Locator Language: Decoding Utility Markings

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Created: Wednesday, 08 July 2020 10:31

Written by Amber Dahl

Image Source: Flickr

Keeping track of what’s exactly buried underground on a worksite can be a challenge, which is why utility locators follow the uniform color codes mandated by the American Public Works Association (APWA) for temporarily marking their facilities. The American Standards Institute (ANSI) established these colors as the American National Standard for Safety Colors. As a quick refresh, the APWA color code for utility marking is:

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Independence Day closure - Friday, July 3rd

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Created: Tuesday, 23 June 2020 11:28

Written by Gopher State One Call

We will be taking calls for emergency locates only on Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day, but remember, you can file a ticket online 24/7. NOTE: Friday will not count towards your standard 48 hour notice when filing a locate, so please plan accordingly.

From the MN Dept. of Pipeline Safety: White Marking is Required by Law

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Created: Friday, 22 May 2020 10:48

Written by Amber Dahl

Now that warmer weather has arrived, the 2020 excavation season is well underway. With that comes a rising increase in Gopher State One-Call locate requests. While excavators rely on the timely response and accurate locates by the utility operators, it’s just as important for excavators to do their part in order to perform their work safely.

The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (MNOPS) reminds all excavators that white-marking their proposed excavations is not only a best practice, it is also required by law. The requirement for white-marking proposed excavations can be found under Minnesota state statute 216D.05 (2). The requirement reads as follows: “An excavator shall use white markings for proposed excavations except where it can be shown that it is not practical.”

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Memorial Day closure - Monday May, 25th

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Created: Tuesday, 19 May 2020 11:28

Written by Gopher State One Call

We will be taking calls for emergency locates only on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day, but remember, you can file a ticket online 24/7. NOTE: Monday will not count towards your standard 48 hour notice when filing a locate, so please plan accordingly.

What You Need to Know About ITICnxt

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Created: Thursday, 14 May 2020 11:59

Written by Amber Dahl

On May 19, Gopher State One Call officially transitioned to our new ticket processing tool, ITICnxt. We took the technical innovations of our former ITIC platform and rebuilt it with the user in-mind, but ITICnxt is still free and it still allows excavators to create, manage and track their dig requests entirely online.

While the overall tool design remains the same, we made significant improvements to ITICnxt’s user experience interface. These modifications include easier-to-read fonts for quicker navigation, better contrasting color schemes to enhance legibility and modern icons to better guide the user through the ticket submission process.

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