Positive Response System
Excavator-Operator Information Exchange System
GENERAL:
Va. Code § 56-265.16:1.E states that "a notification center shall maintain an excavator-operator
information exchange system in accordance with notification center certification
regulations promulgated by the State Corporation Commission."
The purpose of the excavator-operator information exchange system is to provide
a means of communication for excavators and operators relative to underground utility
lines near a proposed excavation.
To check the status of your ticket, call the excavator-operator information exchange
system toll free: 1-800-552-3120.
Information Exchange System Response Codes - Effective
January 11, 2011
The following is a list of locator response codes that are used in conjunction with
the excavator-operator information exchange system to communicate the marking status
of a ticket:
10 Marked. Code 10 shall be used when all utility lines
within the area of proposed excavation have been marked.
11 Marked; abandoned utility lines may be in area.
Code 11 shall be used when all utility lines within the area of proposed excavation
have been marked and the operator/locator is aware of the presence of abandoned
utility lines.
12 Marked up to privately owned utility; contact private
utility owner for locate. Code 12 shall be used when all utility lines within the
area of proposed excavation have been marked and the operator/locator is aware of
the presence of a private utility line.
13 Marked up to privately owned utility; contact private
utility owner for locate. Abandoned utility lines may be in area. Code 13 shall
be used when all utility lines within the area of proposed excavation have been
marked and the operator/locator is aware of the presence of both private utility
lines and abandoned utility lines.
30 No conflict; utility is outside of stated work area.
Code 30 shall be used when the operator/locator has determined that no utility lines
are in the area of proposed excavation.
31 No conflict; utility is outside of stated work area.
Abandoned utility lines may be in area. Code 31 shall be used when the operator/locator
has determined that no utility lines are in the area of proposed excavation and
the operator/locator is aware of the presence of abandoned utility lines.
32 No conflict; privately owned utility on property.
Contact private utility owner for locate. Code 32 shall be used when the operator/locator
has determined that no utility lines are in the area of proposed excavation and
the operator/locator is aware of the presence of private utility lines.
33 No conflict; privately owned utility on property.
Contact private utility owner for locate. Abandoned utility lines may be in area.
Code 33 shall be used when the operator/locator has determined that no utility lines
are in the area of proposed excavation and the operator/locator is aware of the
presence of both private utility lines and abandoned utility lines.
40 Agreed to a meeting as proposed by excavator. Code
40 shall be used in response to a meeting notice when the operator/locator agrees
to a meeting at the specific time and location proposed by the excavator. The meeting
must take place by 7:00 a.m. on the third working day following the meeting notice.
41 Mutually agreed to alternative meeting time and
location. Code 41 shall be used when an operator/locator is unable to attend a meeting
as proposed by the excavator. The operator/locator shall set up a mutually agreeable
time and location to meet no later than 7:00 AM on the third working day following
the meeting notice. Both excavator and operator/locator are encouraged to document
the arrangements.
50 Installation records, maps or other documents have
been provided. Code 50 shall be used in response to a designer ticket when the designer
does not request field markings to be placed. The information provided by the operator/locator
may include, but is not limited to, maps, surveys, installation records, as-built
records, or other means.
51 Records or information regarding private sewer laterals
have been provided. Code 51 shall be used for any of the following conditions:
When a sewer system operator has provided to the excavator
copies of the best reasonably available records regarding the location of private
sewer laterals by electronic message, mail, facsimile, or other delivery methods.
If the sewer system operator has no such records, but has
notified the excavator of additional information about the location of private sewer
laterals.
If the excavation area affects 25 or more private sewer
laterals, and the sewer system operator provides records regarding the location
of private sewer laterals within 15 working days, or another mutually agreeable
time. Both sewer system operator and excavator are encouraged to document the agreement
in writing (electronic or paper).
52 Records regarding private sewer laterals have been
provided on an accessible electronic system. Code 52 shall be used when the sewer
system operator has provided the best reasonably available records regarding the
location of private sewer laterals on the Internet or another readily accessible
electronic system. If the system’s location is unknown to the excavator, the excavator
shall contact the operator to determine the system’s location and how to retrieve
the records.
53 Agreed to an on-site meeting to provide additional
information regarding private sewer laterals. Code 53 shall be used when a sewer
system operator has agreed to meet the excavator on-site because the sewer system
operator has no records regarding the location of private sewer laterals, but the
sewer system operator has additional information to convey to the excavator.
60 Locator and excavator agreed and documented marking
schedule. Code 60 shall be used when an operator/locator has contacted the excavator
and the excavator has agreed to an alternate marking schedule. Operator/locator
must document agreement in writing (electronic or paper) to include, at a minimum,
full name of excavator representative agreeing to the schedule, the excavator’s
phone number, excavator’s signature if possible, reasons for the marking schedule,
and date and time of the agreement. The operator/locator must provide the name of
the excavator’s representative agreeing to the alternate marking schedule to VUPS’
Positive Response System with the use of Code 60.
70 Critical facility marked. In case of dredging, the
approximate horizontal location of the utility line has been identified. Locator
or utility operator shall notify directly the person listed as the field contact
on the applicable Miss Utility Ticket prior to posting Code 70 to the Excavator-Operator
Information Exchange System. Operator must be present during dredging or other forms
of excavation operations. Code 70 shall only be used when the operator’s presence
is necessary during dredging or other forms of excavation operations. In the case
of dredging, an acceptable means of identifying and or marking the approximate horizontal
location of the underground utility line must be determined and that information
must be provided to the person intending to dredge. For other forms of excavation,
the underground utility line(s) shall be marked. When an operator/locator responds
to a ticket with a code 70, it shall be the operator/locator’s responsibility to
provide the excavator/dredger with the appropriate name and preferred contact information,
i.e. telephone number, facsimile (“Fax”) number, email address and or mailing address,
for the excavator/dredger to use to inform the operator of the date and time when
the dredging or other forms of excavation operations will commence. Operator must
be present during such operations.
71 Critical facility not marked; locator or utility
operator must contact excavator and must be present during excavation. Code 71 shall
only be used when the operator’s presence is necessary during the excavation due
to the fact that the underground utility line is of such importance to national
security that marking it in accordance with the Underground Utility Damage Prevention
Act is not appropriate. When an operator/locator responds to a ticket with code
71, it shall be the locator/operator’s responsibility to provide the excavator with
the appropriate name and contact information for the excavator to use to inform
the operator of the date and time when excavation will commence. Operator must be
present during excavation.
80 The status of the utility line has been determined
to be abandoned. Code 80 shall be used by an operator when the operator has determined
the status of a utility line is abandoned.
81 Mutually agreed to an alternative time to determine
if the utility line is abandoned. Code 81 shall be used when an excavator and operator
have negotiated a mutually agreeable time period in excess of 27 hours for the operator
to provide information relative to an abandoned utility line if site conditions
prohibit the operator from making such a determination or extraordinary circumstances
exist. The operator shall notify the excavator of the date and time when the status
of the utility line will be determined. However, the deferral to determine the status
of the utility line shall be no longer than 96 hours from 7 a.m. on the next working
day following the excavator's additional notice to the notification center.
82 The utility line in question does not belong to
this operator. Code 82 shall be used when an operator has determined that the alleged
abandoned utility line is not owned by that operator.
90 Locator could not gain access to property; locator
will contact excavator. When an operator/locator responds to a ticket with code
90, it shall be the operator/locator’s responsibility to contact and inform the
excavator of their inability to gain access to the property to mark the area of
excavation. The operator/locator must provide the name of the excavator’s representative
that they contacted to VUPS’ Positive Response System with the use of Code 90. It
shall be the excavator’s responsibility to make the property accessible to the operator/locator
and call a new ticket for those operators who initially responded to the ticket
with a code 90, if necessary.
91 Incorrect address information; please call Miss
Utility and provide correct information. Code 91 shall be used when the excavator
has provided incorrect address information to the notification center. The operator/locator
shall make a reasonable attempt to contact the excavator to verify the address information
before the placement of this code. It shall be the excavator’s responsibility to
verify the address information and call the notification center to request a new
ticket with the correct information.
93 Scope of work is too large; please call Miss Utility
to reschedule. Code 93 shall be used when the area of proposed excavation exceeds
the limits of a work area as defined in § 56-265.17 F. It shall be the excavator’s
responsibility to call the notification center and request a new ticket or tickets
that complies with § 56-265.17 F.
94 Location of proposed work is unclear; please call
Miss Utility and provide the specific location on a new ticket. Code 94 shall be
used when the operator/locator is unable to determine the area of proposed excavation
according to the specific location delineated on the ticket. The operator/locator
must make a reasonable attempt to contact the excavator to clarify the specific
location of where the excavation is planned. It shall be the excavator's responsibility
to call the notification center and request a new ticket with a specific location
of proposed excavation if the original area is insufficient.
96 No response required from this terminal. Code 96
shall be used if no response is required from a specific terminal ID code. If an
operator has multiple terminal codes that overlap, they may choose to use Code 96
to display that a certain terminal is not responding. If a ticket is cancelled,
the operator/locator shall use this code to respond. (VUPS will not post responses
on a cancelled ticket to the Positive Response system.) If a ticket is transmitted
to an operator/locator’s terminal, but field markings are performed by another person
under contract with the operator, code 96 may be used by the operator/locator to
convey that they will not respond. The person responsible for marking the utility
line is required¹ to update to the positive
response system with the current marking status. Operators/locators are encouraged
to document the reason that no response was required.
97 Extraordinary circumstances exist. Code 97 is only
used in the event that extraordinary circumstances exist. These circumstances may
include: floods, snow, ice storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, other natural disasters,
blackouts, and massive computer network failures.
In addition to Locator Response Codes entered by Miss Utility’s member operators
or their contract locators, the Positive Response System generates the following
automated responses when applicable:
000 No Response. This is an automated place holder
generated by Miss Utility's Positive Response System that indicates the member operator
has not yet responded and the ticket's due by date and time has not yet passed.
Once a response is posted by the member operator or the due by date and time has
passed, the code is removed.
888 Ticket Has Been Cancelled. This is an automated
response generated by Miss Utility's Positive Response System when a ticket is cancelled
by the person who requested it. Once this response is posted, the system will not
accept any further response from any member operator or their contract locator.
999 Has Not Responded. This is an automated response
generated by Miss Utility's Positive Response System for Normal, Update, Remark,
Designer and Meeting tickets immediately after the due by date and time has passed
and a member operator or its contract locator has failed to post a response code
to the Positive Response System. A “No Show” ticket is transmitted by Miss Utility
to the member operator as the response 999 is posted to the system.
Inquiries concerning the Response Codes:
To report a problem or make a general inquiry regarding the use of the Response
Codes, contact the State Corporation Commission’s Division of Utility and Railroad
Safety:
Call: 1-800-552-7945 or 804-371-9563
Email: vadamageprevention@scc.virginia.gov
Write: Damage Prevention Investigator
Division of Utility and Railroad Safety
State Corporation Commission
P.O. Box 1197
Richmond, Virginia 23218
¹ In the event that the person responsible for marking the
utility line is the same as the person requesting the ticket, an additional response
is not required.