WUCC Library Tapes Summaries

Revised: 08/01/05

DIGGING DANGERS

Risky Business

Has footage of various gas and a power hit that caused a fire in the cities sewer system. Plus Ohio is using APWA marking guidelines since 1983.

DIGGING DANGERS 15:00 Min.

Anatomy of an Accident

In 1991 McCoy Construction hit a gas main. 3 died, 6 were injured including a 5 Mc Coy employees. The tape breaks down the whole investigation of the event. McCoy of McCoy construction Co. said that if it weren’t for their safety program they would have been put out of business by this event. They stressed Safety at their firm. OSHA cleared them of any charges and they were not cited as a result of their safety program. As a result of this incident the company went from one safety meeting a week to one every day. They inspect all of their equipment daily. When at a job site the crew is told where the nearest clinic and hospital are. Everything is documented in writing.

DIGGING DANGERS IV 10:00 Min.

Accident Avalanche

Covers TV news and newspaper clippings of hits. A couple of hits that were covered were; one, a person back east was planting a tree. Hits a gas main and destroys a building near by. Broke many more windows and killed one. The second one was in Ohio. They had a monitor. After the monitor left they kept digging and hit a 36” gas main killing 2.

DIGGING DANGERS V 12:30 Min.

Taking the Offensive

This tape was narrated by Anchor Stan Turner. He emphasized “Call Before you Dig.” Educate the excavator in when to hand dig. Don’t rely on the depth of locating equipment. Use vacuum excavation to expose the line. Need to expose the line first.

DIGGING DANGERS VII 14:00 Min.

Hits & Misses

Gave examples of locates using locate equipment. Talked about New Jersey passing a new law imposing fines because people were digging without calling in locates. The law stems from a 1994 explosion. The fines were $25,000 for gas and 2,500 for all other utilities. Connecticut passed a Good Samaritan law that locators could mark private utilities without being liable. It also discussed how to call in locates and had more coverage on hit lines with statistics.

DIGGING DANGERS VIII 12:00 Min.

Accident Ambush

This video shows the before and after footage of a 36” water main hit. The water main was private so the owner was not notified. The city owned the main and was not a member of the one call system. The main was less than 2’ underground. The contractor didn’t see the presence of water. Also had footage of a gas hit without potholing first. One gas line that was hit had been marked except that the locate marks were off by 6’. The gas company was fined $20,000 for inaccurate marks. The contractor was fined 10,000 for not calling 911 immediately after the line was hit. Talked about graffiti laws affecting utility locates. Stressed marking it in white.

DIGGING DANGERS IX 8:00 Min.

Fire, Water & Fiber

The video had coverage of various water and fiber hits. Emphasized potholing before doing directional boring. The tape also included footage of a hit next to Underground Focus Magazine. A locate was not called in a head of time because where they were digging was in the woods.

DIGGING DANGERS X 8:00 Min.

Deadly Surprises

St. Cloud Minnesota – gas line was hit without 911 being called after the hit. The state is working on passing a law making it a requirement to call 911 after a gas main hit. The tape also covered other gas hits, one water and oil hit.

DIGGING DANGERS XI 12:00 Min.

Hidden Hazards

Showed footage of various gas main hits that involved loss of life. They had coverage of a gas main hit in Georgia on I-85 that closed the freeway for 12 hours. Plus footage of the Bellingham hit in which 3 were killed. The tape emphasized marking it in white and maintaining your marks.

DIGGING DANGERS XII 9:00 Min.

Tragic Encounters

It showed footage of various hits including gas, water and fiber. One was on a hit fiber line that caused delays at the airport because they couldn’t assign gate numbers and check in luggage.

DIGGING DANGERS XIII 7:00 Min.

Digging Nightmares

It showed footage of various hits. There was more about the Bellingham hit included. The company knew that the main had been hit sometime earlier upon inspection of the pipe. The pipe was not repaired when it was discovered. They were charged with manslaughter.

DIGGING DANGERS XIV
Underground Traps

DIGGING DANGERS XV
Digger Nightmares Continued

DIGGING DANGERS XVI
Excavation Tragedies

DIGGING DANGERS XVII
Boom!

MBW, Inc Soil Pick (British Tape) 4:00 Min.

It’s a tape advertising their 6 and half pound water pick. It’s another way to pot hole cheaply.

APS Safe Dig 8:50 Min.

It’s a tape advertisement on potholing utilities using trench less techniques. It also included information on their survey services of utilities.

One Call News Stories 7:10 Min.

Had some news coverage clips of hit utility lines. It was promoting getting one call centers. (The tape is outdated)

N. Carolina Incident

The tape is in poor condition and breaks off and one doesn’t know how it ends. A gas and water main were hit. The crews go back to repair the breaks and while they are trying to repair the mains there is an explosion. You see 2 ambulances entering a hospital and then the tape goes to snow.

WA Natural Gas Pipe line Safety

It covers the gas accident in Iowa that killed 5. This accident was in “Digging Dangers Risky Business.” This tape goes further into the investigation of what happened.

Call Before You Dig 1986 15:00 Min.

Demonstrates locating

Shows a locate center and how it works

Talks about coordinating councils and the WUCC

(Tape is outdated)

One Call News Stories 12:00 Min.

Fiber Optic Replacement 12:22 Min.

It’s all about fiber. It covers how it’s made, how it works and how to dig by it.

“Call Before You Dig” 1:00 Min.

Commercial

WSDOT “The Safer Roadside” 17:00 Min. 1988

In the mid sixties started the US wide road safety standards; (seat belts and other safety equipment for cars). Included in building safer roads was to add signs and luminaries. Roads have break-a-way signs. Utility poles are a big issue and as highways improve the poles will be moved off of the highways.

WSDOT “Scenic Classification System”

Washington was the first state to come up with a classification system for highways to preserve the beauty of the scenery with placement of utilities.

Pierce Co. UCC

It’s an outdated commercial advertising where and when they hold their meetings.