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| Utility Safety for
Horizontal Directional Drilling |
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| Everyone’s resources have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can help prevent locate delays by pre-marking your proposed dig area in white and notifying 811 of your planned excavation with as much lead time as possible: up to 30 calendar days in Florida. To learn more about Tampa Electric’s response to COVID-19, click here. |
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| Order our COMPLIMENTARY worker safety kit on the Tampa Electric
e-SMARTworkers website. |
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| Subterranean Smarts |
| It’s always essential to notify Sunshine 811 to have underground utility lines located and marked before beginning work, but you should take it a step further when you use trenchless technology: |
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Before you request an 811 locate, pre-mark your intended bore path with white paint, stakes, and/or flags. This will give locators an exact path to mark and will help prevent delays when your ticket is cleared to start. |
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Be sure to say you are using HDD equipment when you speak to the 811 operator or complete your online ticket request. |
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Consider soil conditions. Many factors, including sandy soil or a shallow water table, will affect the depth at which you can safely drill without cave-in worries. |
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| Always contact Sunshine 811 before digging and for the most current requirements. Call 811 or visit sunshine811.com. |
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| Safe Drilling Practices |
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Dig potholes to the depth of your planned excavation to confirm the exact depth and location of any buried utilities that cross or parallel your bore path. If using a hydrovac, use higher flow, less pressure, and a spinner tip to prevent damage to underground facilities. |
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Use your potholes to watch the drill head cross utility lines during the initial bore and also during backreaming to ensure you maintain the required clearance. |
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Calibrate. Be sure to calibrate your bore head and locating device before every job. |
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Don’t forget the backream. Remember, your locating device will monitor the bore head on the pilot pass, but may not be able to monitor the backream head. Plan accordingly if you have to expand the diameter of your bore before installation. |
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| Would You Like to Know More? |
| Additional utility safety tips, case studies, instructional videos, and instructional tools can all be found, at no charge to you, on Tampa Electric's e-SMARTworkers website. |
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