Excavator Pre-Marking

Pre-marking the proposed work site allows excavators to accurately communicate to Manitoba Hydro's facility locators where excavation is to occur.

The excavator designates the route and/or area of the excavation using white paint, stakes or flags, or a combination of these to outline the dig site prior to notifying Manitoba Hydro and before the locator arrives on the job.

Detailed instructions for excavator pre-marking.

When a project is too large for or not conducive to pre-marking, face-to-face meetings between Manitoba Hydro's facility locator and the excavators will be arranged at the proposed work site.

The American Public Works Association (APWA) has designated white as the colour used for delineating a proposed excavation. See the APWA Uniform Colour Code.

Required Equipment:

• White paint, white stakes, white flags or whiskers (available through many suppliers) with the excavator's company identifier on them are required to participate.
• Wooden stakes may be painted white and your company identifier marked on them with permanent marker.

When using stakes or flags to mark the excavation work area; do not drive them into the ground deeper than 15 cm (6 inches). Any activity which disturbs more than 15 cm (6") must have facilities locate.

After the Area is Pre-Marked

For a routine locate request, once the excavator has marked the route or area of excavation, they must call Manitoba Hydro for a facilities locate. We will advise the excavator which day our locator will be out to locate the facilities. They will document the area using sketch or a map attached to the Electric and/or Natural Gas Facilities Locate form. A camera with a time/date stamp may be used to show the excavator's marks before and after the locator has marked the facilities, with distance from markings to fixed objects recorded.

If there is a conflict which requires a safety watch, the locator will phone the excavator. The locate form may be picked up at the district office the following day.

The Gas Pipeline Act, Regulation 140/92 and the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act, Regulations #217/2006, Part 26 require that a valid utilities locate advice form be on the worksite at all times until the project is complete.

If the excavator fails to pick up and sign the locate advice form at the district and excavates without the locate form onsite, the locate is not valid and the excavator will face consequences which may include fines and/or sanctions by Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health and the utility.

Project Closeout

When the excavation project has been completed, it is required that all flags and stakes be removed from the site.