Page 17 - Mississippi

a renewal request cannot include any area where excavation work has been completed.
Note: Renewing a locate request ticket that includes any area within the proposed excavation location in which the excavator has already completed the excavation work is a violation of the law!
Excavation Safety
Cross Bores
Trenchless installation techniques are widely used. These methods provide minimal disruption to the surface, minimal disruption to traffic, and
often potential economic efficiencies. However, the use of plowing, percussive moles, and horizontal directional drills do not provide visual confirmation of the location of the new utility.
Cross bores, the unintended intersections of utilities, are a threat
to the safety of industry workers and the general public. In the case of gas lines intersecting sanitary or storm sewers, explosions, injury, and death have resulted. Energized utilities, such as natural gas and electric distribution lines, have potential immediate and long-term danger. Communication lines are essential for contacting emergency services.
To learn more about preventing cross- bores and the dangers associated with them, please go to www.crossboresafety. org.
Trenchless Excavation
The excavator must avoid using power-driven equipment for trenchless excavation near marked underground utility lines unless they expose the
path using noninvasive methods (e.g., hand digging, potholing, soft digging, vacuum methods, pressurized air or water, pneumatic hand tools). The excavator must then carefully monitor the equipment’s location to visually observe it crossing the marked area. When boring parallel to these lines, the excavator should also use noninvasive methods to identify the utility’s actual location at prudent intervals.
Facility/Utility Owners
Facility/Utility Owner Requirements
Operators who have underground utility or facility (utility) lines within
the State of Mississippi are required to:
Note: Locate Request Ticket Types to determine the deadlines for notifying utilities and submitting response information to PRIS.
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Install all utilities in a manner that ensures that they can be located using standard electronic methods.
Be a member of MS811.
Provide MS811 with the following information:
o A list of counties, cities, and towns in which they have underground utility lines.
o A digital map, paper map,
or geospatial information showing the location of their underground utility lines or for other reasons that they wish to receive notification of proposed excavation.
o An update of the location of their underground utility lines in the State of Mississippi on
an annual basis. However, we recommend submitting an update as soon as possible when a new line is put in the ground, or an existing line is sold or abandoned
Upon receiving a locate request notice shall:
o Report through the Positive Response Information System (PRIS) the status of the work performed, by the required locate by date/time.
o Determine the approximate location of its underground utility lines or underground facilities in the proposed excavation area, and shall either:
o Mark the approximate location of their underground utility lines and notify the excavator through PRIS that the facilities have been marked;
o Advise through the PRIS that they do not have underground utility lines in the excavation area; or
o Advise through the PRIS that they can only locate their underground utility lines by excavation. The operator is allowed additional time, not
to exceed 4 working days from the day the original notice was provided, to locate their lines by excavation.
o Locate utilities/facilities using the American Public Works Association (APWA) Color Code standards
o Instead of marking, the operator may request to be present at the site upon the commencement
of excavation, as long as the operator complies within 3 working days.
If an operator fails to comply with the law, they are responsible for any costs or expenses the excavator incurs due to that failure.
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MS811 Membership
Operators who have underground utility/facility lines within the State of Mississippi are required to be a member of MS811.
Membership Benefits
Becoming an MS811 member ensures compliance with the Mississippi Dig Law and helps align our state with federal regulations. By joining, you contribute to a collaborative effort among utilities, excavators, and stakeholders to protect communities from service disruptions, safety hazards, and health risks. This partnership fosters a safer and more reliable infrastructure for everyone.
Non-members risk unnecessary damage and disruption to vital services for their customers. Any operator who suffers damages as a result of not being an MS811 member forfeits the right to recover damages from an excavator who has complied with the law.
For most companies, the cost of membership is minimal compared to the average expense of repairing a damaged facility or utility line. This cost does not even account for the inconvenience to customers or the potential safety and health risks involved.
MS811 serves as your first line of defense against utility damage. Damages can be both costly and dangerous. By reducing the number of incidents, you lower
your annual repair costs and minimize service disruptions for your customers.
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2024, Issue 3 Mississippi 811 • 15