Trenchless Technology Dig Safely Home< BackNext >

 

Obtain mutual agreement for directional drilling.
Mutual agreement between the excavator and PG&E is required for the use of any power-operated equipment, including horizontal directional drilling (HDD).

Call before drilling.
If you are planning to use directional drilling, call 811 well ahead of the job. Let them know about the equipment you will be using, and ask them to space locator marks closer together. This will help you see if the utility’s path shifts or turns suddenly.

Dig potholes so you can safely monitor the drill head.
A buried drill head makes it impossible to tell how close you really are to an existing utility. This makes it especially important to manually expose the line and watch as the drill string passes through.

Calibrate the bore head and locating device at the start of each job.
Remember, the locating device can monitor the bore head on the initial pass, but may not be able to monitor the backream head.

 

Each type of underground facility (such as electric, gas, telecommunications, water, etc.) requires a different clearance from other subsurface facilities. Ensure you have confirmed any clearance requirements with the operator of that facility before beginning your boring activities.