Pulse

It was a fairly typical morning in Raynham, Massachusetts in November, just about a week before Thanksgiving, and Project Manager / Assistant Superintendent Brett Anderson and his team had just rolled into the jobsite where Loureiro is engaged in the demolition and replacement of the Mill Street Bridge.

The team was addressing drainage issues and repaving the roadway surface while managing utility coordination - both above ground and below the surface. This requires extra attention to detail, reviewing drawings, making calls to utility service providers, and other meticulous site reconnaissance before any equipment even breaks ground.

On the morning in question, Loureiro Contractors, Inc. (LCI) was digging trenches for a catch basin structure when two members of the team, Operator John Douglas and Laborer Lenny Moniz, encountered what had been marked as a gas main line while digging out the trench.

Preventing damage to underground utility infrastructure is a priority for utility operators and contractors who excavate, drill, and bore in areas where there are existing utilities. When accidental strikes of underground utility lines happen they come with the interruption of essential services, expensive repair costs for damages, and potential injuries to individuals onsite or in surrounding areas. As utility easements become tighter due to increased populations and existing infrastructure, preventing damage to underground utility lines comes with its challenges, and it takes a team of seasoned and careful contractors to work carefully to avoid these pitfalls.

“John and Lenny were going about their work as they always do – carefully and safely – when they came across an unmarked line,” says Brett.

A majority of the time, any new site Brett and his team are working on is subject to a “Call Before You Dig” or CBYD report where anything under the ground is marked out by the utility company with different colors. For instance, a water line might be marked blue, a sewer line might be marked red, or a fiber optics line might be green. The goal is to clearly mark everything below the surface prior to commencing site work, ensuring that no utility lines are damaged during the process.

“We were digging for the catch basin, and we knew there was gas in the general vicinity. One side of the catch basin was marked out and the other side of the basin wasn’t,” says Brett. “John and Lenny came across the line during their dig and the line was marked yellow, which initially indicated a live gas main.”

Upon discovering this unmarked line, John and Lenny immediately notified the crew and work was stopped to ensure everyone’s safety. After analyzing the line further, it was found to be a power line for the rectifier.

“The line wasn’t part of the as-built plans,” says Brett. “So it could have been that someone forgot to mark the line or that it was a complete unknown. We didn’t get lucky but at the same time we did get lucky. Had it been a gas main, and had we struck it and caused a leak that could have been a very dangerous situation for our team.” 

After work was stopped, the team notified Eversource, the utility owner, who came out to examine the trench where the line was found. 

“In the end, the situation didn’t end up being as bad as it could have, and that’s truly a testament to the guys in the field being aware of the situation and the site and demonstrating safe practices,” says Brett. “John and Lenny are two veterans in the game and handled themselves with the type of professionalism you want in any work environment.”