Page 43 - BCCGA Best Practices Version 3.0

42 British Columbia Common Ground Alliance
2-20 ACCEPT MULTIPLE REFERENCE POINTS FOR LOCATE REQUESTS
PRACTICE STATEMENT: The one-call centre is able to accept multiple types of
points of reference to define the exact location of an excavation site (i.e.,
latitude/longitude, highway/railroad/pipeline markers, address, street and
cross street, etc.)
PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: The one-call centre's locate request taking
processes as well as its computer system are designed to accept and process
multiple types of reference points used by callers to (1) describe the location of
their work and (2) define the excavation site. Examples of different types of
reference points include highway markers, railroad or pipeline markers, a valid
address or cross street, latitude/longitude, municipality, community, county,
region, township and mail address (postal code) boundaries, etc.
All stakeholders involved in the one-call process receive a corresponding benefit
when the call centre is able to define the excavation site as specifically as
possible. The benefits are as follows:
Ÿ The facility operator's job of determining the existence of a potential
conflict is expedited
Ÿ Field personnel can find and mark the affected area much easier, and
Ÿ The ground disturber receives timely markings covering the area of
excavation
In contrast, standardizing on a limited set of criteria reduces the flexibility of
the system to serve the ground disturber and facility owner/operator. To avoid
this barrier, the one-call centre invests in systems and processes that can
incorporate of a variety of types of reference points in defining the excavation
site. The one-call centre takes steps to link these reference points to the
database used to register the facility operator's desired area of notification. This
practice assists in reducing over-notification.
2-21 SECURITY
PRACTICE STATEMENT: The appropriate physical and systems security, fire
protection, and electrical protection are in place to protect the one-call centre
and its critical components.