Grant Piraine
Jul 12, 2018
Locate reports have become the industry standard for documenting buried utility infrastructure. They are often treated as proof that due diligence has been completed and that work can proceed safely. In reality, a locate report is only one part of the safety equation, and relying on it without understanding what it represents is where many incidents begin.
In damage prevention, paperwork does not equal certainty.
A locate report reflects what was requested, what records were available, what access was provided, and what the locator could reasonably identify at the time. It does not guarantee that every buried facility within a work area has been identified, nor does it confirm that nothing has been missed. Understanding this distinction is critical for both workers in the field and the organizations responsible for their safety.
Why Understanding Utility Structures Matters
One of the most common failures in damage prevention occurs when people trust paperwork without questioning whether it makes sense in the context of the work site.
If a worker is standing beside a transformer, a post indicator valve, a telecom cabinet, or a sewer structure, there is almost certainly buried utility infrastructure servicing that structure. If that infrastructure is not shown on the locate report and there are no markings on the ground, that should immediately raise concern.
This is not about blame. It is about awareness.
Without understanding utility structures and how they are serviced underground, workers and supervisors have no way of knowing whether a locate is complete, incomplete, or still outstanding. They are forced to rely on assumptions instead of knowledge, and assumptions are where risk lives.
During lunch and learn sessions, I often ask participants to identify these structures and explain what buried infrastructure services them. The response is usually silence.
Examples of common above ground utility structures that should immediately prompt questions about what exists below ground are shown below.
If these structures are unfamiliar, or if you are unsure what services them underground, it is a clear indication that additional training and awareness are needed, regardless of experience level.
Locate Reports Do Not Replace Site Reconnaissance
A key part of owning your safety is learning how to perform a basic site reconnaissance before ground disturbance begins.
This includes:
Identifying all visible utility structures within and near the work area
Understanding what type of buried facility typically services each structure
Comparing what is seen on site to what is shown on the locate report or what is marked on the ground
Questioning discrepancies instead of working around them
If a structure, also known as an appurtenance, exists but is not accounted for on the report, work should stop until clarification is obtained. Proceeding because paperwork exists is not due diligence. It is exposure.
Organizational Responsibility Cannot Be Delegated
Organizations often expect workers to perform due diligence, yet fail to provide them with the knowledge required to do so. Expecting someone to verify locate accuracy without teaching them how to interpret locate reports, recognize utility structures, and understand how buried infrastructure is typically installed is unrealistic and unfair.
True due diligence requires:
Training workers to understand locate reports, not just receive them
Teaching how above ground structures relate to buried infrastructure
Empowering workers to stop work when something does not add up
Supporting decisions made in the interest of safety, not schedule
When organizations rely solely on paperwork or ground locate marks, they are not transferring responsibility. They are creating blind spots.
Owning Safety Requires Knowing More Than the Rules
Calling for locates and receiving a report is a rule. Understanding what that report does and does not tell you is knowledge.
Safety is not owned by the locator, the paperwork, or the system. It is owned by the people making decisions in the field and by the organizations directing the work. That ownership only exists when individuals are given the same level of understanding that experienced locators use every day.
You cannot truly own your safety if you do not know what should be below your feet before you dig.