utility has not responded to the locate request, the excavator is required to issue a “No Response” ticket and allow the utilities two hours to respond before beginning excavating. State holidays are not considered working days. The start date of the excavation will be extended when a holiday falls within the utility response time.

There are various methods that can be used to advise the excavator of no facilities in the area. MoDOT may call the contact number of the excavator, leave a message on a recording device, call the cell phone of the excavator, notify the excavator by fax or e-mail, marking the site with “clear” or “OK” or verbally informing the excavator in person.

At all times, the "three rules of one-call" should be observed:

1. Call before you dig. This means to dial 811 or 1-800-dig-rite (744-7483). 811 started in 2014 and is the national number that will give you the one-call service for whatever state you’re calling from. Utility tickets may also be filed via the internet.

2. Achieve positive response and wait the required time. Positive response means that verification has been obtained from each of the notified utilities from the one-call ticket, that they are "clear" or the utilities have been marked. And, if they’re clear, have written or photographic proof that they are clear. Don’t start excavating until the utilities are cleared and the two working days are up.

3. Whenever you dig, dig responsibly with care and caution. It’s the law.