Resident's Basement Floods from a Water Line Hit

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/City-improvements-rile-South-Troy-homesteader-3581252.php

NOT marking the vertical tolerance of a water line caused an accidental hit which, in turn, caused a resident's basement to flood.  This is a common because the VERTICAL TOLERANCE is not marked.  A Utility Depth Marker provides the exact measurement of the vertical tolerance and prevents this type of damage.

Dangers Facing Construction Workers

The Dangers Facing Excavation Construction Workers

Construction is a dangerous industry. While all construction workers have difficult and potentially dangerous jobs, some specific types of construction work are particularly dangerous. For example, trenching and excavation are particularly dangerous jobs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the fatality rate for excavation workers is 112% higher than that for general construction workers.*

What Dangers Do Excavation Workers Face?

There are many dangers that face excavation workers who are working in trenches. Some of the dangers include*:

• Cave ins. If the trench collapses with construction workers inside it, the results can be catastrophic.
• Asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen in a confined space. Trenches may not be properly ventilated, and workers may not have proper equipment to get them the fresh air that they need to breathe.
• Inhalation of toxic fumes. Toxic substances that are found underground and in the construction industry can quickly become fatal in the confined, unventilated areas of a trench.
• Drowning. If water is in the trench and rises faster than workers can get out, drowning can occur.
• Electrocution. When utilities are used underground, the danger of electrocution exists.
• Explosions. When equipment is used either underground or above ground close to the trench site, an explosion can occur that causes a cave in or other injury to the excavation workers.

****Information can be found at http://www.hofmannlawfirm.com/library/nj-ny-excavation-injury-trench-accident-construction-lawyers.cfm

IOWA Excavation Accident

http://thegazette.com/2012/04/26/workers-recovering-after-northwest-iowa-explosion/

http://thegazette.com/2012/05/01/excavation-contractors-say-they-know-dangers-of-buried-gas-pipelines/

These accidents and injuries can be avoided.

Utility Markers and Alternative Energy

As gasoline prices inch towards $4.00/gallon and possibly beyond by summer, it might be worthwhile, discussing how MUUDS can benefit the alternative energy industry.

MUUDS utility markers are designed to identify a vertical tolerance zone for the depth of a utility with our tracer cord outlining the directional path of the underground utility.  While the benefits of MUUDS for water, gas and sewer lines may seem more readily apparent to some because of their burial depth, when it comes to electric lines, especially in the case of solar panels or wind turbines, their use may have increased value.

The return on investment for solar or wind power may be years out in many cases making the protection and security of the transmission lines all the more important to the facility or owner.  MUUDS can be manufactured at any desired length and installed to protect the transmission lines of solar panels or wind turbines.

Statistically, 37% of accidents occur because 811 is not called prior to an excavation, meaning no one is aware that excavation is taking place.  Regardless of who causes the damage, if the service lines for your alternative energy source are interrupted, the down time and costly repairs can add demonstratively to the length of time for a return on your investment.

MUUDS offer a low cost damage prevention option to protect your lines AND your investment.  As a nation as we attempt to move further away from foreign oil dependance and embrace alternative sources of energy, ensuring the protection of the underground transmission lines is increasingly important.  Furthermore, contractors installing MUUDS utility markers at the time of installation, add value to their services by ensuring that if repairs or alterations need to be made,  they have provided a physical path to the utility to aid in discovery and avoid damage even after calling 811.

As we explore alternative energy sources, a focus on damage prevention becomes increasingly important, to protect both people and the investment in the technology.

MUUDS plays VEGAS!

As a company entering the utility industry, with a new and patented technology, we were thrilled to join the CGA conference in Las Vegas and introduce our utility depth marker to a national audience!

The great thing about this industry is how gracious everyone involved with utility safety is to a new concept, product and the people presenting it.  We met some terrific people from all over the country who were very receptive to our marker and the number of benefits it promises to bring to the industry.  The unique attributes of our utility marker hold tremendous promise for adding safety and damage prevention to existing and new utilities or any buried facility.

As expected, one of the great things about attending a conference like the CGA show, is the opportunity to have open discussions with new people who point out applications for your product that may not have been obvious and to learn a little bit from every show.

In Las Vegas, the term that surfaced that is applicable to our marker was the fact that MUUDS identifies a VERTICAL TOLERANCE ZONE for an underground utility.  We had conversations with a number of people who recognized that MUUDS are an asset for damage prevention of new utilities and ideal for vacuum excavations where we are recording data for existing utilities.

Perhaps the great thing about the show for us is identifying that our utility marker has international applications and has the ability to set a standard for utility markers identifying depth to avoid damage to utilities.

Next up, we head out to Lexington, Kentucky to introduce our utility marker to County Engineers at their conference.  We appreciate the warm response we received from other exhibitors and attendees in Las Vegas and look forward to the  show next year in Florida!

Supporting the need for Utility Markers - Underground Utility Damage Statistics & MUUDS

1.)   According to 2010 reports, of all accidents reported, 25% were due to poor locating practices, 38% were due to poor excavation practices and 32% were due to the fact that no notification was made.

M.U.U.D.S   offer additional locating information to aid excavators in discovery, complement locators and help prevent those who dig without notifying 811 from digging without notification.

2.)   There were 115,232 incidents reported nationwide in 2010.  While it was a 2% decline from the prior year, the CGA cautions that this decline may be attributed to a decline in construction activity.

M.U.U.D.S   raise awareness of the location of underground utilities either during excavation or when people dig without notifying.

3.)   12% of all damages nationwide, a total of 14,011, occur in the Northeast region which includes all of  New York State and the New England states.

M.U.U.D.S    embrace the national standard established by the CGA creating a uniform standard in every state. 

             4.)  84% of the incidents in the Northeast are caused by contractors/developers.  Of those incidents,              

       75% were caused by backhoes or trenchers and 15% were caused during the use of hand tools.

M.U.U.D.S    aids in incident prevention by providing a physical pathway for the excavator and laborers to discover the utility carefully.

5.)    42% of the accidents in the Northeast were to water/sewer lines and 16% were to energy/communications

MUUDS color-coded markers help identify utility lines by the color designated by the CGA and provide a depth guide to their underground position.

Utility Markers and UDM's

In recent years there has been explosive growth in the Utility Marker industry with a variety of products on the market.  Utility markers are now used in a variety of shapes and applications for just about every imaginable underground utility.

With the introduction of MUUDS, a new segment in utility markers is emerging that we refer to as UDM's or Utility DEPTH Markers.

UDM's differ dramatically in that they are not only installed WITH the utility, but identify the depth, which is not accomplish by any other utility marker on the market today.

The absence of a UDM marking a utility, offers no guide to contractors to identify the tolerance zone that most state laws require them to observe.  UDM's and MUUDS in particular, narrow the tolerance zone to a more specific range and offer a guide to the utility to aid in damage prevention.

According to DIRT (Damage Information Recovery Tool) issued by the CGA, 37% of all accidents were because no one called before they dug.  MUUDS offer a tracer cord to not only alert contractors BEFORE they get too far, but they also offer a guide to  the utility being marked and identifying the tolerance zone and promoting in excavation.

The tracer cords can be marked with contact information and use of a UDM will help deter and prevent unnecessary damage.  It is important to note that MUUDS DO NOT eliminate the need for locating, calling 811 or observance of the tolerance zone.  MUUDS are a tool in aiding the location of a utility to avoid damage.

Aesthetically, because MUUDS are installed at the full depth of the utility, the remain straight and resist being pulled out of the ground.  Surface markers can be removed, fade and  bend over time.  MUUDS utility markers offer the traditional benefits of other markers , with the added benefit of identifying the depth of the utility.