The Locators' Resource

Safety

Overview

Safety onsite or off should be your number one concern. Below are tips, tricks, and products, we feel, will keep you safer on the the job.

Grounding can be a problem, especially if you are several yards onto pavement or working inside a building. These tips and tricks should help you with better bonding.
Whenever you can ground in the soil, do. Often the ground rod that comes with your equipment is too short. We recommend longer ground rods like Powerfields 36" T-Handle Ground Rod from Stateline Tack, and when possible, a copper ground rod works better than all others, but due to price, they are harder to come by. If your leads don't reach, but there is soil nearby, extending your lead to ground rod using tracer wire, found at your local hardware store or by using old leads as an intermediary.

When no ground is available, a 3 to 5 gallon bucket filled with soil can work as makeshift ground or finding a water source can provide the same opportunity.
If you are inside of a building, such as a phone room, your best bet is to use a ground rod, if one is provided. You will need, in this instance, to unbond all other utilities grounded to the ground rod, just as you would at a meter base. Otherwise, your second opportunity is to find an unused power outlet. The half circle on a 3 prong outlet is the power ground. You can insert a screwdriver into the power ground on the outlet (preferably a rubber handled screwdriver) and connect to the screwdriver. This being said, you will need to trace the signal you receive to the source as you will also be sending a signal down the power ground and want to make sure the signal you are tracing is the correct utility.

Recommended Products

Protect Against Snake Bites

It's easier to show you, than to tell you, why you should have snake gaiters in your locate vehicle, so here's a video that talked us into buying our first pair. You can purchase Snake Gaiters at Crackshot - Snake Guardz or do a search for other brands.

DEPSTECH Wireless Endoscope

This is a recent purchase of my own (Aug 2021) that I just had to share with everyone. DEPSTECH Wireless Endoscope uses a wifi signal, imbedded in the device, to transmit clear video from the device to the free app on your phone. The app allows you to save the file in both photo and video formats. So why do you need this tool? Aside from the every day uses of diagnosing car trouble, using the magnet to scape vents and grates to retrieve metal tools, the tool is great for getting a better shot of lines, and writing on those lines, in manholes, handhole, pedestals, ditches, and anywhere else you may need to know which hookup is accurate but can't see the downfacing writing. If locating is only one of your duties and you work on the construction side, you can use this little device to see obstructions and missing splices in bore and trench holes. The box on the device has a light level controller as well so you can choose the brightness you require and the device itself boasts being water proof. Click Here to view product.

WECADE Strobe Lights

I have used these strobe lights on 2 separate fleets thus far and have been thoroughly impressed. On a black dash, the housing doesn't melt. There have been no lemons. The lights are bright without blinding you, the driver. These are very well produced lights and have outperformed strobes that cost hundreds of dollars a piece. There are approximately 13 different patterns that can be chosen, and the "windshield" model, has a police pattern that is perfectly legal (in NC and SC. Check the laws in other states before making assumptions). The pattern registers subconsciously with drivers to where they will move out of your path before realizing the colors of the strobe. The windshield strobe can be used at the front and/or rear of the vehicle.

12w 12 LEDs Emergency Strobe Light Windshield (Amber/White)

In some instances, the rear of a truck cab will not allow the proper clearance for the WECADE Windshield Strobe to be effective and be seen. In this instance we recommend the Traffic Advisor Light Bar 35.5 Inch 13 Flash Patterns 32 Led Warning Emergency Strobe Light Bar (35.5 Inch, Yellow/White). This bar can be mounted directly to the window with suction cups. Or as we've founded, it works well mounted, back facing, from the head rest bars. This heavy duty light bar is super bright, even with tinted windows, and provides professional appeal with a price that won't break the bank. Traffic Advisor Light Bar

Blog

04.21.22 - Cover Your A**

Those three little words often referred to as CYA. "Cover Your A**" is probably the most important skill in locating before you ever pick up a paint stick. Remember, documenting now can save you from a damage, documenting after the fact, just looks like you're making it up. Having effective documentation is key and simply writing something down is not enough. You want to show that you made an effort to notify the contractor, the utility, a subordinate, supervisor, colleague, or customer, so documentation needs to come in the form of an email. Your CYA should resemble this path... email, text, phone, in-person. Email records the who, what, when, and where, and your email states the why. Sending an email to confirm something you just discussed or need to discuss reiterates the conversation you will have or creates an overview and heads-up of the conversation you expect to have. Provided you sent it to the correct email address, there is nothing to argue, even if the person receiving never responds to the email. Text is just a quicker version of the email, but second because that person is going to likely get less detail from you in a text. A phone conversation can't reference what was talked about, but it can establish that contact was made and how long the conversation lasted and at what time. In-person conversations, even with a witness present are essentially a "he said/she said" conversation. Make sure if you have an in-person conversation and important information or instructions are given, that you follow up the conversation with an email reiterating the points and requesting confirmation on the details you just discussed. Go back and write in what was discussed before you send it.

When pictures are needed, we recommend a time stamp app. In Timestamp Camera is the only FREE app we've found that works well and delivers the needed components to properly stamp a photo with all the information legally required. Remember, when it comes down to you versus the company, your company phone or company camera are property of that company and so are any pictures taken on those devices, so arm yourself whether in the field working or in case of a potential vehicular accident in transit, with the necessary documentation on your personal device. The In Timestamp Camera App can be downloaded from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

The following is a video discussing why CYA documentation is so important and giving you examples of how you can keep better documentation records.
Watch the YouTube Video at https://youtu.be/S2iTsqKf7BA

04.08.22 - You're going to need these

Welcome to the first entry into the blog. I haven't quite figured out where I want to add these links to the site, but the following is an essential toolkit (list) for every beginner. Most of you will have companies that buy these tools for you. Others may choose to be contract locators, and even so, once you decide as a new guy that this is the career for you, whether it's 1 year down the road, or a reluctant 20, you're eventually going to want to procure your own set of tools because it's just easier to know you have top quality, reliable tools when you need them.

Cable/Coax Utilities
Jonard P Key - for Self Lock Pedestal Lock, Brass, Gold.
Steel Barrel Fastener Plunger Tool

Communication and Power
Voltage Detector
Jonard Can Wrench
Jonard Hex Booth Wrench, Titan 16136 13-Piece Tamper Resistant Metric Hex Bit Set
Universal Socket Wrench
Handhole Hook
TandT Manhole Hook
Wingspan Optics Monocular - for reading labels on aerial lines.

Advanced Tools
Cantilever - Manhole Lifter
Submersible Dirty Water Pump
Olight 1000 Lumens Headlamp

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