Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What do the marker colors mean?

A. Underground locator colors are based on an international standard. Click here to see color chart.

Q. What does OSHA / OH&S require before any ground disturbance takes place?

A. Whether the ground disturbance is to take place on public or private land, the Occupational Safety & Health Code requires that ALL buried facilities potentially in conflict with the ground disturbance be identified & their horizontal alignments marked out before the ground disturbance begins.  The requirement to have the locations of ALL buried facilities marked applies to the ENTIRE digging community, NOT just contractors. Making arrangements to have locates done should be part of the job planning process.

Q. Does 2nd Call® only perform secondary (private) locating services?

A. No. 2nd Call® provides a wide variety of underground locating services including but not limited to secondary (private) underground locating services. For more information contact 2nd Call®’s customer support team.

Q. Why should I always make a 2nd Call® before digging?

A. Damage done to secondary lines can be dangerous to the excavator, others around, and the public in general. Damage to secondary lines can also be costly to repair, and time consuming to fix.

Q. How is 2nd Call® able to locate underground facilities?

A. We use specialized equipment with certified and trained staff. Through induction, a signal is sent through the buried facilities and we are able to trace the signal and mark them out.

Q. What is the difference between a primary and secondary underground line?

A. Primary lines are utility owned and a member or contractor of the utility company will come and locate those lines. These include any utility line running up to and before the meter, main connect or primary disconnect point. Any lines that are not the primary feeds that may run from a house or business to service another building or area is secondary and is customer owned. Those lines will not be marked by a utility company and are the responsibility of the owner. 2nd Call® can come and mark all of your secondary lines upon request.

Q. How long are the marks good for after a locate has been completed?

A. Locate marks are good for up to 14 days and subject to conditions. For further details contact 2nd Call®.

Q. Can you locate plastic lines?

A. If a plastic line has a tracer wire then it can be located using our usual methods. If there is no tracer wire, we are still able to locate plastic lines in most instances using other means and techniques.

Q. How and why  is a sweep / scan performed?

A. A sweep / scan is a two man process that involves using a transmitter and a receiver to attempt to find locatable underground lines or hazards in a given dig area and is performed in a grid pattern. This process has an advantage over other methods as it does not require direct access to the line / hazard. For your safety 2nd Call® strongly recommends having this done as well to completely satisfy the requirements of the Occupational Safety & Health Code.